Sarah Gillman is a co-Legal Director of Rapid Defense Network. Sarah has been defending non-citizens who are detained and facing removal since 2007. She has an extensive background in defending detained non-citizens in proceedings before the Executive Office of Immigration Review and in the federal courts.  Sarah was instrumental in the development of the New York Immigrant Family Unity Project, the nation’s first public defender system for detained non-citizens funded by the New York City Council. From 2012-2014, Sarah was an Adjunct Professor of Law at New York University School of Law, Washington Square Legal Services where she taught the Immigrant and Advanced Rights Clinics.  Sarah is the proud granddaughter of her maternal grandfather who was Armenian and paternal grandfather who was Lithuanian. They both came to the United States to seek safety and stayed for the remainder of their lives. She is a graduate of Earlham College and CUNY School of Law, and is a member of the New York State Bar, and admitted to practice before the U.S. District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York, and the District of Columbia; and the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Second Circuit, the Third Circuit, and the D.C. Circuit.

Gregory Copeland is a co-Legal Director of Rapid Defense Network. Prior to RDN, Gregory built a prominent rapid response federal immigration litigation practice as a Supervising Attorney at a non-profit. He also worked as a litigator at the international law firm Debevoise & Plimpton LLP. Gregory has extensive experience litigating civil rights issues, with a particular focus on the writ of habeas corpus. He left private practice following the announcement of racist and unlawful Muslim ban in 2017. He is a graduate of Brown University and the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, a member of the state bars of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, as well as the U.S. District Courts for Connecticut, the District of Columbia, New Jersey, and the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York, and the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Second, Third, Fourth, Eleventh and District of Columbia.

Lawyer, social entrepreneur, and activist. Co-founder of Safe Passage Project, a non-profit organization that provides free, full legal services to almost 900 undocumented youths each year. Prior to law school, worked as a legal assistant at Skadden Arps. Before co-founding Safe Passage, worked at The Door and Make the Road serving immigrant youth. Recently served as Co-Counsel in R.G.H. v. Sessions challenging aspects of the current administration's family separation policy. Holds a B.A. from Columbia University and a J.D. from Fordham Law School where he received the Archibald R. Murray Public Service Award.

CHAIR

Gui Stampur

Former Managing Partner and Chair of the law firm of Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver Jacobson, LLP. Previous positions include serving as President of the Legal Aid Society, Chief Financial Officer of the International Center for Transitional Justice, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Joint Committee on Taxation of the U.S. Congress, and Assistant Professor of Mathematics at Fordham University. In addition, has served as Board Chair of the Correctional Association of New York. Holds a J.D. from Columbia Law School, a Ph.D. in Mathematics from the City University of New York and a B.A. from Pomona College.

TREASURER

Peter Cobb

Founded Rapid Defense Network in January 2019. From 2007-2016 was a staff attorney at The Legal Aid Society and from 2017-2019 was a Supervising Attorney in the Immigration Unit. Served from 2012-2014 as an Adjunct Professor of Law at New York University School of Law, Washington Square Legal Services where she taught and supervised students in the Immigrant and Advanced Rights Clinics. Holds a B.A. from Earlham College and a J.D. from CUNY School of Law.

SECRETARY

Sarah T. Gillman

Corporate partner in the New York office of Kirkland Ellis LLP. Practice focuses on the formation, operation, and regulatory compliance of private equity funds and other investment vehicles. From 2016-2018, worked for Blackstone in Real Estate Legal & Compliance. Holds a J.D. from Fordham University School of Law and a B.A. from Boston College.

Rachael N. De Chacon

Investment-banking instructor with over 17 years of experience teaching management within financial institutions how to be more effective at their jobs. Specializes in accounting, valuation, financial modelling and Excel training, which all draw on her background in corporate finance. Author of academic texts, contributor to accounting and investment banking textbooks and producer of online e-learning content. Holds a B.A. in Architecture from the University of Liverpool, England.

Amy Drury

Most recently served as Executive Director of Crime Lab New York, a non-profit criminal justice research organization. Previously served as Executive Director of Assessments and Re-entry Services at the NYC Department of Correction where she designed and operationalized a new re-entry services contract for the City of New York. Former Director of Advocacy and Associate General Counsel for Grameen America. Has also worked at Legal Aid Society as a staff attorney in Parole Revocation Defense Division and at the International Center for Transitional Justice in Cape Town and New York. Holds a B.A. from Harvard University and a J.D. from New York University.

Katy Brodsky Falco

Became a partner of Sullivan & Cromwell LLP in 1977 and Of Counsel in 2011. Practice involves all aspects of commercial litigation. Has a wide range of experience in and interest for community matters. In addition to supervising the pro bono work of associates at his firm, was a former member of the Civil Justice Reform Act Committee for the Southern District of New York and a Member of Advisory Group on Immigration Reform (Katzmann Committee). Holds a J.D. from Harvard Law School and an A.B. from Harvard University.

Philip Graham

Chair and Professor of Humanities and Media Studies at Pratt Institute. Scholar, writer, and teacher whose work focuses primarily on African Diaspora literature and culture. Author of the monograph Black Subjects: Identity Formation in the Contemporary Narrative of Slavery, and other articles and essays published in a range of professional and popular journals. Has more than 20 years of university teaching and mentoring experience. Holds a doctorate from the University of California, Berkeley and a master’s degree in English and Creative Writing from Stanford University.

Arlene Keizer

Recently co-founded Riverhead Realty Group LLC. Has spent most of his career in the automotive industry, first in sales at Mercedes of Brooklyn and later working his way up to finance manager at Potampkin GMC. Came to the United States in 1993 and from 1997-2003 founded and ran the successful American Jewelry Design Company before transitioning to the automotive industry. Born in Tbilisi, Republic of Georgia, where he obtained a business degree from the State Medical University.

Georgi Natalichvili