City Bar Fund Announces Officers and New Directors for Expanded Board

CONTACT
Anthony Johnson 
City Bar Justice Center 
anthonyjohnson@nycbar.org 

New York, July 1, 2026 – The Association of the Bar of the City of New York Fund, Inc. (City Bar Fund), the charitable affiliate of the New York City Bar Association, has welcomed officers and new directors for its FY 2026-27 Board, kicking off a planned three-year expansion to include up to 45 directors.

The City Bar Fund engages pro bono partners across four programs – the City Bar Justice Center, the Cyrus R. Vance Center for International Justice, the Office for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging, and the Lawyer Assistance Program -to advance social justice and well-being for the public and within the legal profession.

Matthew Diller, Dean Emeritus and Professor of Law at Fordham University, serves as President of both the New York City Bar Association and the City Bar Fund, succeeding Muhammad U. Faridi. James J. Benjamin, Jr., Partner, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, will continue to serve as Board Chair. Ana Alfonso, Partner, O’Melveny & Myers, LLP, will remain as Treasurer, and Kara Coggin, Chief of Staff to the CEO, Bloomberg L.P., will continue to serve as Secretary.

The following are newly elected directors of the City Bar Fund Board: Adam Heft, Managing Director, Employment Law at Goldman Sachs; Sam M. Koch, Partner, Foley & Lardner LLP; Jonathan S. Kolodner, Partner, Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP; Michael T. Mervis, Partner, Proskauer Rose LLP; Adam Schloss, Deputy General Counsel, Brevan Howard US Investment Management LP; Rami Totari, Partner, Kirkland & Ellis LLP; and Steven Zaorski, Partner, Ropes & Gray LLP.

The following directors were re-elected to a second term on the Board: Jeffrey L. Braun, Counsel, Abell Eskew Landau LLP; Anne L. Clark, Managing Partner, Vladeck, Raskin & Clark, P.C.; Lissette A. Duran, Counsel, Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP; Jay Holtmeier, Partner, Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP; and Julie Lauck, Managing Director, Mizuho Americas.

Bret I. Parker, Executive Director, New York City Bar Association, and Kurt M. Denk, Executive Director, City Bar Justice Center, will continue to serve as Vice Presidents of the City Bar Fund. Cecilia Sakosky, Chief Financial Officer, New York City Bar Association, will continue to serve as the Fund’s Assistant Treasurer.

“The City Bar Fund programs have experienced tremendous growth over the past several years, with increased need for pro bono legal services in New York City and around the world, as well as programs to support the legal profession,” said James J. Benjamin, Jr., Chair of the City Bar Fund Board of Directors. “We’re grateful to our Board members for their vision and support as the City Bar Fund staff members work with dedication, on a daily basis, to serve our local and global communities. We use the phrase ‘Great Lawyers for Good’ to describe the Fund and its pro bono partners. That same label applies to our Board members, who make such important contributions. I’m honored to work with them.”

“As the charitable affiliate of the New York City Bar Association, the City Bar Fund helps amplify and extend the Association’s and its members’ impact in our community, serving as a leading force for civic good and the present and future strength of the legal profession,” said Bret I. Parker, Executive Director of the New York City Bar Association and City Bar Fund Vice President. “We’re grateful to the Fund’s new as well as returning board members for contributing to our important, shared mission.”

About the City Bar Fund   

The City Bar Fund, the 501(c)(3) arm of the New York City Bar Association, is comprised of four programs. The City Bar Justice Center provides access to justice for New Yorkers with limited economic resources by leveraging the pro bono expertise and time of the New York City legal community. The Cyrus R. Vance Center for International Justice provides pro bono legal support to human rights and environmental organizations in Latin America, Africa, and elsewhere in the world. The Office for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging works with New York City legal employers to foster more diverse and inclusive work environments. The Lawyer Assistance Program is a free, confidential service, available to attorneys, judges, law students and their family members in New York City who are struggling with substance use or mental health issues.