City Bar Justice Center Welcomes Degna P. Levister as Next Director of the Elder Law Project

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

New York, January 22, 2026 – The City Bar Justice Center, a pro bono legal services affiliate of the New York City Bar Association, is pleased to introduce Degna P. Levister as the next director of the Elder Law Project. Levister succeeds Vivienne Duncan, who departed the Justice Center in December after 25 years of dedicated service.

“I am looking forward to building on the City Bar Justice Center’s legacy of assisting New York City elders with their life planning legal challenges. These individuals are beloved members of our community, and factors beyond their control should not prevent them from accessing legal services that will support their autonomy and allow them to plan effectively for their family’s future,” said Levister.

Levister joins the Justice Center following a nearly 20-year tenure at CUNY Law School, where she held roles including clinical law professor in the areas of health law, elder law, and economic justice; and as associate dean for enrollment management and access initiatives. She also served as executive director of CUNY Law’s Pipeline to Justice, which provides access to law school for people historically excluded from the legal profession. During her time with this program, Levister ran the office of admissions, led strategic planning, budgeting, staff supervision, and oversaw youth justice projects.

“Degna brings decades of legal and leadership experience to her new role at the the Justice Center. She will be a passionate advocate for her clients as the Elder Law Project enters its next chapter. Her dedication fits right in with the rest of our hardworking, talented staff,” said Executive Director Kurt M. Denk.

Levister holds a B.A. in philosophy from Stony Brook University, and a J.D. from Brooklyn Law School, along with an M.A. in philosophy and education from Columbia University Teachers College. Levister spent the early part of her legal career at The Legal Aid Society and the Urban Justice Center.

Beyond legal work, Levister is a registered professional nurse, having received her training from Saint Vincent’s Medical Center. She recently practiced with Harlem Hospital and the New York Foundation for Senior Citizens Homecare.

The City Bar Justice Center’s Elder Law Project (ELP) offers hybrid-based legal services, clinics, and informational presentations free of charge to limited-income New York City seniors (aged 60+), empowering them to protect their legal rights and make informed legal decisions in hopes that they thereby age with greater security and dignity. Critical to ELP’s services model is its network of trained volunteer attorneys who prepare clients’ essential life and estate planning documents, including basic wills, healthcare proxies, powers of attorney, living wills, and disposition of remains designations. ELP staff and volunteers offer advice, counseling, and referrals on government benefits, landlord-tenant disputes, fraud/scam prevention, and other topics, and connect ELP clients with the Justice Center’s other subject matter-specific services as needed.

To learn more about the Elder Law Project, please visit https://www.citybarjusticecenter.org/projects/elderlaw-project/

About the City Bar Justice Center   

The City Bar Justice Center furthers access to justice by addressing unmet civil legal needs of New Yorkers struggling with poverty and other systemic socioeconomic barriers. The Justice Center’s dozen civil justice projects are led by a staff of dedicated attorneys and support professionals who provide high-quality civil legal services through brief advice and information, referrals, and both limited scope and extended representation that benefit more than 27,000 New Yorkers each year who cannot afford to hire counsel. www.citybarjusticecenter.org