The Rhode Island Center for Law and Public Policy is a 501(c)3 public charity that was incorporated in March 2008. Our mission is to provide access to legal services to low income Rhode Islanders, small non-profit agencies and for-profit small businesses, as well as to develop public policy initiatives for the betterment of all Rhode Islanders. Since 2008, we have been working tirelessly on behalf of hundreds of Rhode Islanders to ensure they receive the legal representation they require, regardless of their financial income. We believe that everyone has the right to excellent legal representation and it is our goal to make sure all Rhode Islanders have access to the help they need.

Staff:

   Geoff Schoos, Esq., President

For over 10 years Geoff has been working to make legal services accessible to all Rhode Islanders.  Through his private practice, which he started in 1998, he has been providing legal counsel in areas such as of housing, employment discrimination, new business creation, Medicare disputes, wills and trusts.  Prior to starting his own practice, Geoff was a public high school teacher for 15 years. 

Geoff has been an active member of our community all of his life.  Among other affiliations, Geoff serves Board of Directors Chairperson of the Rhode Island Mentoring Partnership and has been a mentor himself for over 5 years.  He is also the Board of Directors Chairperson of Men United Rhode Island, a Board Member of the Cranston Chamber of Commerce and the South Providence Self Help Center and he is on the Advisory Board of the Institute for Addiction Recovery at Rhode Island College.  Geoff is also a member of the Netopean Club.  Geoff writes a public affairs column for Beacon Communications, which publishes a weekly newspaper in Cranston.

Geoff received his Juris Doctor from the New England School of Law in Boston, Massachusetts and a Bachelors degree in political science from Rhode Island College.  In his spare time, Geoff enjoys reading, traveling and spending time with his family.

Learn more about Geoff by looking at his resume.

Email Geoff at: geoff@riclapp.org

Melissa Gallivan,Esq.

Director of Community Outreach

Melissa, a graduate of Suffolk University Law School and a trained mediator, has a long history of being involved with organizations that provide services to low income members of our communities. As a college student, she was a member of the Student Coalition on Homelessness and Housing and a GED tutor. While in law school, she was an outreach worker for West Suburban Elder Services. She continued volunteering in the community after becoming an attorney by participating in the Big Brother/Big Sister Program and the Probate Court’s Lawyer for the Day Program.   

Becoming the Director of Community Outreach for the Rhode Island Center for Law and Public Policy fulfilled Melissa's longstanding desire to help disadvantaged populations access the resources they need to reach their goals and improve their quality of life.

Learn more about Melissa by looking at her resume.

Email Melissa at: melissa@riclapp.org

  Kara Abrams, Fund Development Consultant

Kara Abrams, Owner of Kara Abrams Consultants, has over twenty year of experience in business and non-profit development. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Marketing, as well as extensive graduate work in Professional Writing. She has developed local government and corporate advocacy programs through grassroots' initiatives and currently consults for non-profit and for-profit organizations. Fundraising, grant research and writing, media and community relations, project management, business and marketing development, business plans, and organizational planning are some of her specialties.

Please visit Kara's website for more information: www.karabrams.com

Email Kara at: kara@karaabrams.com

Board of Directors:

Herbert "Hub" Brennan, D.O. - Chairperson

Hubert "Chuck" Gendron - Vice-Chairperson

Kiersten Marek, LICSW - Treasurer

Tom Coderre

Lorraine Ferri

Public Interest Associate

Molly Corcoran, Esq.

Summer Interns:

Charlotte Toolan: MBA student at the University of Rhode Island

Michelle Un: Brown University

Alice Hogue: Suffolk University Law School

Love Obasaju: Boston College Law School

Anthony Gesualdi: Suffolk University Law School

Meaghan Callanan: New England Law School

Volunteers

Nancy Fonda, Volunteer Paralegal

Karen Taylor, Volunteer Paralegal

Cindy Hudson, Administrative Volunteer

Liz Wasson, Administrative Volunteer

Cynthia Allen, Administrative Volunteer

Community Partners: