As Supervising Attorney, Benis (he/him) co-supervises the in-house externs as well as mentors pro-bono attorneys, providing wisdom and support from his extensive experience in the field. Additionally, he maintains his own case load and represents clients in family court, supreme court, and affirmative immigration matters.
His history with Her Justice begins more than 20 years ago, when he arrived at the organization as a dedicated volunteer, assisting clients with uncontested divorces and brief services. After that, he moved to our Bronx office where he was instrumental in revitalizing our immigration program. He became an official part of Her Justice’s legal staff in 2007 and was here for two years before going to the Nassau County Coalition Against Domestic Violence (now known as The Safe Center) to represent clients in complex litigated matters in family court and supreme court. There, he also provided representation to clients with immigration matters. Benis returned to Her Justice in October of 2016 as the Urgent Legal Care attorney; in this role, Benis represented clients in emergency situations and stabilized the cases before placing them with pro bono attorneys. Benis is bilingual in English and Spanish – Spanish being his first language – and he is a recipient of the NYSBA Pro Bono Award. He is also a member of the New York State Bar Association.
He obtained both his B.A and his J.D. from St. John’s University.