The Staff of Lawyers for Equal Justice


Victor Geminiani
Executive Director
Phone: (808) 587-7605
victor@lejhawaii.org

Upon graduating from law school in 1969, Victor Geminiani began his legal services career as a Vista Volunteer lawyer with the Atlanta Legal Aid Society. He has served as the Director of Litigation and Law Reform with Bedford-Stuyvesant Community Legal Services and as Executive Director of the Legal Services of Western Massachusetts, the Legal Services of Northern California, the Legal Aid Society of Hawaii, and the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles. He has also worked in the Legal Services Corporation (LSC) as Associate Director of Support and Finances responsible for LSC funding policy and as the South East Regional Director overseeing the 75 legal services programs located in the 10 Southern states.


Victor has served in a variety of capacities with the boards of several of national associations including the executive committee of the National Legal Aid and Defenders Association, as founding board member and President of the Management Information Exchange and as a board member of the Litigation Section of the American Bar Association (ABA). He is currently a member of the American Bar Association’s Standing Committee on the Delivery of Legal Services and has previously served on the ABA’s Standing Committee on Lawyers’ Public Service Responsibility, as Chairperson of the Litigation Section’s Pro Bono Committee and founder of the Section’s Legal Services Project. He has been recognized for his contributions to legal services delivery by being presented with the Litigation Section’s John Minor Wisdom Award.



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Elizabeth Dunne
Senior Staff Attorney
Phone: (808) 587-7605
elizabeth@lejhawaii.org
Even before attending law school, as a volunteer with Legal Aid of Western Missouri's domestic violence prevention project, Elizabeth Dunne saw, first hand, the power of public interest litigation to bring about significant change. Since graduating, Elizabeth has maintained her commitment to public interest law by providing pro bono representation to immigrants seeking asylum, advocating for children as a guardian ad litem, and serving on her firm's pro bono committees.

Ms. Dunne began her legal career as a law clerk to United States District Judge B. Avant Edenfield in Savannah, Georgia. Upon completing her clerkship, Ms. Dunne spent a number of years practicing complex civil litigation with the law firms of Holland & Knight LLP in Washington, D.C. and Greenberg Taurig, P.A. in Orlando, Florida. Ms. Dunne relocated to Honolulu to clerk for Chief Judge Helen Gillmor in the United States District Court.

In November of 2008, Ms. Dunne joined LEJ to assist low-income and unrepresented individuals and communities with the enforcement of their rights through class action impact litigation.
Ms. Dunne also serves on the Board of the Sierra Club Hawai'i Chapter and is a founding member of the O`ahu Land Trust.
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Practice Areas

  • Poverty Law
  • Housing
  • Education
  • Child Welfare
  • Environmental Justice

Admitted to Practice

  • Hawaii
  • Florida
  • Georgia
  • District of Columbia

Education and awards

  • Emory University, J.D. 2000; Summa Cum Laude; Order of the Coif

publications

  • The Embarrassing Secret of Immigration Policy: Understanding Why Congress Should Enact an Enforcement Statute for Undocumented Workers, 49 Emory Law J. 623 (Spring 2000)
Gavin Thornton
Staff Attorney
Phone: (808) 587-7605
gavin@lejhawaii.org

Gavin Thornton joined Lawyers for Equal Justice in 2004.


Mr. Thornton took a lead role a series of public housing utility allowing class action law suits and he is currently actively involved in Kaleuati v. Tonda and research and advocacy on other issues important to the low income community.

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Practice Areas

  • Poverty Law
  • Housing
  • Education

Admitted to Practice

  • Hawaii
  • Washington














Affiliations

  • Housing Justice Network
  • Hawaii State Bar Association, Young Lawyers Division, Board of Directors
  • Hawaii District Court Rules Committee

Education and awards

  • University of Virginia, J.D. 2002.

William Durham
Staff Attorney
Phone: (808) 779-1744
william@lejhawaii.org

William Durham began advocating for the low income community in Hawaii in 2004. As a guardian ad litem for numerous of foster children and youth, he developed a reputation as a formible advocate within the courts and administrative processes on behalf of foster children.

In 2005, Mr. Durham broadened his practice and litigated a number of cases on a variety of poverty law topics. He fought to maintain client's public benefits, to obtain custody and visitation in family cases, and agressively litigating cases on substantardard housing and unfair and deceptive practices.

In May of 2007, Mr. Durham joined Lawyers for Equal Justice and is involved in all the impact litigation efforts of LEJ.

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Practice Areas

  • Poverty Law
  • Child Welfare
  • Education
  • Housing

Admitted to Practice

  • Hawaii
  • Oregon
  • North Carolina









Education and awards

  • Georgetown University, J.D. 2004; Magna Cum Laude, Order of the Coif.

publications

  • Strict Contruction in Ad Valorem Cap, 8 St. & Loc. Tax Lawyer 141 (2003)
  • Antitrust: A Road to Chiropractic Equity, 4 Fl. St. Bus. Rev. 279 (2005)
Erica G.J. Dickey
Americorps Attorney
Phone: (808) 587-7605
erica@lejhawaii.org

Erica Dickey joined Lawyers for Equal Justice as an AmeriCorps attorney in 2009 and is excited to contribute to LEJ's efforts.  Prior to joining LEJ, Ms. Dickey worked as an intellectual property attorney with Michael Best & Friedrich LLP in Milwaukee, WI.

Practice Areas

  • Poverty Law
  • Education
  • Child Welfare
  • Veterans' Benefits

Admitted to Practice

  • Wisconsin

Education and awards

  • Boston University, School of Law, J.D. 2007