Cathryn Harris-Marchesi

Cathryn Harris-Marchesi has extensive experience in litigation practice and mediation in fair housing and civil rights matters. Having worked as Senior Associate with the Law Offices of Frederick K. Brewington for over a decade, she has a strong commitment to leveling the field for women and marginalized groups on an international level.

Ms. Harris-Marchesi has been a member of the New York Bar since 2006, and she has argued before the Second Circuit Court of Appeals, Federal District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York, and the New York State Supreme Court. While attending Northeastern University School of Law in Boston, Massachusetts, Ms. Harris-Marchesi was a Judicial Extern for the Honorable Kim McLane Wardlaw of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit; a Teaching Facilitator selected to teach the “Law, Culture, and Difference” course; a Research Assistant to Prof. Deborah Ramirez managing a team of fellow peers; a Teaching Assistant who conducted lectures on hate crimes to law students; and Student Project Manager for the university’s Justice Institute.

After earning her juris doctorate, Ms. Harris-Marchesi grew versed in litigation, mediation, and negotiation involving mostly Title VII class action lawsuits as Litigation Fellow with a Washington D.C. based law firm. She, then, moved to Long Island, where she joined ERASE Racism and was appointed a board member to the Nassau County Rent Guidelines Board by then-New York State Governor George Pataki. Alongside a small team, Ms. Harris-Marchesi drafted new fair housing laws with enforcement systems that were enacted in Nassau and Suffolk Counties in January 2007 and conducted legal analyses of proposed community development plans and zoning ordinances. She frequently entered into negotiations with federal, state, and local government agencies, testified at several county legislative hearings, and frequently spoke publicly on fair housing law. Ms. Harris-Marchesi now serves on the Board of Advisors for Long Island Housing Services.

Dedicated to providing education that furthers ethical law practice, Ms. Harris-Marchesi has acted as guest lecturer at Touro Law School and Stony Brook University regarding public policy issues and gender equity. Additionally, she was invited to be a guest speaker at NYCLA to discuss “Predatory Lending and the Ethical Responsibilities in Foreclosure Actions.” She frequently participates in the Nassau County Bar Association’s CLE program to spread awareness of employment discrimination issues.

Ms. Harris-Marchesi currently acts as Secretary on the Executive Board of the Women’s Intercultural Network, a group which focuses on including women in leadership roles both within the United States and internationally. She is also a member of the Commission on Status of Women in New York, and she continues to act as a delegate to the United Nations, focusing on issues related to women, children, and gender.

In her spare time, Ms. Harris-Marchesi enjoys the company of her two cats, gardening, opera, cooking, and playing pool.