Elizabeth A. Justesen, Esq., MSW
"I never wanted to be an attorney. I went to the graduate school fair with the intentions of looking into Social Work programs. After meeting with the representatives from the School of Social Welfare at Stony Brook, and sharing my ideas of what I would like to do in the social work field, they recommended a dual degree program with Touro – and the decision to take on this challenge was one of the best of my life. Although very rigorous, and extremely challenging, the combination of both degrees is empowering and proves to be almost limitless. I feel truly blessed to be able to incorporate the social work values I learned at the School of Social Welfare and use them in my legal representation of clients and be able to oversee and coordinate for the Social Work Bureau of The Legal Aid Society of Suffolk County, which started about 3 years ago. Now as Community Outreach Director, I am able to truly use both degrees in an amazing initiative to educate members of the community so they understand the family and criminal courts and become better advocates for themselves. The education I received from the School of Social Welfare prepared me and gave me the confidence to create new avenues by which to empower others".
Elizabeth graduated magna cum laude from the dual degree MSW/JD program between Stony Brook School of Social Welfare and Touro Law Center in 2005. She is currently the Community Outreach Director of the Legal Aid Society of Suffolk County, a non-profit law firm representing indigent residents in Suffolk County navigate the family and criminal courts. Prior to that, Elizabeth was a practicing attorney at the Legal Aid Society of Suffolk County for ten years, having spent four years in Family Court representing children and then parents; and then six years in criminal court representing persons alleged to have committed criminal acts.
With her Master’s in Social Work, for the last three years Elizabeth helped to develop and oversee the Social Work Bureau within the organization. She conducts numerous free, legal, community outreach programs educating community members in the various issues they confront in the court system including understanding CPS cases, custody, domestic violence, and knowing your criminal rights. She is the chair of the Resources sub-committee for the Suffolk County Re-Entry Task Force, which works to improve the lives of parolees re-entering the community. Elizabeth is also the Secretary on the board for New Hour Women and Children Long Island, a non- profit organization assisting incarcerated women with various programming and support while in custody and as they transition back into the community and re-unite with their families. Additionally, she is the supervising attorney for Breaking Barriers, a pro bono project at Touro Law School assisting persons with criminal convictions overcome barriers to employment and educational licenses through the application of certificates of relief from civil disabilities and certificates of good conduct.
