Marissa LaVette is the Assistant Staff Counsel with the American Bar Association’s Center for Pro Bono. She provides technical assistance and support to organizations in the pro bono field, including law schools, bar associations, pro bono programs, and legal services offices. Marissa assists in the implementation of the Center’s initiatives to increase and support pro bono work, including the National Celebration of Pro Bono, the Equal Justice Conference, the Peer Consulting Project, and the ABA’s internal Volunteer Lawyer Program. Prior to joining the ABA, Marissa was a Staff Attorney with the Legal Advocacy Center of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago, where she represented children and families in special education and disability matters.

Michael Leo Monahan, Pro Bono Director, Georgia Legal Services Program Pro Bono Program Mike Monahan is an experienced public interest attorney and veteran access to justice professional. Mike has been a member of the State Bar of Georgia since 1989 and has for the past 25 years served a dual role as director of pro bono services for both the Georgia Legal Services Program and the State Bar of Georgia. In 1997 Mike became one of the first state-level pro bono directors in the country to embrace and nurture the then nascent national access to civil justice movement. As the liaison to the State Bar of Georgia Access to Justice Committee he brings a unique perspective on access to justice in a role that combines the worlds of a conservative mandatory state bar association and on-the-ground legal aid. Mike has served on several national task forces with the American Bar Association and the federal Legal Services Corporation and is a frequent speaker on access to justice and pro bono issues facing our society. In addition to the policy work, Mike spent the first eight years of his legal career representing migrant farmworkers in rural Georgia on agricultural wage claims, working conditions, and immigration and spent nearly two decades working with the state and national technology communities devoted to improving access to the law and to the courts through technology. Today, Mike is leading a complete transformation of Georgia Legal Services Program’s statewide pro bono unit to ensure it is responsive to the challenges and opportunities of a connected world. In addition to his law degree, he has a B.A. and M.A. in Latin American Literature and Linguistics.

Jeff was appointed to the Chief Executive Officer position in April 2020 but is no stranger to leadership or public service. He graduated from Boston College in 2001 with his BA in Political Science and Theology. After college, Jeff was commissioned as an officer in the US Army where he completed training as a Ranger. While in the Army, Jeff completed his Master’s in Human Development and Leadership at Murray State University and finished multiple tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, leading hundreds of combat missions without loss of life. After active duty, the call to service remained; Jeff entered the Florida Army National Guard as a Field Artillery officer and graduated with his Juris Doctor from Stetson University College of Law. Jeff has had a distinguished career with the Guard, currently serving as Lieutenant Colonel as the Deputy Commander of the 164th Air Defense Brigade, responsible for State Emergency Response, and defense of the airspace over the National Capitol He has an MBA through American Military University and a Masters in Strategic Studies at the U.S. Army War College. Following a period in private practice, Jeff returned to service coming to CLS as the Director of Operations in 2015, progressing to the Chief Program Officer. During his tenure, he has led the firm successfully through growth, leadership, and organizational changes. Where most recently as CEO, the firm has been recognized as one of the Best Place to Work by the national publication, The Nonprofit Times in 2020, by the Orlando Business Journal in 2021 and the Orlando Sentinel in 2022. He has also been recognized as a Veteran of Influence, CEO of the Year, and one of the Most Influential Leaders in Central Florida by the Orlando Business Journal. He also is co-host of WFTV’s Law Talk.