Sienna Fontaine is the General Counsel at Make the Road New York (Make the Road), a community-based membership organization that aims to build immigrant and working-class power through organizing, education, policy reform and support services. In this role, Sienna is part of the Executive Team and supports the general legal needs of the organization. Sienna joined Make the Road in 2015 as the Deputy Legal Director, and since that time has served as Co-Legal Director and Legal Director, overseeing the legal department of Make the Road, which includes a growing team of 45+ attorneys and advocates who represent a high volume of legal cases, bring strategic litigation, and work on key legislative reform in the areas of housing, government benefits, workplace justice, and immigration. Prior to joining Make the Road, Sienna was the Director of Public Benefits at Bronx Legal Services, where she practiced for 8 years, representing indigent and low-income Bronx individuals and families in civil litigation and administrative hearings to secure access to and maintain public benefits. She began her legal career at Bronx Legal Services as a Skadden Fellow to establish the Bronx Medical-Legal Advocacy Project; a collaboration between Bronx Legal Services and Montefiore Hospital to improve the health outcomes of Bronx residents by providing direct legal services in the medical clinic setting.

Sienna graduated from NYU School of Law in 2007, and was a recipient of the Vanderbilt Medal for Community Service and the LACA Public Service Award. During her years at NYU Law, she participated in a number of clinics, served on the executive board of the Black Allied Law Students Association, and was an editor on the Review of Law and Social Change.

Sienna received her B.A. from U.C. Berkeley, where she studied Sociology and Spanish.

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