Meet the Staff

Maura Kelly, Esq., Assistant Dean for Career Development and Public Service

Maura Kelly joined the CDO in 2005. Maura's legal experiences include a judicial clerkship, direct legal services, national law reform advocacy, in-house at a university, and private practice. She worked at the Center for Law and Education and South Middlesex Legal Services as well as in the education law departments of two law firms, Holland & Knight LLP and Kotin, Crabtree & Strong. Maura also served as the General Counsel at Lesley University. In addition to practicing law, Maura taught both in higher education and at the high school level, worked as a community organizer, and has been involved in a wide variety of community activities related to education, children and civil rights. Immediately before coming to BU Law, Maura was the assistant director in the Bernard Koteen Office of Public Interest Advising at Harvard Law School, where one of her roles was to expand career-related resources in the field of international public interest law. During her tenure at BU Law, Maura's goals have been to expand employment opportunities for students throughout the U.S. and around the world and to encourage students to include public service in whatever paths they choose. Maura holds a J.D. from Northeastern University School of Law, a Master of Education in Urban Education from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst and a B.A. in Spanish and Secondary Education from the University of New Hampshire.

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Carolyn Goodwin, Esq., Director for Public Service and Pro Bono

Prior to joining the Career Development Office in 2009, Carolyn practiced civil litigation, primarily in the area of employment discrimination law, as both an Assistant Attorney General with the New York State Office of the Attorney General and as an associate at the law firm, Alterman & Boop LLP, in New York City. As an attorney specializing in employment law, Carolyn chaired the Labor Relations and Employment Law Committee of the New York County Lawyers' Association. Carolyn also served as a law clerk in the Staff Attorneys' Office for the Second Circuit Court of Appeals.

Carolyn graduated magna cum laude from the State University of New York at Buffalo School of Law, where she served as a Publications Editor on the Buffalo Law Review. During law school, Carolyn was a leader in the law school student public interest program and completed a variety of internships in both the non-profit and public sectors.

Carolyn received her undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan, where she majored in English Literature. She was raised in Brookline Massachusetts.

Carolyn currently serves on the pro bono panel of the Volunteer Lawyers Project of the Boston Bar Association handling employment matters and is a member of the Amicus Committee of the Women’s Bar Association of Massachusetts. She is also on the Board of the Friends of the Jamaica Plain Branch Library.

In addition, Carolyn is on the Executive Board of the American Association of Law Schools Section on Pro-Bono & Public Service Opportunities.

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Sara Dana, Esq., Associate Director

Prior to working at BU, Sara worked as a real estate associate in the Boston office of Greenberg Traurig, LLP. She also worked extensively with the Public Finance and Environmental departments at GT. In 2008, Sara became only the third attorney in Massachusetts to earn the LEED Accredited Professional designation from the U.S. Green Building Counsel. After practicing law for a few years, Sara transitioned to working in law school career development. Before joining the CDO full-time, Sara worked as a part-time Career Adviser to both J.D. and LL.M. students at BU, and also did career advising for J.D. students at Suffolk University Law School and for undergraduate students at Northeastern University.

Sara graduated from the University of Florida Levin College of Law in 2006, magna cum laude, where she served as the Articles Editor for the Florida Law Review. During law school, Sara did an externship with the Honorable Maurice M. Paul in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida, worked as a law clerk for the University of Florida Student Legal Services, and worked as a summer associate at Greenberg Traurig's Boston office. Prior to law school, Sara received her M.S. in Counseling from Northeastern University and her B.S. in Psychology from the University of Florida.

In her free time, Sara enjoys traveling, watching Florida Gator football, and running marathons and half marathons.

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Michelle Grossfield, Assistant Director for Public Interest Advising

Michelle joins the public service team within the CDO where she will advise students, run programs, conduct outreach to employers, write publications and contribute to the CDO website. Since graduating from law school in 2006, Michelle has worked for the Massachusetts Committee for Public Counsel Services in the Children and Family Law department, "CAFL." Throughout law school Michelle pursued opportunities to work in public service, including the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office in Boston as well as a civil rights practice at the Law Offices of Chavez & DeLeon in Miami. Michelle also was engaged in the law school's pro bono program.

Michelle received her law degree from the University of Miami and her bachelor degree in Sociology from Brandeis University. At Brandeis she participated in the Peace and Conflict Program, the Legal Studies Program and Women's Crew along with many student organizations.

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Douglas Saphire, Esq., Assistant Director

Doug received his B.A. in Political Science, cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, from Miami University and his J.D., cum laude, from the Syracuse University College of Law. While at Miami, he interned for Congressman (now U.S. Senator) Sherrod Brown in the U.S. House of Representatives. At Syracuse, Doug was a College of Law Academic Scholar, Executive Editor of the Syracuse Journal of International Law and Commerce and served as an extern to the Honorable Michael R. Merz, Chief Magistrate Judge for the U.S. District Court, Southern District of Ohio. Doug also worked as a summer law clerk at Sebaly Shillito & Dyer in Dayton, Ohio, and joined the firm as an associate following law school. His practice focused on health care, corporate and bankruptcy law. Additionally, he served as a pro bono attorney for the Greater Dayton Volunteer Lawyers' Project where he helped develop and run a family law clinic. Prior to joining BU, Doug was an Assistant Director in the Career Development Office at Suffolk University Law School, and also served as an intern in the Rappaport Center for Law and Public Service at Suffolk Law School.

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Cynthia Tow McPherson, Esq., Recruitment and Marketing Manager

Cynthia is a native of Brookline, MA. She graduated cum laude from Boston College with a B.S. in Marketing, and is a 2005 graduate of Northeastern University School of Law. During law school, Cynthia benefited from participating in NUSL's Co-operative Legal Education Program, completing co-ops in Juvenile Court and three law firms. After graduating from NUSL, Cynthia worked at a small general practice firm in Newton, MA, before deciding that legal recruiting was her true calling. Cynthia returned to NUSL where she served first as Recruitment Coordinator in the law school's Career Services Office, and then as Database Manager/Program Coordinator for the law school's Co-op Program before joining BU Law as the Recruitment and Marketing Manager. Cynthia enjoys cooking and spending time with her young nieces and nephews. She is also an avid tennis player. As a scholarship athlete at Boston College, she competed at the #1 singles and #1 doubles positions for the Eagles for four years, and is currently the Assistant Coach for the Boston College Women's Tennis team.

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Ben Solomon, Senior Clerkship and Pro Bono Program Coordinator

Ben is the CDO's Judicial Clerkship and Pro Bono Senior Program Coordinator. While managing the administrative aspects of the Pro Bono program, Ben also organizes the pro bono program's annual student volunteer service trips, the Pro Bono Kick-off, and the Year-End Celebration. In addition, Ben organizes student and faculty clerkship panels, and student information sessions for the clerkship application process. During the clerkship application season, Ben answers student inquiries about the process, manages the online system for clerkship application and review, and helps students generate their clerkship application materials.

A 2011 graduate from Boston University, Ben received a B.A. in Sociology and a Minor in Biological Anthropology. Ben is interested in continuing his education in Social Work or Nonprofit Administration. Personally, Ben is a rabid New England Patriots fan, enjoys playing music, and being outdoors.

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Lisa Terrasi, Recruitment and Operations Manager

Lisa is excited to rejoin the BU Law community as the Recruitment and Operations Manager in the Career Development Office. In this role, Lisa will co-lead recruitment programs, conduct research on the legal market, travel to meet with employers, and work closely with students. Immediately before joining the CDO, she worked as the Financial Aid Assistant in the Student Financial Services Office at Harvard Law School. Before Harvard Law School, she worked for four years in the Student Affairs Office at BU Law as the Program Coordinator.

Lisa earned both a B.A. in International Relations and an Ed.M. in Higher Education Administration from Boston University. Lisa spends a lot of her free time running and training for marathons. She also volunteers and serves as Chair of the American Cancer Society DetermiNation Program Volunteer Committee working to recruit athletes to participate in half marathons and marathons while raising money for the cause.

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Senka Huskic, Senior Program Coordinator

Senka Huskic is the CDO's Senior Program Coordinator. Senka joins the CDO from Suffolk University Law School's Rappaport Center for Law and Public Service where she was the Center's primary Administrative Assistant. Senka also has years of experience working for the Massachusetts government as an Administrative Assistant to the General Counsel and Undersecretary for Homeland Security at the Executive Office of Public Safety as well as Administrative Assistant for the General Counsel at the Department of Children and Families. Senka also worked as an Administrative Assistant for the Committee for Public Counsel Services for five years. Senka lives in Peabody, MA with her husband and two children.

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Gil Sayfan, Program Coordinator

Gil Sayfan joined the CDO permanently as Program Coordinator after working as a temporary staff member beginning in early 2010. Originally from Orlando, Florida, Gil relocated to the greater Boston area to attend Brandeis University where he graduated with a B.A. in History, minoring in Business. Shortly after graduation, Gil began his work with the CDO where he continues a path into Higher Education. Outside of work, Gil enjoys cooking, traveling, and playing music.

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