Yael Lerman
Director
StandWithUs Saidoff Legal Department
Yael Lerman is the Founding Director of the StandWithUs Saidoff Legal Department, a division of StandWithUs, whose mission is to fight antisemitism and support Israel through decisive and timely legal action in K-12 schools, on university campuses, and in the broader community. Yael coordinates a team of staff attorneys and over 400 pro bono attorneys and national law firms. She is a graduate of Columbia University, graduating Phi Beta Kappa, magna cum laude, and as a Truman finalist. She attended NYU Law School, where she served as Senior Articles Editor of the NYU Journal of International Law and Politics. Before joining StandWithUs, Yael worked at the law firm of Boies Schiller Flexner in New York and in ADL’s legal division.
Carly Gammill
Director of Legal Policy
StandWithUs Saidoff Legal Department
Carly Gammill is the Founding Director of the StandWithUs Center for Combating Antisemitism. She is a constitutional litigator with extensive experience assisting clients on an array of issues, including freedom of speech and religious liberties. For the past decade-plus, she has been active in fighting antisemitism on campuses, in local communities, in court, and at the United Nations. Her passion for this work, particularly on campuses, derives from her background in the educational field, as well as from a deep personal conviction that the world—including people of all races and religions—cannot afford to stand by silently while the Jewish people are once again targeted, marginalized, demonized, and harmed. To that end, she regularly works with students, professors, and members of the broader community to inform them about their legal rights and ensure they are best positioned to protect those rights.
Gadi I. Dotz
Assistant Director
StandWithUs Saidoff Legal Department
Gadi I. Dotz is the Assistant Director of the StandWithUs Saidoff Legal Department, which provides legal resources to those confronting antisemitic and anti-Israel activity. Prior to joining StandWithUs, he represented clients in complex litigation matters in state and federal courts as a litigation associate at several New York law firms, including Cahill Gordon & Reindel LLP. Gadi graduated from the University of Pennsylvania Law School, where he was a Senior Editor of the Journal of International Law. He received his undergraduate degree from Yeshiva University’s Sy Syms School of Business, graduating as valedictorian of his class with a degree in finance.
Deedee Bitran
Senior Counsel & Director of Pro Bono Network
StandWithUs Saidoff Legal Department
Deedee Bitran is Senior Counsel in the StandWithUs Saidoff Legal Department, which provides legal resources to those confronting antisemitic and anti-Israel activity. Prior to joining StandWithUs, she represented clients in business litigation and employment law matters in state and federal courts and she concurrently is Of Counsel at Shutts and Bowen LLP. She graduated from Florida International University’s College of Law where she was on the appellate moot court team and an articles editor for the FIU Law Review. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Florida summa cum laude. Deedee has been published in several law reviews as well as local and national publications, including the Daily Business Review, the Women’s Rights Law Reporter, the FIU Law Review, the Elon Law Review, the Saint Thomas Law Review, the National Law Review, the Floridian Press, Florida Politics, the Florida Bar Business Law Section Blog, the Cornell Journal of Law and Policy, the Oxford Business Law Blog, the Harvard Law and Policy Review Blog, and Aish.
Jenna Statfeld Harris
Senior Counsel, K-12 Specialist
Jenna Statfeld Harris is honored to join the StandWithUs Saidoff Legal Department team, and eager to provide free legal resources and support to anyone who has encountered antisemitic or anti-Israel activity. Prior to joining StandWithUs, Jenna worked as a Senior Attorney in the Economic Justice Unit of Bay Area Legal Aid, representing and advocating for low-income individuals trying to access or retain disability benefits and other governmental assistance. Jenna previously worked as a Tax attorney at a large New York law firm, focusing on both corporate and pro bono clients. As a law school graduate, Jenna was a Skadden Fellow at the Education Law Center, where she specialized in special education, bullying and discipline. Jenna graduated from Harvard Law School and the University of Pennsylvania. She cherishes the time she lived in Israel, first at Hebrew University and later while studying at the Pardes Institute and working at a flower shop.
Sarena Townsend
Senior Counsel and Criminal Justice Advocate
Sarena Townsend is a New York City based attorney and Senior Counsel and Criminal Justice Advocate with StandWithUs.
Ms. Townsend’s background is in law enforcement, investigations and employee rights. A former Brooklyn prosecutor (2007-2016) and the former chief of internal affairs on Rikers Island (2016-2022), Ms. Townsend focuses her private practice - Townsend Law – on defending people accused of crimes or misconduct in the workplace. She is also a sought-after criminal justice expert, providing guidance in police brutality lawsuits, training corrections staff across the country in best practices, and consulting for Campaign Zero, an organization committed to decreasing police violence and increasing police accountability. Ms. Townsend is also well-known contributor to New York City’s political discourse. She was named one of City & State's 2023 Law Power 100, a recognition of "the most influential legal professionals in the world of New York politics and government." She regularly appears on television, radio, podcasts and in print. Ms. Townsend received her J.D. from Fordham University School of Law in 2006 and graduated, with honors, from New York University in 2003, with a B.A. in Psychology.
Jordan Cope
StandWithUs Director
of Policy Education
Jordan is the Director of Policy Education at StandWithUs, where he helps combat antisemitism and boycotts against Israel (BDS) by providing legal and other resources to communities and legislators. Jordan also oversees StandWithUs’ campaigns concerning anti-Israel bias at the United Nations and antisemitism in other international legal arenas. Jordan received both his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Texas at Austin, focusing on international relations and global studies. In addition to law, Jordan’s expertise is on Middle Eastern geopolitics, Qatari soft power, antisemitism, and terrorism. Jordan’s publications on the Middle East have been featured in numerous media outlets including Newsweek, the Jerusalem Post, and Harvard's Journal of Middle Eastern Politics and Policy.
Shany Lousky-Levy
Associate Legal Director
Chief of Staff of StandWithUs-Israel
Shany has lived in Jerusalem since moving to Israel from France at age six. She served in the IDF as a combat fitness officer in the Paratroopers Brigade and continues to serve in the IDF reserves as a lawyer in the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) unit. Lousky-Levy earned her BA in law at the College of Management, with a focus on international law and international humanitarian law. She served her internship with excellence at the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She has an MA in international relations with a focus on international organizations. Shany brings to the StandWithUs Saidoff Legal Department an expertise in international law, international courts, and Israeli domestic law.