Who We Are

Kathy's first connection with CLRP was as a summer intern after her first year at Harvard Law School. Kathy served two terms on the CLRP Board of Directors, including one term as the Chair.

Kathy re-joined CLRP in 2014 as Associate Executive Director. In June 2015, she became Executive Director

Kathy spent almost 15 years as a Staff Attorney at Statewide Legal Services of CT, Inc., the centralized intake hotline for all the Connecticut legal services programs, and two years at Connecticut Legal Services ... [ more ]

Kirk Lowry, Legal Director

Kirk W. Lowry is the Legal Director of the Connecticut Legal Rights Project, a non-profit state-wide legal services organization that represents low-income people with mental health conditions in all Connecticut state-operated inpatient psychiatric facilities and in the community.

His practice focuses on patients' rights, civil rights, discharge to the most integrated setting, conservatorship defense, involuntary medication, informed consent and commitment issues ... [ more ]

Taylor Bains, Legal Advocate

Taylor Bains joined Connecticut Legal Rights Project as a Legal Advocate in August 2024. Prior to her CLRP employment, Taylor was a Rule 9 Student Attorney at the RWU Law Immigration Clinic handling cases involving SIJ, Asylum, TPS, and VAWA... [ more ]

Thomas Behrendt, Counsel Emeritus

After serving for over a dozen years as CLRP's Legal Director, Tom Behrendt retired in 2008. Since then, he has served as Counsel Emeritus at CLRP.

Prior to coming to Connecticut, he was with Mental Hygiene Legal Service in New York State, where he was a founding member of its Special Litigation and Appeals Unit.

Tom was recently was honored with the Charles J. Parker Legal Services Award from the Connecticut Bar Association (2018) and is a past recipient of the ... [ more ]

Joanne Bilger, Paralegal

Joanne Bilger has worked for CLRP as a Paralegal since its' inception in 1990. Prior to her CLRP employment, Joanne worked for a DMHAS outpatient mental health clinic and a private law firm, assisting with federal civil litigation in civil rights, labor and employment law.

Joanne has seen gradual, positive change in the way clients are treated. She has become adept at collaborating with a diverse range of mental health, legal and administrative personnel including public defenders, legislators, conservators, courts, DMHAS administration and clinical treatment teams ... [ more ]

Lisa Grandjean, Operations Coordinator

Lisa Grandjean has worked for CLRP in various capacities since 1999.

Lisa was drawn to the work after years of legislative advocacy and education on behalf of various disadvantaged populations in Vermont, Washington, D.C., Argentina, Virginia and Connecticut.

She has worked with young adults aging out of clinical settings in Southwest Virginia and at CLRP has served DMHAS clients in inpatient and community settings as an advocate, litigation paralegal and operations coordinator ... [ more ]

Karyl Lee Hall, Senior Staff Attorney

Karyl Lee Hall has been an attorney with the Connecticut Legal Rights Project since 2004.

She represents our clients on a wide variety of issues both inpatient and in the community.

Karyl Lee graduated from the University of Connecticut Law School ... [ more ]

Eric Krupa, Staff Attorney

Eric joined CLRP in 2022 to represent patients within the Whiting Forensic Hospital on issues related to their individual and civil rights ... [ more ]

Simone Lamont, Staff Attorney

Simone joined CLRP in 2024. She initially represented patients in the Connecticut Valley Hospital on issues related to civil commitments, involuntary medications and conservatorships. She now primarily represents patients at Whiting Forensic Hospital on a variety of civil and individual rights issues... [ more ]

Rosemary Marino, Business Manager

After many years working in Finance and Operations for the corporate world Rosemary began her nonprofit career in 1991 as a full charge bookkeeper for Legal Assistance Resource Center of Connecticut.

In 1999 she joined Connecticut Legal Rights Project as the Business Manager handling all finance and human resource for the organization ... [ more ]

Chelsea Mastriano, Staff Attorney

Chelsea Mastriano joined Connecticut Legal Rights Project, Inc. (CLRP) as a Staff Attorney in August 2024.

She represents our clients on a variety of issues at Connecticut Valley Hospital, Whiting Forensic Hospital and in the community.

Her passion has always been non-profit work and effecting change in our communities... [ more ]

Annette Medero, Paralegal

Annette joined Connecticut Legal Rights Project in October 2021 as a Paralegal Advocate. She is a life-long Hartford resident. Her parents migrated to the United States when she was nine years old. She attended Weaver High School and Hartford Public High School and graduated with honors in June 1988. She is a Trinity College alumnus and currently holds a degree in Education with a concentration in International Studies. She is the proud mother of two children who are currently attending college... [ more ]

Sally Zanger, Senior Staff Attorney

Sally Zanger is a graduate of Brandeis University and the University of Michigan Law School. She was at CLRP at the beginning, many years ago, left to live in England, and returned to stay in 2006.

In addition to advocating on behalf of our clients with housing authorities, landlords, inpatient and outpatient treatment teams and clients' rights officers, she has had the pleasure of representing our clients in ... [ more ]

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