Title: Deputy Director of Legal Services
Company: Project Guardianship
Location: Brooklyn, New York, United States
Dre S. Cetra, Esq., deputy director of legal services at Project Guardianship, has been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Top Lawyers for dedication, achievements, and leadership in mental health.
With over a decade of experience, Mr. Cetra has built a successful career in legal services, specializing in mental health law advocacy, disability advocacy, and guardianship. He currently serves as deputy director of legal services at Project Guardianship, a role he has held since 2024, having previously worked as senior staff attorney from 2023 to 2024, and staff attorney from 2021 to 2023. Prior to this, he was a staff attorney at the Legal Aid Society of Mid-New York Inc. from 2020 to 2021 and an associate at The Law Offices of Gina Mendola Longarzo LLC from 2019 to 2020. His earlier career includes roles as a law clerk at The Law Offices of Gina Mendola Longarzo LLC, the Criminal Division D.C. Law Students in Court, and the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office. His experience also includes internships at The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Mid-Atlantic Innocence Project, and research assistant positions at Solitary Watch and the law office of Michael K. Bachrach.
Mr. Cetra also served as a volunteer caseworker with the International Refugee Assistance Project from 2016 to 2018. In addition, he was a news staff writer for the Oxford University Student Newspaper, managing editor of Sarah Lawrence College’s The Phoenix newspaper and is an active member of the National Bar Association and the National LGBTQ+ Bar Association. Laying an educational foundation, he earned a Bachelor of Arts in nonfiction writing, investigative journalism, and history from Sarah Lawrence College in 2015. He studied abroad at the University of Oxford from 2013 to 2014, focusing on British history, literature, death penalty policy, and fiction writing. He completed his Juris Doctor in civil rights and public interest law at George Washington University Law School in 2018.
Mr. Cetra takes great pride his work with Project Guardianship, where he made a significant impact on a young man struggling with addiction and severe mental health issues, collaborating with various stakeholders to secure housing, provide legal support, and facilitate job training for him. In light of his impressive undertakings, he received the John F. Evans Award from the D.C. Law Students in Court Program in 2018 and the Paul Khoury Fellowship from the Mid-Atlantic Innocence Project in 2015. He attributes his success to hard work, leading by example, and his compassion and humility. Looking ahead, he is committed to excelling in his role with Project Guardianship and plans to continue expanding services.
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