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The Pace Women’s Justice Center (PWJC) is proud to announce its 2024 "Raising the Bar" Benefit Concert, a pivotal event dedicated to raising awareness and support for victims and survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and elder abuse. The concert will take place on Wednesday, November 13, 2024 at the historic Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, NY, featuring a special performance by the Grammy-winning duo, Indigo Girls. The singer-songwriter twosome of Emily Saliers and Amy Ray is considered one of the most successful folk duos in history, with 16 recorded studio albums and over 15 million records sold. Popular for their crowd singalong 1990’s chart hits “Galileo,” “Shame on You,” and “Closer to Fine,” which was recently featured in the box office summer hit movie Barbie. Together, these two women are known for their activism and championing of causes.

Pace Women’s Justice Center Executive Director Cindy Kanusher, Esq. shares:

“We couldn’t be more excited to have the Indigo Girls back for this year’s Raising the Bar Benefit Concert. Their commitment to human rights and amplifying the voices of women resonates deeply with the work we do at PWJC to serve survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and elder abuse. We are also thrilled to honor Kenashia Douglas for her tireless work in domestic violence awareness and her inspiring journey of healing and empowerment. This event not only offers a night of incredible music but also helps raise critical funds to ensure justice, safety, and support for victims. Together, we shine a light on the importance of taking action and providing free legal services to those in need.”

In addition, PWJC will honor The ICON Foundation, Inc. with the Making a Difference Award. As the charitable arm of Keller Williams Realty Group, The ICON Foundation has made an outstanding impact on local communities in Westchester, Bronx, Putnam, and surrounding counties. Their unwavering support and generous sponsorship have been instrumental in furthering PWJC’s mission to provide free legal services to victims of abuse.

The “Raising the Bar” Benefit Concert is PWJC’s largest fundraising event of the year. The funds raised will directly support the center’s critical legal services, helping more than 3,500 victims and survivors annually. Following the tremendous success of last year’s concert, which won 'Best Non-Profit Event' from Best of Westchester, PWJC is excited to welcome back the Indigo Girls for another unforgettable evening of music and support.

“We are deeply honored to receive the Best of Westchester award for last year’s event,” says Kanusher. “This recognition reflects the strength of our community’s support and the vital work we do.”

Tickets for the 2024 “Raising the Bar” Benefit Concert go on sale to the public starting Friday, October 11 at 10:00 a.m. via Ticketmaster.

See information on sponsorship opportunities for this event.

Pace Women’s Justice Center thanks Raising the Bar 2024 Sponsors:
Alayne Katz, Jane Aoyama & Gib Nathan, Carol & Ian Feldman, Jonathan & Alison Segal, Gretchen Flint, Jacqueline Hattar, Steven Solomon, Pace Law School, CME, ICON Foundation, Dan Seymour, Tamara Mitchel, Linda Markowitz, James Sexton, Amanda Rieben, Lauren Enea, and Jennifer & Jarid Lurkin

About Pace Women’s Justice Center
The Pace Women’s Justice Center (PWJC) is a nonprofit legal center at the Elisabeth Haub School of Law dedicated to providing free legal services to victims and survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and elder abuse in Westchester and Putnam Counties. Each year, PWJC helps thousands of individuals seek justice and safety through legal advocacy, education, and community outreach.

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The Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University is proud to welcome three ESG leaders and Haub Law alumni as Advisory Board Members of the School’s Sustainable Business Law Hub. The new Advisory Board Members include Hana Heineken ‘10, Attorney, ClientEarth, Brendan Reilly ’04, Senior Legal Director, ESG Disclosures, PepsiCo, and Jesse Glickstein ‘13, Corporate Counsel, Amazon. The Sustainable Business Law Hub’s Advisory Board consists of Haub Law faculty, esteemed alumni, prominent members of the legal community, entrepreneurs, and ESG and sustainability leaders.

“With the shared vision of a more sustainable future, our advisory board members work closely with our faculty and students to help guide our Sustainable Business Law Hub towards that end goal,” said Kerlin Distinguished Professor of Environmental Law, Associate Dean for Environmental Law Programs and Strategic Initiatives, and the Faculty Director of the Sustainable Business Law Hub, Jason J. Czarnezki. “We are excited to have Hana, Brendan, and Jesse, all Haub Law alumni, join us and share their industry knowledge and expertise on practical solutions for companies to have sustainable business models.”

Hana Heineken ‘10 is an attorney with environmental law nonprofit ClientEarth. Hana concurrently serves as a Professorial Lecturer in Law at George Washington University Law School, where she teaches environmental justice. Based in Washington DC, Hana specializes in securities litigation and financial regulation in the US, with a focus on climate risk and the role of financial institutions. Her work is also international and entails addressing the just energy transition in Japan and Southeast Asia through the financial sector. Hana brings diverse experiences and perspectives to the Board, having worked at influential corporate accountability organizations on subjects ranging from illegal logging and supply chain risks, to human and Indigenous rights, fossil fuels, and ESG investing. Fluent in English and Japanese, Hana holds a Juris Doctor from the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University, where she received a Rising Star Award.

Brendan Reilly ’04 is an attorney with 20 years of experience as a litigator, arbitrator and in-house counsel. Currently, he is Senior Legal Director, ESG Disclosures, with PepsiCo. For the first half of his career, Brendan litigated and arbitrated intellectual property matters in Europe and North and South America. Brendan joined PepsiCo’s litigation department in 2012, before transitioning into various legal generalist roles at PepsiCo in support of its business functions, including sales, marketing, and sustainability. As part of his sustainability practice at PepsiCo, Brendan leverages his litigation, trademark and marketing experience to counsel on green advertising and consumer protection, and relies on his deal-making experience to execute transactions in furtherance of PepsiCo’s sustainability journey, such as fleet electrification, water replenishment, and collection and incorporation of recycled materials into product packaging. In his current role, Brendan focuses on PepsiCo’s voluntary ESG disclosures and preparations for forthcoming mandatory ESG reporting under CSRD, ISSB, SEC Climate Rule and other ESG reporting regulations. Brendan also leads PepsiCo Law Department’s Sustainability Practice Center of Excellence, which is a global practice group of attorneys who are supporting PepsiCo’s numerous sustainability transformation projects around the world. Brendan received his Juris Doctor from the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University.

Jesse Glickstein ‘13 is Corporate Counsel at Amazon where he primarily focuses on global ESG Regulatory Tracking and Reporting. He was previously the Environmental & Human Rights Counsel on the Global, Social, and Environmental Responsibility Team at Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company where he advised on a wide range of environmental, energy, conflict minerals, and human rights compliance, supply chain, and legal issues. Prior to that, Jesse practiced environmental law at an international law firm, O’Melveny & Myers, which included work on renewable energy project finance transactions and environmental diligence on M&A deals. Jesse also co-founded Faiths United for Sustainable Energy, a non-profit that educated and mobilized faith-based communities around the intersection of issues related to the environment, climate change, social and economic justice, renewable energy, and religion. Jesse has a deep commitment to public interest and pro bono work. He currently serves on the Coalition for Green Capital Environmental Justice Advisory Board and in the Rainforest Alliance’s Ambassadors Circle to support the organization’s mission of creating a more sustainable world by using social and market forces to protect nature and improve the lives of farmers and forest communities. Jesse received his Juris Doctor from the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University.

Launched in fall 2021, Haub Law’s Sustainable Business Law Hub serves as an incubator space, student-training program, research endeavor, and think tank devoted to addressing global sustainability challenges through policy and research projects, relationships with the business community, and capacity building in private environmental governance. The Sustainable Business Law Hub incorporates the three pillars of sustainability—economic, social and environmental welfare—into global business practices by engaging in research and policy development, improving public law and governance, and working with existing industry, the small business community, startups, and the community at-large to develop and employ innovative private environmental models and sustainability practices, such as those that promote a circular economy. Working hand-in-hand with faculty experts, students participating in the Hub receive practical training and experience in using the law to foster sustainable business practices.

Learn more about the Sustainable Business Law Hub at the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University and its advisory board.

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Hannah Cahill

Class of 2023, 2025

Political Science, BA
Mental Health Counseling, MS

You graduated from Pace with a BA in Political Science and are now pursuing an MS in Mental Health Counseling. How did you become interested in both subjects?

My decision to pursue a BA in Political Science was very much influenced by my high school teacher in American History and Advanced Placement (AP) United States Government and Politics, who urged me to get involved in advocacy and activism in my community. It became important to me to explore our political system and the ways in which it impacts the lives of those who live within it, and studying political science was the way I wanted to do that.

I have always had an interest in psychology, and so I decided to pursue a minor in the subject while I was earning my BA in Political Science at Pace. The more I learned, the more I was influenced to pursue a career in the field. I also have a natural inclination towards helping others, and work experience has taught me that I feel the most fulfilled in professional environments that allow me to interact with a diverse and ever-changing group of people. Ultimately, it was the positive experiences my loved ones and I have had with mental health professionals that sold me on applying to graduate programs.

Why did you choose to attend Pace, for both your undergraduate and graduate studies?

I chose to attend Pace for undergrad because of the opportunities available to me through the Honors College, the expertise and support of the faculty, and the convenience of the Pleasantville campus location for me as a commuter student. I decided to return to Pace for my master’s degree not only because I already loved Pace, but also because of positive feedback about the MS in Mental Health Counseling program from trusted people in my life. To this day, I have nothing but rave reviews about the program.

This past summer, you participated in Pace University-Career Services’s Community Impact Funded Internship program, at G.O.O.D. for Girls, a non-profit community-based asset/leadership development and mentoring organization for girls ages 9-18. Please tell us about your role and how this internship was meaningful to you.

I feel so incredibly privileged to have had the opportunity to work with G.O.O.D. for Girls, Inc. (GfG) this past summer. My role consisted of wearing many hats and was a challenging mix of marketing, curriculum building, facilitating educational workshops, and lending a hand any way I could. It was empowering to work alongside such accomplished and altruistic women, and the relationships I formed with the girls we served are ones which have left a permanent mark on my heart. In terms of counseling, this internship gave me the opportunity to practice providing psychoeducation and working with adolescents in a quasi-therapeutic setting. Though not a clinical intern at GfG, many of the interactions I had with the girls were focused on conflict resolution and emotional regulation and have certainly helped prepare me for my future work.

What have your experiences been like with the Pleasantville Psychology Department? What faculty have been instrumental in your journey?

The one thing I appreciate most about the Pleasantville Psychology Department has been the passion the faculty have for their profession and for the subjects they teach. To learn from professors like Catherine Morrison, PhD, and Nikita Krishnan, PhD, who are so knowledgeable about their subjects and excited to teach, was such a privilege, especially because they inspired curiosity in me about topics I had not previously been interested in. Professor Jennaleigh Iseman, PhD, was also an invaluable source of support and encouragement in both my exploration of counseling styles and journey toward finding my individual counseling identity.

I decided to return to Pace for my master’s degree not only because I already loved Pace, but also because of positive feedback about the MS in Mental Health Counseling program from trusted people in my life. To this day, I have nothing but rave reviews about the program.

What other activities and organizations have you been involved with as a student?

As an undergrad, I was part of Model UN, the Honors College, and did some volunteer work through the Center for Community Action and Research (CCAR). CCAR helped facilitate volunteer work at the JCCA Cottage School in Pleasantville and allowed me to volunteer with the Westchester Council of the Blind, an organization very close to my heart, as the civic engagement component of my Leadership and Advocacy course.

What other internships have you had as a student?

Besides my work at GfG, I have been fortunate to work in two other internships during my time at Pace. The first was a Community Impact Funded Internship at United Way of Westchester and Putnam, where I worked with their director of educational programs to build curriculum and provide STEM education to children in underserved communities in Westchester County. I loved how this role allowed me to dive deep into the realm of social-emotional learning and explore the best ways to teach the subject to children in grades 1-3.

I am also just beginning my second year as a graduate intern for Pace’s Counseling Center on the Pleasantville campus. Although I have not yet reached the fieldwork portion of the MS in Mental Health Counseling program, I was so excited to be awarded an opportunity to work on campus supporting our amazing clinical staff. In my role as a graduate intern, I am primarily responsible for marketing our services and events as well as doing all sorts of outreach on campus, such as Open House and UNV 101 presentations. This year, we are trying to get the word out to the Pace community that counseling services are available to help students face any challenges they encounter during their time at Pace; you don’t need to be in crisis to reach out.

What would you like to do upon graduation/what are your career goals?

Upon graduation, I hope to begin earning my licensure hours by working with children and adolescents. Ultimately, I would love to work in a school setting and have my own private practice. I would also be thrilled if I could publish the picture book I created as part of my senior Honors thesis. Although I majored in political science, I chose to do my thesis as part of my psychology minor and decided to research, write, and (attempt to) illustrate a picture book promoting both early literacy and emotional regulation. Maybe one day you’ll see The Big Feelings Zoo on shelves at a bookstore near you.

What advice would you like to give to our current students?

My advice to current students is to remember that school is not who you are at your core and should not be how you define yourself. Class and homework may take up a lot of your time, but it is important to create a full life for yourself outside of your academic obligations.