Associate Board

The CFR Associate Board is a volunteer council of professionals, community members, and supporters that promotes and advocates on behalf of CFR through fundraising and volunteer initiatives and attracts new friends to the organization.

Click here to learn more about the responsibilities of the Associate Board.

If you are interested in joining CFR’s Associate Board, please contact Mallory King at mking@cfrny.org.

Neha Choudary, Esq.

Neha joined the Associate Board in August 2024. She is a graduate of Fordham Law and was a CFR attorney for six years. Currently, she serves as counsel for Matrimonial and Family Law at the Manhattan law firm McLaughlin and Stern. Neha resides in Westchester.

Allegra Leitner Holben, Esq.

Associate Board Secretary

Allegra joined the Associate Board in August 2024. She graduated from Yale University with a B.A. in history and from Fordham Law with a J.D. Allegra worked for Fordham Law’s Federal Litigation Clinic as a Dean’s Fellow, supervising law students and supporting the clinic’s faculty. She then moved to CFR, where she worked for nine years in Manhattan Family Court as a parent defense attorney and litigation supervisor. Allegra has served as the Co-Chair of Agents to the Yale Alumni Fund for the class of 2006 for 18 years. She has previously served on the Yale Alumni Fund Board of Directors, Executive Committee, and as the Co-Chair for several Yale Reunion Giving Committees; she is currently serving on Yale’s Advisory Group for Student Support. She is also an active volunteer and committee chair at her children’s schools and resides in New Jersey.

Sai Malena Jimenez

Sai Malena Jimenez joined the Associate Board in July 2025. With over 25 years of dedicated social justice work, Sai Malena has been a tireless volunteer parent advocate while maintaining a successful career in the telecommunications industry for over three decades. She has championed the rights of low-income individuals, providing holistic support to promote family stability and expedite family reunification. Her advocacy includes testifying at New York State Senate hearings, where her impactful testimony directly contributed to halting violations of family court litigants’ rights, as well as organizing rallies, engaging in public speaking, and meeting with legislators to raise awareness and safeguard the rights of marginalized communities. She also supports litigants in navigating the process of securing Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) court accommodations, promoting equitable access to justice. As a former foster mother who taught parenting classes, she has empowered families with essential skills. A mother of three Afro-Latino children, she brings lived experience to her advocacy. Sai Malena completed coursework toward a bachelor’s degree in commerce and engineering at Drexel University, is fluent in Spanish, and resides in Rockland County, New York.

Etophia Lane

Events Committee Chair: Planning

Etophia joined the Associate Board in July 2024 as one of our first members. She is a graduate of Hampton University and learned about CFR through her advocacy with JMACforFamilies, a non-profit organization working to dismantle the family policing system. Currently, she works for Forbes BLK under the NY Local Advisory Council and is the owner of The Bizness Girl consulting services. Etophia currently resides in Brooklyn.

Lauren Smith, Esq.

Associate Board Chair

Lauren joined the Associate Board in July 2024 as one of our first members. She earned her B.A. from Spelman College and J.D. from Columbia Law School. Lauren worked as a Pro Bono Scholar at CFR in the spring of 2022 and worked as pro-bono co-counsel with CFR during her tenure as a Corporate Litigation Associate at a Biglaw firm in NYC. Currently, Lauren is a Law Clerk in the Eastern District of New York. Lauren resides in New Jersey.