Congratulations to the Justice & Diversity Center’s Julie Rosenthal for receiving the 2017 James Brosnahan Fellowship.  Rosenthal, the Director of Social Services for JDC’s Homeless Advocacy Project (HAP), is the fourth recipient since the fellowship was established in 2012 to provide an annual stipend to a JDC staff member who go above and beyond in their work.

Joseph Cotchett, Cotchett Pitre & McCarthy, made a generous gift to create the fellowship and the JDC board passed a resolution instituting the fellowship.  At Cotchett’s request, the fellowship is named after 1977 BASF President James Brosnahan, Morrison & Foerster, to recognize his extraordinary service to the bench and bar, and his lifelong commitment to justice for disadvantaged and historically underrepresented people.

Rosenthal, a licensed clinical social worker, received her MSW from Simmons College in Boston in 1998.  Before coming to HAP, she worked with adolescents and families, conducting individual and family therapy.  She has worked at HAP for over ten years.  Although her office is located HAP,  much of her work involves services to HAP clients, she also oversees social services for all of JDC’s legal programs, provides direct services to clients, and consults with staff and volunteer attorneys across the program.  In addition, Rosenthal trains and supervises three social service advocates and she regularly has MSW interns in the office, and is known as an excellent supervisor.

Because of the sometimes stressful nature of JDC’s work, Rosenthal’s training and support of JDC staff is an important part of her job. She sees clients in the HAP office, and she also does home visits for clients whose housing is at risk due to hoarding or other mental health disabilities.  She provides counseling to clients in crisis, and helps people access resources like housing, benefits and emergency funds.  She also provides expert testimony to the court.

Julie Rosenthal is an extremely worthy recipient of the Brosnahan Fellowship.