“Being in the courtroom is really important to me,” said Melissa Alexander, Project Guardianship’s Senior Staff Attorney, who is known as Mel. “It reminds me of how much I like to advocate for people.”
On a recent morning, when she had no scheduled court appearances, Mel reflected on her meaningful career helping others, a career she never expected to pursue but one that nevertheless fills her with immense pride and gratitude. “The amount of impact you are able to have is what stands out to me,” she said.
Mel enjoys collaborating with her direct-services colleagues to meet the far-reaching needs of approximately 50 older adults with dementia and mental illness and individuals with disabilities who do not have family or friends able to step into caregiving roles and no money to pay for a private guardian. Many are from marginalized groups.
Project Guardianship’s 200 clients receive support from a multidisciplinary team of professionals, including attorneys like Mel; case managers; finance associates; and housing and benefits specialists. “The team approach is what makes PG so special,” Mel emphasized. “We all rely on each other to ensure that things don’t fall between the cracks.”
For a number of her clients, complex family histories and personal hardships present tough challenges, but Mel does whatever she can to improve their situations from a legal standpoint. “By the time Project Guardianship comes into the picture, a lot of damage has already been done – like pending eviction proceedings, financial exploitation, or fraud – and we have to work backwards to untangle everything.”
As part of her job, Mel attends guardianship and housing court proceedings in Brooklyn, Manhattan, and the Bronx to defend her clients in rent nonpayment and holdover proceedings. “A big part of my role is making sure we preserve a client’s tenancy,” she noted. “If they have an apartment in the community, we want to fight eviction proceedings and provide the best advocacy possible.”
She shared an earlier story of one of her clients, Alma Rojas*, a soft-spoken 79-year-old woman with advanced Alzheimer’s disease and limited family support. In preparation for her discharge after a lengthy hospital stay, Mel’s team discovered that all her belongings had been unceremoniously thrown away. Feeling that a “horrible injustice” had happened, Mel sued the landlord and management company. Thanks to her efforts, she won a small settlement for Ms. Rojas, months before the client sadly passed away.
Losing clients like Ms. Rojas is a painful, often inevitable part of caring for mostly older people with life-limiting conditions. Along with her housing and property work, Mel helps support medical decision-making, prioritizing her clients’ dignity, comfort, and last wishes. Such cases might involve authorizing DNI (do not intubate) or DNR (do not resuscitate) orders, which require an emergency appeal to the court, sometimes with just hours’ notice.
“We make medical decisions carefully and in the best interests of the client to ensure they have the best care possible, especially when approaching the end of their life,” she explained.
Although there is little doubt that Mel, with her skills and compassion, excels in her position at PG, she hadn’t considered guardianship or even law as a viable career path. She grew up in Queens and studied literature at The New School before earning a master’s in teaching English from Queens College. While attending graduate classes at night, she worked as a paralegal to make ends meet.
After working as a high-school English teacher, Mel was eager for a change. When considering her next move, she decided to apply to law school. She knew she wanted to help others in some capacity.
With a degree from CUNY Law School, she started at a local community guardianship program as a staff attorney, soon tackling the ins and outs of Article 81 guardianship. At first, she was surprised at how well she took to this field.
“Guardianship is not something I ever thought I would do,” said Mel, who joined PG in 2023 and is licensed to practice in New York, New Jersey, and Florida. “It’s a very niche area, but it does intersect with my love for landlord-tenant law, advocacy, and public interest. It encompasses all of that.”
Mel’s days are jam-packed and at times physically and emotionally draining. To decompress, she spends her off-hours catching up with family and friends, reading poetry, traveling, and walking her dog, Archie.
By taking care of herself, Mel is better equipped to care for her clients and to continue to be an indispensable team member.
"Working at Project Guardianship requires you to be flexible and creative," she said. "No day is the same because you are dealing with a person holistically. It's like you and me, we all come with our different sets of challenges. That's what makes my role exciting."
*“Alma Rojas” is a pseudonym for a Project Guardianship client. Project Guardianship maintains the privacy and protects the identity of, and all information related to, our clients.
During the month of June, Project Guardianship is spotlighting the critical work of caregivers. Honor the caregivers in your life by making a donation to Project Guardianship and sharing their stories.