Who We Are

Kathy has served as Executive Director of Connecticut Legal Rights Project since 2015. Prior to coming to CLRP, Kathy spent 15 years as a Staff Attorney at Statewide Legal Services of Connecticut, Inc.

A graduate of Wellesley College (Class of ’88) and Harvard Law School (’94), Kathy has dedicated her professional life to advocating for the rights of the underserved. Kathy combines her personal experience as a recipient of mental health services and her legal background to speak to issues affecting those living with mental health conditions.

Kathy's advocacy work has earned her numerous honors including the Dr. Karen Kangas Excellence in Advocacy Award (Advocacy Unlimited (2010), the Advocate of the Year award from the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law (2019), the Spirit of the ADA Award, (ADA Coalition of Connecticut), Connecticut's Stigma Buster Award (in 2001, 2006, and 2007), and more. Kathy is currently a member of the Board of Directors of Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers CT (the state's lawyer assistance program), and the Connecticut Alliance to Benefit Law Enforcement (CABLE). She is a former member of the Board of Directors of Advocacy Unlimited, Inc. Kathy currently serves on NARPA's Board of Directors.

Kathy has personal experience as a recipient of mental health services and a client of a court-appointed attorney in a civil commitment proceeding.

Kirk Lowry is the Legal Director of the Connecticut Legal Rights Project, a non-profit state-wide legal services organization that represents low-income people with mental health conditions in all Connecticut state-operated inpatient psychiatric facilities and in the community.  His practice focuses on patients’ rights, civil rights, discharge to the most integrated setting, conservatorship defense, involuntary medication, informed consent and commitment issues. Mr. Lowry has served the Connecticut Bar Association on the House of Delegates since 2013, the Board of Governors, Nominating Committee, and the Awards Committee. Mr. Lowry has been on the board of the Middlesex County Bar Association since 2017.

Lisa Grandjean has worked for CLRP since 1999.

Lisa was drawn to the work after years of legislative advocacy and education on behalf of various disadvantaged populations in Vermont, Washington, D.C., Argentina, Virginia and Connecticut.

Lisa worked with young adults aging out of adolescent clinical settings in Southwest Virginia and at CLRP has served DMHAS clients in inpatient and community settings as an advocate, litigation paralegal and operations coordinator.

Lisa graduated from Trinity College of Vermont

Simone joined CLRP in 2024. She initially represented patients in the Connecticut Valley Hospital on issues related to civil commitments, involuntary medications and conservatorships. She now primarily represents patients at Whiting Forensic Hospital on a variety of civil and individual rights issues.

Simone graduated from Brooklyn Law School.

Peyton joined CLRP in 2026. He focuses on Whiting Forensic Hospital. He is staffed on complex matters of involuntary medication, access to medical records, the Connecticut Patients’ Bill of Rights, and conservatorship. Peyton graduated magna cum laude from Connecticut College in New London, where he won the History Department Prize for excellence in history.

After many years working in Finance and Operations for the corporate world, Rosemary began her nonprofit career in 1991 as a full charge bookkeeper for Legal Assistance Resource Center of Connecticut.

In 1999, she joined Connecticut Legal Rights Project as the Business Manager handling all finance and human resources for the organization.

Chelsea Mastriano joined Connecticut Legal Rights Project, Inc. (CLRP) as a Staff Attorney in August 2024.

She represents our clients on a variety of issues at Connecticut Valley Hospital and Whiting Forensic Hospital, as well as in the community.

She has always had a passion for public interest law and affecting change in our communities related to the treatment and protection of rights of under-represented groups of people. It was her ambition to work for an organization like the Connecticut Legal Rights Project.

Prior to her work with CLRP, she worked in public service with the State of Connecticut Judicial Branch. She always saw a need and advocated for change within communities regarding the treatment of individuals with mental health conditions. She has personal experience with mental health as someone living with obsessive compulsive disorder.

Chelsea is a graduate of Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University and Marist College.

Annette joined Connecticut Legal Rights Project in October 2021 as a Paralegal Advocate. She is a life-long Hartford resident. Her parents migrated to the United States when she was nine years old. She attended Weaver High School and Hartford Public High School and graduated with honors in June 1988. She is a Trinity College alumnus and currently holds a degree in Education with a concentration in International Studies. She is the proud mother of two adults.

Meghan Oates joined Connecticut Legal Rights Project as a Staff Attorney in 2025. She assists and represents clients in housing cases throughout the state. Prior to her work with CLRP, she worked as a Human Rights Attorney for the CT Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities. Meghan is a graduate of the University of Vermont and Vermont Law School.

Channing Reeves joined the Connecticut Legal Rights Project (CLRP) as a Staff Attorney in February 2026.

Channing has always had a passion for public interest law and has dedicated her career to advocating for our most vulnerable populations.

Prior to joining CLRP, she worked in Washington State with ABC Law Group representing parents and children involved in Department of Children Youth and Families (DCYF) cases where she advocated to keep families together. She also worked with FIRST Legal Clinic, a nonprofit organization dedicated to working with pregnant persons to prevent DCYF involvement.

Channing also has experience working in criminal law. She completed internships with the Federal Public Defender’s Office of Western Washington, as well as the King County Department of Public Defense where she did her Rule 9.

Channing is dual graduate of The University of Washington in Seattle where she received her Bachelor of Arts in Law, Societies, and Justice and Juris Doctor.

Ella Sweet joined CLRP in September of 2023 as a temporary worker and began her full-time position as the Operations Assistant / Screener in April 2024. This is Ella’s first time working in the legal and mental health field, previously working at a mixed income property management company, working as an ABA therapist, and a barista. Ella is the first line of contact for CLRP and is passionate about supporting clients in any way she can.

Ella is a two-time graduate of Albertus Magnus College in New Haven, receiving her Bachelor of Science in 2020 and her master’s degree in 2022. Ella loves singing and tapping into her creative side when she is not assisting clients of CLRP.

Jess joined CLRP in 2025. Prior to that she worked at Day Pitney LLP as an Associate Attorney in their Hartford office, following a summer associate position with the firm in 2021.

Jess served as a Judicial Intern (2020) and later as a full-time Judicial Law Clerk (2022–2023) for the United States District Court in Connecticut. She also gained criminal law experience as a legal intern for the Middletown Public Defenders Office.

Jess served as a Judicial Intern (2020) and later as a full-time Judicial Law Clerk (2022–2023) for the United States District Court in Connecticut. She also gained criminal law experience as a legal intern for the Middletown Public Defenders Office.

She graduated from the University of Connecticut School of Law (UConn Law) in 2022.

Sally Zanger has been a legal services lawyer for (almost) all her legal career. She has been representing tenants in housing cases since 2006. In addition to representing individual clients she has given presentations on fair housing, conservatorship and in other areas of CLRP’s practice.