For Immediate Release: April 24, 2025

Kelly Lynn, Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy, 980.202.7320, kelly.lynn@charlottelegaladvocacy.org

Charlotte, NC – Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy (Advocacy Center), a nonprofit civil legal services organization committed to pursuing justice for those in need, is pleased to announce the appointment of Larissa Mañón Mervin as its new Chief Executive Officer. Mañón Mervin will officially assume the role on May 27, 2025.

Larissa Mañón Mervin brings a deep commitment to legal equity and a wealth of experience to the Advocacy Center. She currently serves as the Regional Managing Attorney of Legal Aid of North Carolina’s Piedmont region, where she oversees the Charlotte, Concord and Gastonia offices. She also serves as the Managing Attorney for the Charlotte office, where she manages the Charlotte office’s operations, personnel and case work in a variety of practice areas, including landlord-tenant, domestic violence, family and consumer law. Prior to serving as Regional Managing Attorney, Mañón Mervin worked in various roles at Legal Aid of North Carolina, including as supervising attorney with their statewide Pro Bono Program, supervising attorney with the Domestic Violence Unit at Legal Aid – Charlotte, and as a domestic violence staff attorney in the Concord, Raleigh and Durham offices. In those roles, Mañón Mervin primarily represented survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse in their civil protection order cases. Throughout her career, Mañón Mervin has been a tireless advocate for marginalized populations, continually working to ensure access to justice and fairness in civil legal matters.

Mañón Mervin received her Bachelor of Arts degree, summa cum laude, from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and her Juris Doctorate, cum laude, from Quinnipiac University School of Law. She completed her legal studies as a visiting student at the University of North Carolina School of Law after moving back to North Carolina, and she successfully completed an executive management leadership program at Harvard Business School last year.

Mañón Mervin serves on various boards and bar associations, including the American Bar Association, North Carolina Bar Association, Cabarrus County Bar Association, and Mecklenburg Bar Association. She has received numerous awards for her work and commitment to justice, including the Charlotte Business Journal’s 40 under 40, North Carolina Lawyers Weekly and The Mecklenburg Times’ 50 Most Influential Women, the Power 100 awarded by the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, National Bar Association and Washington Bar Association, and the Ronda F. Williams Professionalism Award.

“I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to lead the Advocacy Center at such a pivotal time in our community’s history,” said Mañón Mervin. “Access to justice is vital in protecting the rights of our most vulnerable neighbors. Using the rule of law to ensure safety and stability to those in need is the responsible, wise and compassionate thing to do. It is what the advocates at the Advocacy Center do every day, and I’m excited to join such a dedicated group of professionals in this righteous and necessary work.”

The Board of Directors expresses deep appreciation for Kara Moskowitz, who has served as Interim CEO for the past year, as well as Cassidy Estes-Rogers, who has served as the Interim COO, each of whom guided the organization through a time of transition with grace and dedication.

“We are thrilled to welcome Larissa Mañón Mervin to the Advocacy Center,” said Ed O’Keefe, Chairperson of the Board of Trustees for Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy. “Her strategic vision, legal expertise and passion for justice make her the right leader to guide us forward. We are equally grateful to Kara Moskowitz and Cassidy Estes-Rogers for their steady leadership during the interim period.”

The Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy provides legal services in areas such as health care access, immigration, consumer protection, public benefits, tax clinics and more. With Mañón Mervin at the helm, the organization looks forward to deepening its impact and continuing its fight for equal justice under the law.

About Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy

Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy can provide those in need with information, advice and advocacy in consumer protection, home preservation, health care access and public benefits, immigration, tax assistance and more. Our mission is to pursue justice for those in need. Our vision is to build a just community, where all people are treated fairly and have access to legal representation to meet their basic human needs of safety, economic security and stability. Learn more at charlottelegaladvocacy.org.