Cofounder and Executive Director
Christine W. Lai is the Cofounder and Executive Director of Special Education Legal Fund. Since S.E.L.F.’s founding, Christine has created, launched, and disseminated all of Special Education Legal Fund’s programmatic work, including the Attorney Grant Program, the Agency Education Program, the Parent Education Program seminar and webinar series, Proyecto de Educación Especial, and the Advocacy Grant Program. Christine is a member of the 2025-2026 Stony Brook Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and related Disabilities (LEND) Long-Term Trainee (LTT) Fellowship program. She is a Trustee of the Villa Maria School (Stamford, CT). Previously, Christine was a member of the Board of Directors of NEXT for Autism and Abilis.
Christine has received numerous awards in recognition of her work, including the Greenwich Bar Association Liberty Bell Award, the New England Patriots Difference Maker Award, the Greenwich YWCA Women Who Inspire Award, and the Moffly Media Light A Fire Award “Best Friend to Families.” Christine’s previous professional experience was in the financial services area as Chief Financial Officer for a children’s personal care company, a hedge fund equity research analyst, and a sell-side equity research analyst. Christine graduated from Columbia College (Columbia University) with a degree in History.
Program Director
Stephanie Bilenker is Program Director for Special Education Legal Fund, a role she has held since 2021. Stephanie is also a member of Special Education Legal Fund’s Board of Directors, where she serves on the Grants Review, Strategic Planning, and Hiring Committees.
Following a judicial clerkship, she joined Troutman Pepper Locke (formerly, Pepper Hamilton LLP) labor and employment practice group where she litigated cases in both Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. for seven years. Upon moving to Connecticut, Stephanie built an independent practice focused on employment and contract matters. Stephanie returned to her law school passion of disability and special education law, taking on rigorous retraining programs through COPAA and the Institute for Special Education Advocacy. She holds certificates from COPAA’s Special Education Law & Related Services Training for Attorneys, William & Mary Law School’s PELE Special Education Advocacy Clinic, and the Parent Leadership Training Institute through the Stamford Public Education Foundation. Stephanie is a graduate of Princeton University and the University of Maryland School of Law.
Staff Attorney and head of S.E.L.F. Legal Aid
Laura Sullivan is the Staff Attorney and head of S.E.L.F. Legal Aid, a program providing direct special education legal services to under-resourced families in Connecticut and Westchester County, NY. Prior to joining S.E.L.F. in 2025, Laura practiced law a s a special education attorney representing children and adolescents with disabilities who were not receiving appropriate services from their public school districts. Laura holds a law degree from Pace University School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Binghamton University. In addition, she holds a Certificate in Special Education Advocacy from the PELE Clinic at William and Mary Law School, and has completed a 60 hour Orton Gillingham Plus training. Laura is a member of the Board of Directors of Smart Kids with Learning Disabilities; previously she served on the Board of Directors for the Western Connecticut Center for Human Rights.She is a member of the Connecticut and New York Bars and in 2023 was admitted to the United States Supreme Court Bar.
Special Education Legal Fund is also pleased to have our Advocate Program Manager, Jennifer Kanfer and Grants Manager, Rachel Kelley who support our families in both the Legal Aid and Grants Programs.
S.E.L.F. Legal Aid provides 20 hrs of special education legal support to qualifying families
Attorney Grants provide $6000 to qualifying families who need a special education attorney
Advocate Grants provide $1500 to qualifying families needing a qualified nonattorney special education advocate
S.E.L.F. Education provides free special education webinars, resources, & other information to families & caregivers
Wealthspire Advisors is an independent registered investment adviser and subsidiary of NFP Corp, currently overseeing approximately $29.3 billion in Assets Under Management* and firmly committed to serving clients in a fiduciary capacity. Though our size means we have a variety of clients, we work most extensively with high net worth and ultra-high net worth individuals and families. We lead with planning that is tailored to meet the goals and needs of our clients, we invest with a long-term approach that focuses on a disciplined strategy and avoids emotional decision-making, and we aim to simplify lives by coordinating seamlessly with outside advisors and building our client teams around a collaborative structure.
* Reflects combined data as of 12/31/2024 for Wealthspire Advisors LLC and its subsidiaries.
