Bernadette Stark, Director
After previously working at SLSO as a Senior Staff Attorney from 2008 through 2010, Bernadette Stark returned to the SLSO as the Director in 2019.
In addition to administrative oversight, legal supervision and management responsibilities for the office, Attorney Stark provides advice, assistance and representation to students in the areas of family law, estate planning and immigration. Prior to joining SLSO, Attorney Stark was a founding partner of the law firm of Dinsmore Stark, as well as a Staff Attorney at Western Massachusetts Legal Services (now, “Community Legal Aid”), where she represented low-income survivors of domestic violence in domestic relations disputes and immigration matters. She has over 17 years of experience representing clients in all aspects of dispute resolution and litigation (including trial and appellate work) in the District, Housing and Probate and Family Court Departments, as well as the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination and the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts. During her prior tenure at SLSO, Attorney Stark also provided education, training and advisory support for student governance and their organizations.
Attorney Stark earned her Juris Doctor from Cornell Law School in 2001. She earned her Bachelor of Arts, cum laude, from Binghamton University in 1998. She was recognized for her work in 2007 and was awarded the Sarah Betsy Fuller Social Justice Award, a distinguished alumni award granted by Cornell Law School. She was also honored in 2008 as a “Diversity Hero,” as well as a “Woman of Justice” by Massachusetts’ Lawyers Weekly, which is an award given to individuals who have made meaningful and inspiring contributions in the fields of social justice and advocacy. Attorney Stark has been recognized as a “Super Lawyers Rising Star” for New England every year from 2012 through 2016 and in 2016, she was recognized in “Top Attorneys: Massachusetts’ Outstanding Young Women Lawyers” by Boston Magazine.
Attorney Stark is admitted to practice law in Massachusetts, New York and various federal courts, including the United States Supreme Court. She also volunteers as the Commissioner of the Mary Vazquez Women’s Softball League in Northampton, MA.
Emily Daniell, Staff Attorney
Emily joined the SLSO team as a Staff Attorney in July 2022. Attorney Daniell provides advice, assistance and representation to students in the areas housing, employment and consumer protection law. Prior to joining the SLSO, Attorney Daniell was an associate attorney at Farber and Lindley, LLC in Amherst, MA, with a practice focused on landlord/tenant law and employment law, including workplace discrimination and sexual harassment, as well as appellate work. Before that, Attorney Daniell was an associate attorney at the Law Office of Michael O. Shea, P.C. and represented employees in employment discrimination cases. Attorney Daniell has represented clients before the Massachusetts Superior, District and Housing Courts, the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts, and at the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination.
Attorney Daniell received her law degree from Western New England University School of Law in Springfield, MA in May 2008. During law school, Attorney Daniell received the honor of Best Brief Award in her first year Legal Research and Writing class. She also received CALI Excellence for the Future Awards in First Amendment Rights, Trial Methods, and International Environmental Law. During her last year of law school, she served as a legal intern at Western Mass Legal Services (now known as Community Legal Aid) in Northampton, MA, and worked in the employment/benefits unit assisting low income clients obtain unemployment insurance benefits. She has represented clients at hearings before the Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance.
Attorney Daniell earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from Hampshire College in Amherst, MA. She was admitted to the Massachusetts bar in December 2008 and to the bar of the United States District Court, District of Massachusetts, in March 2009.
Benjamin Farrell, Staff Attorney
Attorney Farrell joined the SLSO team as a Staff Attorney in August of 2022. Before joining the SLSO, Attorney Farrell was a Trial Attorney at the Committee for Public Counsel Services (Massachusetts’ public defender agency) in the Springfield Office for 13 years. Attorney Farrell represented indigent clients in criminal proceedings throughout Hampden county, including Springfield, Chicopee, Holyoke, Westfield and Palmer District Courts, as well as Hampden County Superior Court in Springfield. Attorney Farrell has extensive court experience, including conducting numerous evidentiary hearings and jury trials.
Attorney Farrell received his Juris Doctor from Suffolk University Law School in Boston in 2009. While at Suffolk Law School, Attorney Farrell was a member of the Suffolk University Law School Journal of Trial and Appellate Advocacy and the Moot Court Honor Board, where he was a published note author and Director of Trial Competitions. Attorney Farrell was also involved in the Suffolk Defenders, the year long criminal defense clinic, where he represented indigent clients in the Boston Municipal Court.
In 2005, Attorney Farrell received his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where he was a soloist and section leader of the University of Massachusetts Minuteman Marching Band.
Attorney Farrell has been admitted to the Massachusetts Bar since 2009.
Pamela Dutta, Assistant Director for Administration
After previously working at the Student Legal Services Office (“SLSO”) from 2004 through 2018, Pamela Dutta returns to the SLSO as the Assistant Director of Administration in January, 2022. Under the direction of the SLSO Director, Pamela assumes a lead role in overseeing and managing the day-to-day operations of the SLSO and the development of the law office’s policies and procedures, outreach and collaboration initiatives, as well as data collection and reporting. She will also manage the financial obligations of the law office, and be primarily responsible for the SLSO hiring, training, supervision and evaluation of all non-attorney staff and development efforts.
Prior to joining the SLSO team, Pamela worked as the Associate Director for International Student and Scholar Success at the UMASS International Programs Office. Her position was a joint reporting role to Student Affairs and Campus Life's (SACL) advocacy, inclusion and support programs.
Pamela is currently serving as co-Chair of the UMass Employee Resource Group for International Faculty and Staff.
Pamela earned her BA from the University Without Walls at UMass Amherst in 2005. She earned her Master’s Degree in Public Policy and Administration from UMass Amherst School of Public Policy in 2017. In addition, Pamela earned a Graduate Certificate in Higher Education Leadership and Management (HELM) through Umass Amherst in 2014. Previously, Pamela was a Certified Rape Crisis Counselor Advocate and volunteered with the Center for Women and Community between 2011 - 2015. She also earned her Certificate of Basic Meditation Training through the Meditation and Training Collaborative in 2008.
