Zenisek, Chad

Melissa Studin Young has been a member of the firm since 2009. She practices in all areas of family law, including divorce, child custody, child support, abuse and neglect matters, and juvenile delinquency matters.  She is very active and experienced in the local court systems, representing clients in Nassau, Queens, New York and Suffolk Counties, and is dedicated to helping families during a time of crisis. In 2011, Melissa was named to the Nassau County Attorney for the Children Panel, where she is appointed by Family Court Judges to represent children in custody matters, juvenile delinquency proceedings and abuse and neglect cases.   In a relatively short time, Melissa has developed a reputation among colleagues, adversaries and judges as an intelligent, creative and passionate advocate for her clients who is always well-prepared and brings a tough, no-nonsense approach in zealously representing her clients.  She has been recognized for her legal skills, achievements and her commitment to her work. In February 2013, Melissa was named “Young Lawyer of the Month” in the Nassau Lawyer, which published an article detailing her accomplishments.  She is a member of the Nassau County Bar Association, the Queens County Bar Association, and the New York State Bar Association, and is an active participant with the Nassau County Women's Bar Matrimonial Committee and Young Lawyers Committee. 

Melissa joined the firm in 2009 after graduating magna cum laude from New York University with a Bachelors of Science in Child Psychology and New York Law School with a Juris Doctorate.  While at NYU, Melissa worked at Court Appointed Special Advocates in the Queens County Family Court on behalf of abused and neglected children, which piqued her interest in a career in family law. During her studies at New York Law School, Melissa participated in the Family Law Clinic and the Court Room Advocates program, where she assisted indigent men and women obtain divorces and advocated on behalf of battered spouses, respectively.  Also in law school, Melissa worked as a law clerk at a large corporate law firm in Manhattan, and subsequently interned for a Manhattan matrimonial firm that specialized in high net worth and celebrity divorces.  Melissa also participated in the Nassau County Supreme Court Internship Program, in which she interned for a Justice of the Nassau County Supreme Court focusing solely on matrimonial matters.