Senior MRO Degna Chikei Levister

Degna Chikei Levister is the Director of the Elder Law Project at the City Bar Justice Center, where she leads legal services, pro bono initiatives, community partnerships, and educational programming serving low-income older adults across New York City, with a focus on advance care planning and elder justice.  Prior to joining the Justice Center, Chikei spent more than two decades at CUNY School of Law as a Clinical Law Professor, Associate Dean for Enrollment; and Executive Director of the Pipeline to Justice program, which expands access to legal education for individuals historically excluded from the legal profession. They are also a registered nurse.  


Chikei has been a practicing member of the Mountains and Rivers Order for more than twenty-five years and has maintained a continuous meditation practice since becoming a formal student in 1997. She currently serves on the MRO Ethics Committee and previously served on the Sangha Harmony Advisory Council, co-led the Women’s Affinity Group, and served on the MRO Board of Directors. She lives on the Lower East Side of Manhattan.