Makana Ellis

Makana Ellis represents clients in a diverse range of litigation matters including assessment appeals, attorney grievance complaints, breach of contract, construction, criminal defense, Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) cases, housing, intellectual property, land use, mass tort and product liability, medical device, medical malpractice defense, pharmaceutical, real estate, and employment immigration matters as an attorney at Carmody Torrance Sandak & Hennessey.  

Before entering the University of New Hampshire’s Franklin Pierce School of Law, Ellis worked at Yale University, her undergraduate alma mater, as Director of the Dixwell-Yale University Community Learning Center. Ellis is a member of the Connecticut, New Haven County, Middlesex, and George W. Crawford Black Bar associations. She serves on Youth Continuum’s and Christian Community Action of New Haven’s boards of directors and is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha, Sorority, Incorporated, the Yale Alumni Schools Committee, and the Yale Club of New Haven.  

“My mother’s education at Gateway Community College set her on a path for growth and success,” Ellis said. “I joined the Gateway Foundation because I want to support its mission of helping students, providing educational opportunities and resources, and uplifting my wonderful community … for generations to come.”