Lisa Brener

Lisa Brener, 64, born September 26, 1954, passed away peacefully on January 7, 2019, in her home surrounded by her family and friends. Lisa was a native of New Orleans, a pioneer in the legal profession, and a talented writer. She was preceded in death by her mother, Isabel Feldstein. Lisa is survived by her two children, Chelsea Cusimano, Max Cusimano (Samantha) and grand-daughter, Rose Cusimano. She is also survived by her father, Milton Brener (Eileen); siblings, Matthew, Neil, and Ann Brener; and her beloved Labradors, Callie and Lily. Lisa had a fulfilling life filled with love from many family members and friends. As an attorney, Lisa had a passion for civil rights, discrimination, and harassment litigation and fought fervently for her clients. She was a hero to many. Lisa graduated from LSU law school Order of the Coif in 1983, and received an LLM from Tulane University in 2002. She clerked for United States District Judge Morey Sear, in the Eastern District of Louisiana. Lisa is the founding member of Brener & Kraus Lawfirm on Magazine Street. As a writer, Lisa finished her memoir, Beauty Laid Bare, in July, 2018, while gracefully battling brain cancer. In 2016, Lisa was one of ten writers in the country accepted into Iowa’s Prestigious Memoir Workshop on the basis of her manuscript. Lisa was also a member of several reading and writing groups in New Orleans. Lisa also had a love for art, theater, philosophy, and giving back to the community of New Orleans. Lisa was a member of Temple Sinai, was a Star Ambassador for Volunteers of America, and formerly served on the board of the Battered Women’s Shelter of New Orleans. These are just a few of her many accomplishments. Relatives and friends are invited to celebrate Lisa’s life on Friday, January 11, 2019, at Temple Sinai at 6227 St. Charles Avenue, New Orleans, LA. Visitation will be from 11:30 am until the hour of service at 1:00 pm. Rabbi Edward Cohn will officiate. A burial will follow at Hebrew Rest at 4100 Frenchmen Street, New Orleans, La. For those who wish donations may be made in her honor to the Kelsey Bradley Favrot Memorial Foundation, the brain tumor initiative at LSU, in Lisa Brener’s name. Please visit www.kelseysgoal.com.

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