Ceremony held for official naming of Joanne Seminara School of Law & Medicine 

Seminara served on Community Board 10 for 26 years and was its chairperson from 2010 to 2013

Honoring a south Brooklyn trailblazer in a big way.

P.S. 413, 280 Senator St., was officially named The Joanne Seminara School of Law & Medicine during a ribbon-cutting ceremony outside the school June 2.

Seminara was a lifelong Bay Ridge resident who served on Community Board 10 for 26 years and was its chairperson from 2010 to 2013.

She was also an elected State Democratic Committee member, a three-time City Council candidate, a partner in the Grimaldi Yeung Law Group, a founding member of the Bay Ridge Democrats and co-author, with Judith Grimaldi and Pierre Lehu, of “5@55 – 5 Essential Legal Documents You Need by Age 55.”

She died Dec. 15, 2022, at age 66 and was survived by her husband, Pierre A. Lehu; children Peter Lehu and Gabrielle Lehu Frawley; and grandchildren Jude, Rhys, Isabelle and James Joseph.

Her mother, Anita Seminara, was a math teacher at McKinley J.H.S. for many years. 

The school for grades kindergarten through fifth grade opened in District 20 last fall and focuses on law and medicine. 

The announcement to name the school after her came in April 2024.

“Ms. Seminara was the kind of dedicated leader whose contributions to her community and our schools have left a lasting impact,” a Dept. of Education spokesperson said following the announcement. “It is an honor to help cement her legacy by naming the new P.S. 413 in her honor.”

The ceremony was attended by State Senator Andrew Gounardes. Councilmember Justin Brannan, Community Board 10 members, NYC School Construction Authority, family, friends, students, teachers and school personnel.

“Naming the school after Joanne Seminara is both an honor and a promise — an honor to recognize her lifelong dedication to justice, education, and community service, and a promise to carry forward her legacy,” Principal Saher Said told this paper. “Her values of integrity, compassion, and civic responsibility will now be instilled in generations to come, shaping young minds in the very spirit she championed.”

“Joanne was a Bay Ridge treasure: a steadfast leader and compassionate friend who served her community every day,” said Gounardes. “She was a tireless advocate for all of us in southern Brooklyn, an accomplished attorney, and a mentor to so many, including me. This community is a better place because of Joanne’s efforts, and renaming this school is a fitting way to carry on her legacy of education, collaboration and care.”

Her honors included the 2017 Bay Ridge Third Avenue Merchants Civic Award; 2016 Community Service and Law Award from the Brooklyn Real Estate Board; 2014 New York City Council Women’s Community Service Award; and 2012 Top Women in Business and 2016 Power Women in Business awards from the Home Reporter and Spectator News. 

“She understood the importance of planting seeds for trees whose shade you may never enjoy and encouraged young leaders to follow their hearts,” said Brannan. “Her compass unfailingly led her toward equity, fairness, and integrity. She was simply a good person who lived to leave our community and our world a little bit better than how she found it. Joanne had no problem standing alone if it meant standing up for what she knew was right. I am so proud we were able to dedicate this school in Joanne’s honor to carry on her legacy for generations to come.”