Jumpstart 2022 Faculty Bios

Judge Ann Claire Williams (Ret.)
Jumpstart Founder
Of Counsel, Jones Day

Judge Ann Claire Williams (Ret.), a trailblazer and leader, heads Jones Day’s efforts in advancing the rule of law in Africa. Devoted to promoting the effective delivery of justice worldwide, particularly in Africa, she has partnered with judiciaries, attorneys, NGOs, and the U.S. Departments of Justice and State to lead training programs in Ghana, Indonesia, Kenya, Liberia, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda. She also has taught at the International Criminal Tribunals for Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia.

President Ronald Reagan nominated her in 1985 to the U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois, making her the first woman of color to serve on a district court in the three-state Seventh Circuit. In 1999, President William Clinton’s nomination made her the first and only judge of color to sit on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit and the third woman of color to serve on any federal circuit court. She brings her vast experience on the bench to serve as a resource for Jones Day’s leading trial and appellate practices.

Judge Williams has served on many judicial committees and, as treasurer and president of the Federal Judges Association, was the first person of color to become an officer. Committed to public interest work, she helped found Just The Beginning — A Pipeline Organization, the Black Women Lawyers’ Association of Chicago, Minority Legal Education Resources, and the Public Interest Fellowship Program for Equal Justice Works. She serves on the boards of the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund, Carnegie Corporation of New York, University of Notre Dame, National Institute for Trial Advocacy (NITA), Weinstein International Foundation, iCivics, Board of Counselors for Equal Justice Works, and Museum of Science & Industry Chicago and chairs the Advisory Board of the International Law Institute-South African Centre for Excellence. She is also chair of the American Bar Association’s Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary for 2021-2023.

Benjamin E. Alba
Director of Academic Success, DePaul University College of Law

Professor Ben Alba is the director of academic success at DePaul University College of Law, where he serves on the Faculty/Staff Committee on Diversity, Inclusion, and Community-building and as faculty advisor for the Asian Pacific-American Law Student Association (APALSA).  He previously taught Remedies and Legal Analysis, Research & Communication and served as Director of Bar Passage and Student Advising.  Before joining DePaul in 2002, he was a partner in the Chicago litigation firm of Sneckenberg, Thompson & Brody; areas of practice included insurance, personal injury, civil rights, and administrative review.

Emily Aleisa
Associate Professor of Legal Research and Writing, Assistant Director of the Martin H. Malin Institute for Law and the Workplace, Chicago-Kent College of Law

Emily Aleisa teaches Legal Research and Writing at Chicago-Kent College of Law. Before joining the faculty in fall 2017, she served as assistant counsel for the Illinois Bankers Association. In that capacity, she researched, negotiated, and drafted a wide variety of legislation impacting the financial services industry. She also provided legal guidance to bank compliance officers on federal and Illinois financial regulation laws, as well as served as the vice chairman of the Chicago Bar Association’s Financial Institutions Committee.

Before law school, Aleisa founded and ran her own copywriting firm, where she drafted and edited website content, press releases, email marketing campaigns, search engine optimization content, journal and magazine articles, technical documents, and works of fiction.

Aleisa graduated from Chicago-Kent in 2013. During law school, she worked as a teaching assistant for Legal Research and Writing and was a member of the Chicago-Kent Law Review and the trial advocacy team.

Amber M. Alexander
2L, Southern Illinois University School of Law

Amber Alexander is originally from the Southern Illinois region and attended an undergraduate program at the University of Illinois, Chicago. After graduating in 2014, she worked as a High-Risk Investigator and Court Specialist for Child Protection Services in Fort Collins, Colorado, and then in Seattle, Washington.

In 2022, she returned to Carbondale to study law at the Southern Illinois University School of Law. While Amber is open to learning about new branches of law, she currently plans to pursue a career in family law, child welfare, and juvenile justice.

Somehow, Amber also found the time to have her first baby in the middle of the spring semester.

She holds several positions at SIU Law, including Law School Ambassador, Taylor Mattis Fellow, Secretary/Treasurer for Parents as Law Students, and 2L Representative for Phi Delta Phi. She has received CALI awards for Legal Writing and Legal Research and will serve as a Teaching Assistant (TA) for her Legal Writing professor during the Fall 2023 semester.

Honorable Jorge L. Alonso
U.S. District Judge, Northern District of Illinois

The Honorable Jorge L. Alonso has served as a United States District Court Judge for the Northern District of Illinois since 2014. Judge Alonso was nominated to his position by President Barack Obama.  Judge Alonso previously served as an Associate Judge in the Circuit Court of Cook County where he presided over felony cases in the Criminal Division.  Before taking the bench, Judge Alonso worked as an assistant public defender in the Law Office of the Cook County Public Defender for over a decade.

Judge Alonso is very active in the Illinois legal community.  While on the Circuit Court, he served on the Illinois Supreme Court Special Committee on Capital Cases, and as Faculty for both the Illinois Judicial Conference and the New Judge Seminar.  Judge Alonso remains active in the Illinois Judges Association, the Chicago Inn of Court and the Lawyers Club of Chicago.  Judge Alonso also volunteers with a number of local nonprofits, including the Daniel Murphy Scholarship Fund, Cristo Rey Jesuit High School and the Lawyers’ Assistance Program.

Judge Alonso received his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Miami and his Juris Doctorate from George Washington University in Washington, D.C.  Judge Alonso has served on the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism since 2017.

Lana Ammari
Associate Director of Student Affairs, University of Chicago Law School

Lana Ammari currently serves as the Associate Director of Student Affairs at the University of Chicago Law School. In her role, Lana oversees a variety of aspects of the student experience at the Law School – such as Orientation and dual degree academic advising. Lana grew up in the suburbs of Chicago, and now lives in the heart of downtown. In her free time, Lana enjoys traveling, spending time with family/friends, and you can often find Lana enjoying the Lakeshore trail during all four seasons! Lana earned her BA and MS from Benedictine University in Lisle, IL.

Elsa Andrianifahanana
Partner, Jones Day

Elsa Andrianifahanana focuses on complex labor and employment issues, including employment discrimination, trade secrets, and restrictive covenants. She counsels clients on the labor and employment aspects of cross-border mergers and acquisitions and has represented clients through various phases of internal investigations, arbitrations, and litigation. She also provides guidance to clients on preventative measures, including reviewing wage and hour practices, drafting company policies, and negotiating agreements.

Prior to joining Jones Day, Elsa was a member of the corporate restructuring and bankruptcy group of another firm, where she represented distressed companies undergoing reorganizations and debt restructurings. Significant representations included Atlas Resource Partners in the first prepackaged restructuring of a publicly traded master limited partnership, a transaction that was recognized by Turnaround & Workouts magazine as one of the 12 most successful restructurings for 2016, and Key Safety Systems in connection with its $1.588 billion bid to acquire Takata Corporation. During the course of the Takata restructuring, Elsa spearheaded the liability management work stream and was instrumental in devising a robust risk management strategy for the client.

Elsa is the current president of the Black Women Lawyers’ Association of Greater Chicago, Inc. and host of the 2023 National Summit of Black Women Lawyers.

Mary Bird
Director of Public Service Programs, Loyola University Chicago School of Law

Mary Bird is the Director of Public Service Programs at Loyola University Chicago School of Law. She also coordinated and taught Loyola’s Street Law program for 30 years. Prof. Bird worked as an attorney in the child welfare arena for ten years, representing children, parents, and relative foster parents, as well as working at the Office of the Inspector General for DCFS.  Though it was some time ago, she recalls entering law school as a first-generation student, and the rather steep, yet surmountable, learning curve.

Alex Bolden
Associate, Jones Day

Alex Bolden represents investment funds and their investors in a wide variety of transactions. He has experience in a broad range of matters including portfolio investments, co-investments, secondary transactions, fund formation, and governance. He also represents private and emerging growth companies and investors in connection with venture capital and private investment transactions. He regularly counsels private companies and private equity firms and their portfolio companies on corporate governance, strategic relationships, and general corporate matters. He has spoken at various venture law organization events on topics including letters of intent, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) concerns, and diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Hans Brownstein
2L, University of Illinois Chicago School of Law

Hans Brownstein is a 2L at the University of Illinois Chicago School of Law. Since graduating college in 2012, he spent more than four years working as an EMT in Chicago. Later, he became a paralegal and worked for a Social Security Disability attorney until starting law school. Hans attended Jumpstart in 2022, then volunteered at and attended the Just The Beginning – A Pipeline Organization (JTB) conference in October. He will be completing a JTB Summer Judicial Internship Diversity Project with a U.S. bankruptcy judge in 2023. His love for hiking, camping, and other outdoor recreation has made him very interested in pursuing work in environmental law.

Kristina Coleman
Law Clerk for the Honorable Doris L. Pryor

Kristina Coleman is a term clerk for the Honorable Doris L. Pryor, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. She graduated from Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law in 2017 where she was the Faculty Prize Recipient, Articles Editor for the Indiana Law Review, and member of the Order of the Barristers. Kristina has clerked for Judge Pryor since November 2020. Prior to clerking, she worked for three years as an associate in Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP’s product liability and mass tort practice group. She is originally from Indianapolis, IN.

Honorable Jeffrey I. Cummings
U.S. Magistrate Judge, Northern District of Illinois

The Honorable Jeffrey I. Cummings was sworn in as a United States Magistrate Judge on February 1, 2019.  Between 1995 and 2019, Judge Cummings was a litigation partner at the law firm of Miner, Barnhill & Galland, where he had worked since 1989.  During his years at the firm, Judge Cummings represented a variety of clients – both plaintiffs and defendants – in a broad range of civil cases in state and federal trial and appellate courts.  He specialized in employment discrimination cases of all types, civil rights (including voting rights and police misconduct), and the representation of whistleblowers in cases arising under the federal and state false claims acts.  In addition, Judge Cummings served as a Hearing Officer for both the City of Chicago’s Commission on Human Relations and the City’s Police Board.

Judge Cummings received his J.D. from Northwestern University School of Law in 1987 and he graduated cum laude and Order of the Coif.  Between 1987 and 1989, Judge Cummings served as a law clerk for the Honorable Ann Claire Williams, who was then sitting as a United States District Court Judge for the Northern District of Illinois.

Grace Dodier
Clinical Professor of Law, Northwestern Pritzker School of Law

Ellen Douglas
Assistant Dean of Academic Success and Bar Preparation, Loyola University Chicago

Ellen Douglas has nearly 20 years of experience in academic success and bar preparation for law schools. Ellen joined the School of Law in fall 2018 as an adjunct professor teaching Bar Exam Fundamentals. Ellen is also a founding employee of Themis Bar Review; she has focused on developing the online course platform to utilize the best practices in online education to ensure that all learning styles are considered and that students are set up for success in law school and on the bar exam.

Prior to Themis, Ellen worked for BarBri Bar Review as the program manager for the Law School Prep Program and as the director of chapter operations for Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity, International.

James J. Dvorak
Supervising Staff Attorney, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois

James J. Dvorak is the Supervising Staff Attorney for the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. Prior to his present position, he served as a Staff Attorney and as an elbow clerk to the Honorable John W. Darrah of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. James has been with the U.S. District Court of the Northern District of Illinois for 23 years. He also served as a law clerk in the Fourth and First District Appellate Court of Illinois. James graduated magna cum laude from the Northern Illinois University College of Law in 1999. While at Northern, he served as Chief Justice of the NIU Moot Court Society and an editor of the law review.

Heidi L. Frostestad
Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Director of the Law Library, and Associate Professor of Law, Northern Illinois University College of Law

Heidi L. Frostestad joined the NIU College of Law in 2014 as an associate professor of law and director of the David C. Shapiro Memorial Law Library. Professor Frostestad’s primary research and teaching interests are in foreign, comparative, and international law, international business transactions, law and technology and basic and advanced legal research.

Prior to joining the NIU College of Law, Professor Frostestad was the associate director for Research and Reference Services and Foreign, Comparative and International Law Library at Northwestern University School of Law’s Pritzker Legal Research Center in Chicago. After graduate school and law school, she worked at the Marquette University Law School in Milwaukee as a law librarian and an adjunct professor. Professor Frostestad has also taught international legal research at the John Marshall Law School (Center for International Law). Professor Frostestad also worked as the Circuit Librarian and a Court Unit Executive at the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit from 2021-2022.

Honorable Sunil R. Harjani
U.S. Magistrate Judge, Northern District of Illinois

The Honorable Sunil R. Harjani was selected to serve as a United States Magistrate Judge on September 27, 2018 and took his oath of office on January 10, 2019. Prior to assuming the bench, from September 2008 through January 2019, he was an Assistant United States Attorney and Deputy Chief of the Securities and Commodities Fraud Section for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago, where he investigated and prosecuted complex white-collar crimes. During his time as a federal prosecutor, Judge Harjani tried numerous securities and commodities matters, and other complex fraud cases to verdict in this district, as well as argued multiple appeals on behalf of the United States before the Seventh Circuit. Prior to that, Judge Harjani practiced federal civil litigation as a Senior Counsel at the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission, as an associate at Jenner & Block, and as a federal judicial law clerk.

Judge Harjani holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Juris Doctor degree from Northwestern University. He is currently an Adjunct Professor at Northwestern Law School where he teaches White Collar Crime and Civil Discovery Courses. Judge Harjani is also a trained and certified mediator, and previously conducted settlement conferences for the Cook County courts. Judge Harjani is a fellow of Leadership Greater Chicago, a board member of the Federal Bar Association (Chicago Chapter), and active in leadership at the Northwestern Law School Alumni Board, the South Asian Bar Association, and other civic and bar organizations.

Erika Harold
Executive Director, Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism

Erika N. L. Harold is the Executive Director of the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism. A dedicated advocate for civility, empathy, and inclusion, Erika leads the Commission’s extensive educational programming focused on advancing professionalism among the state’s lawyers and judges to build trust and confidence in the justice system.

Prior to joining the Commission, Erika was an attorney in Champaign and Chicago.

Erika is a frequent speaker and panelist on topics including professionalism, civility, leadership, and diversity, equity, and inclusion, and was a featured panelist at Fortune Magazine’s “Most Powerful Women, Next Gen” conference.

Honorable LaShonda A. Hunt
U.S. District Judge, Northern District of Illinois

LaShonda A. Hunt was appointed a United States District Judge for the Northern District of Illinois on May 26, 2023. She previously served for six years as a United States Bankruptcy Judge. Prior to beginning her judicial service, Judge Hunt had a distinguished career in government service as General Counsel of the Illinois Department of Central Management Services, Chief Legal Counsel of the Illinois Department of Corrections, an Assistant United States Attorney, law clerk to the Honorable William J. Hibbler, United States District Court, Northern District of Illinois, and staff attorney for the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals. She also spent several years in private practice.

Judge Hunt is an active member of the Black Women Lawyers’ Association of Greater Chicago, Inc. She previously held leadership positions as President, Vice-President, and Board Member at Large. In addition, she served on the Board of Managers of the Chicago Bar Association and currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Chicago Bar Foundation. From 2020-2023, she was a member of the Federal Judicial Center Bankruptcy Judge Education Advisory Committee, by appointment of the Chief Justice.

Judge Hunt is a Leadership Greater Chicago Fellow, American Law Institute member, and Public Interest Law Initiative (PILI) Alumna.

Judge Hunt earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana and her law degree from the University of Michigan.

Jeanna Hunter
Director of Academic Success, Northern Illinois University College of Law

Jeanna Hunter is the Director of Academic Success at Northern Illinois University College of Law.  She supports 1L, 2L, and 3L students as they work toward their law degrees and toward passing the bar exam.  She teaches Legal Methods, Legal Writing I, Advanced Legal Analysis: Skills and Strategies, and the Bar Fundamentals Course. She also teaches a second-year Academic Success course and a first-year exam-writing seminar. Before joining the faculty at NIU, she was a law clerk for the Honorable Charles W. Chapman, Illinois Appellate Court, Fifth District.  She has also clerked for the Illinois Appellate Court, Second District.

Amanda Johnson
Associate, Jones Day

Amanda Johnson’s practice focuses on business restructuring and reorganization, including chapter 11 proceedings, complex bankruptcy litigation, and other bankruptcy-related matters. She also counsels distressed clients and has experience with out-of-court restructurings.

She currently represents Aldrich Pump and Murray Boiler, affiliates of Trane Technologies, in their chapter 11 cases before the Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of North Carolina. She is also representing LTL Management, a Johnson & Johnson affiliate, in its chapter 11 case before the Bankruptcy Court for the District of New Jersey.

Amanda is a lecturer in law of the “Resolving Mass Tort Liability” seminar at The University of Chicago Law School.

Amanda is a 2023 LCLD Pathfinder and is also a member of the Associate Board of the Chicago Committee on Minorities in Large Law Firms. In addition, Amanda was a member of Teach For America prior to law school, where she worked as a public school teacher in Atlanta, Georgia fortwo years.

Kari L. Johnson
Professor of Legal Research and Writing, Chicago-Kent College of Law

Professor Kari L. Johnson graduated with distinction from St. Olaf College in Minnesota, earning degrees in English and philosophy. She earned her J.D. from the University of Minnesota, where she served as articles editor for the University of Minnesota Law Review and taught legal research and writing. Following law school, Professor Johnson clerked for the Honorable Gary Crippen of the Minnesota Court of Appeals and then spent two years as a Bigelow Fellow at the University of Chicago Law School, where she taught legal research and writing and criminal sentencing policy. Professor Johnson’s research interests include legal writing, criminal law, feminist legal theory, and family law and domestic violence.

Marchello Johnson
Director of Financial Aid & Interim Dean of Admissions, University of Illinois Chicago School of Law

Marchello Johnson has worked at the University of Illinois at Chicago for 16 years in different capacities. He is the former Director of Financial Aid at UIC’s College of Medicine where he served as Member at Large for the Central Group on Student Affairs for the American Association Medical Colleges (AAMC) and as a member of the Anti-Racism task force, the LGBTQ+ climate and clinical practice task force, and the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion strategic planning group.

Marchello loves helping students build community through education. He has served as the Director of Financial Aid and Interim Assistant Dean for Admissions at UIC LAW, and most recently has accepted the role of Assistant Dean of Enrollment Management at the law school.

During his time at the UIC LAW, he has created several initiatives, including the Financial Aid and Debt Management series, that helps students understand the financial aid process, best student loans borrowing practices, and student loan repayment and partner programs with wellness groups to help students navigate the rigors of law school.

Marchello has also Co-Chaired the Chancellor’s Committee on the Status of Blacks, and for the last four years has Co-Chaired for the Chancellors Committee on the Status of LGBTQ+ persons. Marchello is also working on his doctorate in Educational Leadership and Administrative Policy at Chicago State University.

Joanne Kim
2L, DePaul University College of Law

Joanne Kim is a 2L at DePaul University College of Law. She grew up in the Chicagoland area and has lived numerous cities around the world including New York City, London, and Seoul. She has received post-graduate degrees from the Sotheby’s Institute of Art and the Royal College of Art in Painting. Outside of law school and art Joanne enjoys ballet and volunteering.

Adria Kimbrough
Student Recruiting Manager, NAACP Legal Defense Fund’s (LDF) Marshall-Motley Scholars Program

Adria Kimbrough serves as Student Recruiting Manager for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund’s (LDF) Marshall-Motley Scholars Program. Named in honor of civil rights legends Thurgood Marshall — LDF’s founder and the nation’s first Black Supreme Court Justice — and Constance Baker Motley, former LDF attorney and the first Black woman to become a federal judge, the Marshall-Motley Scholars Program (MMSP) is an innovative educational and training opportunity that will produce the next generation of civil rights attorneys to serve Black communities in the South.

In this critical role, Ms. Kimbrough leads strategic outreach, marketing, and recruitment efforts for the MMSP designed to identify and attract students that align with the mission and goals of the program. A former litigator and higher education administrator, Ms. Kimbrough most recently served as Pre-Law Advisor, Director of the LEAD Program, and Mock Trial Team Coach at Dillard University.  She previously served as Assistant Dean of Students at Cornell University, University Attorney at Albany State University, Associate General Counsel for the University of Arkansas System, and as Associate and Of Counsel for two labor and employment boutique firms. Ms. Kimbrough received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Talladega College and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Cincinnati College of Law.

Sandra Kupelian
Director of Legal Writing & Analysis and the Lawyering Skills Program Coordinator, Northern Illinois University College of Law

Sandra Kupelian is the Interim Director of Legal Writing & Analysis and the Lawyering Skills Program Coordinator at Northern Illinois University College of Law. She teaches Introduction to Lawyering Skills, Legal Writing & Advocacy I and II, and in the Academic Success Program. She also serves as Moot Court Faculty Advisor and directs the production of the Lenny B. Mandell Moot Court Competition for 2Ls, now in its forty-first year. Prior to joining the NIU law faculty in 2016, Ms. Kupelian was on the faculty of DePaul University College of Law where she taught legal analysis, research, and communication.

Before joining academia, Ms. Kupelian practiced complex commercial litigation for the Gloor Law Group for seven years after the firm spun off from Cassiday, Schade & Gloor, LLP, where she previously practiced as a partner working on trial, appellate and insurance coverage matters. Before she joined private practice, Ms. Kupelian was an appellate law clerk, first for Justice Marvin D. Dunn and then for Justice James F. Quetsch of the Illinois Appellate Court, Second District. She is a member of the bar of the United States Supreme Court, the Supreme Court of Illinois, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, and the United States District Court, Northern District of Illinois, Central District of Illinois, and Western District of Michigan. Ms. Kupelian is a graduate cum laude of the University of Illinois College of Law at Urbana-Champaign.

Emily LaFlamme
2L, Loyola University Chicago School of Law

Emily LaFlamme (she/her) is a 2L at Loyola University Chicago School of Law. She graduated from Howard University with a degree in Political Science and Afro-American Studies. Before beginning law school, Emily worked at a residential reentry nonprofit for formerly incarcerated women. She is interested in pursuing child law and is currently serving as the President of Stand Up For Each Other (SUFEO), an education law clinic run by law students under the supervision of an attorney. She spends her free time FaceTiming with her 7-month old nephew, Asa, playing with her gray tabby cat, Luna, and exploring Chicago with her brother/roommate, Avery.

Susan Landrum
Dean of Students and Assistant Dean of Academic Administration, University of Illinois College of Law

Susan Landrum is Dean of Students and Assistant Dean of Academic Administration at the University of Illinois College of Law. Previously, she served as Assistant Dean for Academic Success and Professionalism and Interim Associate Dean of Students at NSU Shepard Broad College of Law and Assistant Dean for Academic Achievement at St. John’s University School of Law. Before law school, Susan was a history professor and held a faculty fellowship at NASA’s Johnson Space Center. Her current research interests include online and hybrid learning and pedagogy, accessibility and support for law students with disabilities, and the NextGen Bar Exam. She has published several law review articles and book chapters on these and other topicsand provides training to law schools, law firms, and businesses on increasing accessibility for persons with disabilities. Susan is currently President-Elect of the Association of American Law Schools Section on Academic Support and Executive Editor of The Learning Curve.

Julio C. Lara, Jr.
2L, University of Illinois College of Law

Julio C. Lara graduated from Lewis University with a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations, where he developed a deep understanding of global affairs and the complexities of international relations. Driven by a desire to serve, Julio commissioned as an Army Officer after college where he honed his leadership abilities. He has served in the US Army for six years undertaking assignments in various locations around the world, including deployments to Afghanistan and Rwanda.

Julio is currently pursuing his Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree as a 2L student at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign College of Law. His legal education provides him with a comprehensive understanding of the law and its implications within a global context. Julio’s passion for justice, coupled with his strong analytical skills and dedication to service, positions him to make a positive impact in the legal field.

Douglas Lind
Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Student Compliance, Director of the Law Library and Professor of Law, Southern Illinois University School of Law

Professor Douglas Lind joined the faculty in 2007. He received a B.A. from Purdue University, a J.D. from Valparaiso University, and an M.I.L.S. from The University of Michigan. Prior to coming to SIU, Professor Lind was the Head of Collections at Georgetown Law Library where he also taught Advanced Legal Research and Seminar Research Methods. His scholarship focuses on transmission history of 19^th century printed materials. He is a two-time recipient of the Joseph L. Andrews Bibliographic Award, a national award which recognizes a significant contribution to legal biographical literature.

Tania Luma
Assistant Dean, Inclusion, Diversity & Equity, Loyola Chicago School of Law

Tania Luma is the Assistant Dean for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at Loyola Law School. Dean Luma works to promote a culture that values and supports DEI through work in five main areas: institutional strategic planning, diversity programming and training, current student support, recruitment, and community partnerships. She practiced child and family law for 7 years prior to her career in higher education. In addition to practicing law, Assistant Dean Luma has taught at the undergraduate and graduate level and consulted with organizations on leadership and how to create high-performing employee cultures. She is Harvard University-trained in adaptive leadership and public leadership.

Esther Lwakabamba
Associate Director of Academic Advising, DePaul University College of Law

Esther Lwakabamba is the Associate Director of Academic Advising at DePaul University College of Law. She received her Juris Doctorate from Drake University Law School and her Bachelor of Arts from William Penn University in Iowa. Esther advises students at DePaul University College of Law on course planning and degree progress. She is passionate about helping students reach their full potential and achieve their academic and professional goals.

Omni McCollum
2L, Northern Illinois University College of Law

Omni McCollum is a 2L at Northern Illinois University College of Law. Omni is from Kankakee, Illinois, and attended Northern Illinois University for undergrad. Omni currently serves as the President of the NIU Chapter of the Black Law Students Association as well as the Director of Membership for the Midwest Region of the National Black Law Students Association. Omni is the Vice President of Parents & Caregivers Attending Law School, a Student Ambassador for NIU College of Law, and she is a Graduate Assistant for the Department of Student Conduct at Northern Illinois University. Omni has a real estate background and is interested in practicing real estate and contract law. This summer she has served as an intern with the Chicago Housing Authority.

Erin McGinley
Of Counsel, Jones Day

Erin McGinley has in-depth knowledge of a variety of legal systems throughout the world, which she gained through her extensive experience teaching training programs to international lawyers and judges. She has been a leader and faculty member for multiple programs for judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys, NGO attorneys, and law clerks in Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria, Tanzania, and Indonesia. Erin has conducted courses on advocacy skills, ethics, pleas, case management, court administration, wildlife crime, human trafficking, gender-based violence, and teacher training in partnership with Lawyers Without Borders, the U.S. Departments of Justice and State, and the National Institute of Trial Advocacy (NITA).

Erin is extremely familiar with appellate litigation, having spent over a decade as the Senior Law Clerk to Judge Ann Claire Williams of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. In that capacity, she encountered cases spanning all facets of federal court practice. Before clerking, Erin practiced in the litigation and labor and employment sections at a large law firm. Prior to attending law school, she worked with public defenders representing indigent clients and gained management experience as the assistant director of a center that serves free meals to 200 to 300 guests six days a week, where she started a legal clinic.

Erin is a member of the NITA Advisory Council. She has been an adjunct professor at Loyola University Chicago School of Law, taught in Emory’s trial skills program, and given presentations through the U.S. Department of State to justices from African nations.

Juan Morado Jr.
Partner, Benesch Friedlander Coplan & Aronoff LLP

Juan Morado Jr. is a seasoned health care regulatory and transaction attorney and has extensive experience working with state and federal agencies, and providing strategic counsel to private and public corporations, organizations, and individuals. He is a trusted advisor to hospitals, health systems, physician groups and business owners, helping them achieve their business goals while navigating complex regulatory requirements to implement industry best practices. Juan is one of the leading Certificate of Need (CON) attorneys in Illinois, and provides guidance to General Counsels on all aspects of their business needs.

Before joining Benesch in 2017, Juan served as General Counsel to the Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board, and he began his career in public service with the office of Chicago’s Corporation Counsel and later became Deputy Chief of Staff and Assistant GC in then-Gov. Pat Quinn’s office.

Juan serves as a mayoral appointee on MPEA Board, and previously served as Commissioner on the Illinois Medical District Commission. Juan is a Past President of the Hispanic Lawyer Association of Illinois, and also serves on the Board of the Chicago Bar Association, the Public Interest Law Initiative, La Casa Norte, and is the Chair of the Latino Leadership Council.

Mary Nagel
Assistant Professor of Legal Writing, Chicago-Kent College of Law

Mary Nagel is an Assistant Professor of Legal Writing at the Chicago-Kent College of Law. She also teaches Civil Procedure, Illinois Civil Procedure, and Federal Courts. She has lectured throughout the United States on such topics as legal writing in doctrinal classes, academic achievement in lawyering skills, initial introductions to working with the bar, alternative methods of lawyering skills teaching, and moot court teams/competitions. Additionally, she has had the pleasure of teaching American legal research and writing in Beijing, China and Brno, Czech Republic. Prior to full-time teaching, Professor Nagel was an attorney in the private sector and the public sector, serving as the Chief Legal Counsel for the Illinois Department of Labor and, before that position, as an Assistant Attorney General for the State of Illinois.

Honorable Martha M. Pacold
U.S. District Judge, Northern District of Illinois

The Honorable Martha M. Pacold serves as a U.S. District Judge for the Northern District of Illinois.  She previously served as Deputy General Counsel of the U.S. Department of the Treasury and, before that, Executive Secretary at the agency.  Before that, she was an associate and then a partner in the Chicago office of Bartlit Beck Herman Palenchar & Scott, LLP.  She also was a Lecturer in Law at the University of Chicago Law School.

Earlier in her career, she served as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia and as a Counsel to the Attorney General at the U.S. Department of Justice.  She served as a law clerk to Justice Clarence Thomas of the Supreme Court of the United States, to Judge Jay S. Bybee of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, and to Judge A. Raymond Randolph of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

Judge Pacold earned her B.A. from Indiana University and her J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School.

Honorable Rebecca R. Pallmeyer
Chief Judge, Northern District of Illinois

The Honorable Rebecca R. Pallmeyer was sworn in as Chief Judge for the Northern District of Illinois on July 1, 2019. She has served as a U.S. District Judge since 1998. From October 1, 1991, until 1998, Chief Judge Pallmeyer served as a U.S. Magistrate Judge. She previously served as an Administrative Law Judge with the Illinois Human Rights Commission from 1985 until 1991.

Christian Price
Associate, Jones Day

Christian Price advises domestic and international clients on complex commercial real estate transactions. His practice focuses on real estate finance and the acquisition, disposition, leasing, and management of real estate assets across the hospitality, industrial, mixed-use, multifamily, office, and retail sectors.

Samantha Reed
Law Clerk for the Honorable Beth W. Jantz

Samantha Reed is a career law clerk for the Honorable Beth W. Jantz, Magistrate Judge for the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. She graduated from Berkeley Law in 2015,where she participated in the Berkeley Journal of Criminal Law, EBCLC Policy Advocacy Clinic, Death Penalty Clinic, moot court, and was a co-leader of the First Generation Professionals group. She previously was a staff law clerk for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, worked briefly as a litigation associate in big law, and spent over 5 years litigating prisoner civil rights cases prior to joining Judge Jantz’s chambers. She is originally from a small town in central Illinois.

Kim Ricardo
Interm Associate Dean for Community Legal Clinics and Experiential Education; Professor of Law; Director, Lawyering Skills Program, Northwestern Pritzker School of Law

Kim D. Ricardo (née Chanbonpin) joined the John Marshall faculty in 2008. Professor Ricardo teaches Lawyering Skills, Criminal Law, Torts, Gender Race and Class, and National Security Law. She has also taught Introduction to the U.S. Legal System to LLM students in China’s State Intellectual Property Office and at Masaryk University Faculty of Law in the Czech Republic. In 2014, she was a Visiting Professor at Seattle University School of Law.

Her scholarly writing considers redress and reparations law, policy, and social movements in the United States. Her work has appeared in the U.C. Irvine Law Review, the Northwestern Journal of Law & Social Policy, and the Mercer Law Review, among other publications.

Professor Ricardo is a member of the State Bar of California, and has been involved in several pro bono publico cases litigating a variety of legal issues, including post-conviction relief, Violence Against Women Act self-petitions, and police brutality claims. She sits on the Illinois State Bar Association’s Criminal Justice Section Council. Professor Ricardo is currently serving as Immediate-Past President of the Legal Writing Institute. She also proudly serves on the Board of Governors for the Society of American Law Teachers and on the board of the Chicago Dancemakers Forum

Keatrice Robertson
2L, Northwestern Pritzker School of Law

Keatrice Robertson is a JD/MBA at Northwestern Pritzker School of Law Class of 2025. She is from Queens, NY and attended Hampton University for undergrad. Prior to law school, Keatrice worked in retail management and real estate. Keatrice is also an SEO Law Fellow and interned at Morrison & Foerster NYC the summer before law school. As first year law student she participated in the Black Law School Association, Women’s Leadership Coalition and is A DEI Fellow for HBCU Outreach, connecting HBCU students with Northwestern Law.

Diona E. Rogers
Associate, Thompson Coburn LLP 

Diona E. Rogers currently works at Thompson Coburn LLP in Chicago. Diona assists in the documentation and closing of syndicated and single-lender secured and unsecured credit facilities. Prior to joining Thompson Coburn, Diona served as a compliance associate in a Chicago trading firm and worked as a corporate attorney. Diona holds both a J.D. and an MBA, enabling her to apply a strong business-minded perspective to legal matters.

She is president of the Minority Legal Educational Resources, Inc. (“MLER”).

Marsha Ross-Jackson
Assistant Dean, Chicago-Kent College of Law
Executive Director, Institute for Law and the Workplace
University Ombudsperson, Illinois Institute for Technology

Marsha Ross-Jackson has served as an HR/legal business partner and adviser to senior leaders, boards of directors and operational leaders in the areas of labor and employee relations, leadership and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion  Belonging. She currently designs and facilitates workplace training in these areas as well.  Marsha has a B.A. in Biology from Hampton University, a MPA from Roosevelt University and a J.D. from DePaul University College of Law. She is currently a senior lecturer and associate dean for the Office of DEI at the Chicago-Kent College of Law. Marsha is also the executive director of its Institute for Law and the Workplace and works as an arbitrator in labor and employment law matters.

Julia Roundtree Livingston
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Manager, Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism

Julia Roundtree Livingston is the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Manager at the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism where she leads the Commission’s education and advocacy initiatives aimed at promoting DEI in Illinois’ legal and justice systems. She joined the Commission in 2023.

Prior to joining the Commission, Julia was Executive Director of Macon County Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), which provides court-appointed volunteers to advocate for abused, neglected, and/or dependent children who are involved in the Macon County juvenile court system. She was appointed to this role in 2018 after serving as CASA’s Director of Development.

At CASA, Julia led a sustainable nonprofit organization with multiple streams of funding while educating the community on the need for CASA’s services. This included working with local lawyers and judges to organize trainings for CASA volunteers, regularly communicating with legal and judicial professionals about CASA’s capabilities, and presentations to the Decatur Bar Association on CASA’s work.

Julia is also a member of the Diversity & Education Leadership Team at the Maroa-Forsyth School District and founder of Discourse on Racial Difference: A Macon County Book Club, which has 600 members statewide.

Karen Alicia Shaw
Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives and Accreditation, Adjunct Professor of Legal Writing, Loyola University Chicago College of Law

Dr. Karen Alicia Shaw oversees and facilitates a broad range of projects regarding the law school’s academic and administrative goals, initiatives, and policies, as well as aspects of the school’s graduate law programs. She also manages all law school accreditation matters regarding the American Bar Association and other external bodies. In addition, Dr. Shaw teaches health law focused legal writing courses, an interdisciplinary seminar on health literacy and health equity, and a socio-legal research and writing course on rule of law and international development.

Dr. Shaw has over 20 years of experience in educational leadership, teaching, and academic program administration. Prior to Loyola, she briefly worked in various health law and other legal practice settings before transitioning her career to academia teaching courses in health insurance policy, medical law and ethics, and English at the vocational training and business college levels where she had the privilege of instructing and mentoring many first-generation and nontraditional students. During this time, she also served as a program dean at a career college where she developed health care curricula and implemented the college’s academic assessment initiatives.

Dr. Shaw holds a Doctor of Juridical Science degree in Health Law and Policy from Loyola; a Master of Laws degree in Health Law from Loyola; a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Pittsburgh; and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication Studies with minors in Professional Writing and Business Administration from DePaul University.

Janna Shell
Law Clerk for the Honorable Jeffrey I. Cummings

Janna Shell is a career law clerk for the Honorable Jeffrey I. Cummings, Magistrate Judge for the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, a position she has held since 2019. She previously served as a law clerk to Retired Magistrate Judge Michael T. Mason in the Northern District of Illinois and as a clerk to Judge Mary Anne Mason in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Chancery Division. Janna graduated magna cum laude from Loyola University of Chicago School of Law in 2008, where she served as a legal writing tutor, a judicial extern, and a senior editor of the Consumer Law Review.

Sheila Simon
Assistant Professor of Law, Southern Illinois University School of Law

Sheila Simon rejoined the SIU School of Law faculty after serving as Lieutenant Governor of Illinois from 2011 to 2015. Since returning to the school she has taught Property, Torts, Legal Writing, Advanced Real Estate Transactions, Children and the Law, Government Ethics, and a seminar on Crime Victims and Witnesses. As Lieutenant Governor she worked on many issues including education policy and secure funding for rape crisis centers.

In addition to her experience in state government and local government, Sheila has been a long-time teacher at the School of Law, and was the first staff attorney for the Domestic Violence Clinic. Before joining the faculty, she was an assistant state’s attorney for four years, with two of those years spent prosecuting domestic batterers. Her civil law experience includes five years as a staff attorney at Land of Lincoln Legal Assistance, and three years in private practice. Simon is one of the authors of Legal Writing, now in its third edition.

Martin Sinclair
Chair, Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism
Partner, Sperling & Slater

Martin Sinclair is a partner at Sperling & Slater, LLC in Chicago. Previously, he practiced at Benesch Friedlander Coplan & Aronoff LLP and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, where he gained extensive experience representing public and private companies and individuals in all phases of litigation at both the trial and appellate levels.

Mr. Sinclair is devoted to pro bono work in his practice. He has represented individuals and organizations alike as well as worked extensively on judicial policy matters in Illinois.

Mr. Sinclair received his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Illinois and a J.D. from Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law. Upon graduation, Mr. Sinclair served as a law clerk for the Hon. William J. Bauer of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.

He is president of the Northern District of Illinois Court Historical Association and a member of the Law School Fund Board for Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law. He is a former director of Landmarks Illinois and taught appellate advocacy at Loyola University Chicago School of Law. Mr. Sinclair is a member of the American Bar Association, the Federal Bar Association, the Seventh Circuit Bar Association, the Illinois State Bar Association, and the Chicago Bar Association.

Mr. Sinclair has served on the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism since 2015. He was appointed Commission Chair in 2019.

Antonette Smith
Executive Director, Just The Beginning

Antonette N. Smith was appointed Executive Director of Just The Beginning – A Pipeline Organization in September 2017. Previously, she served as the Associate Director of Educational Programs for the American Bar Association Section of Real Property Trust & Estate Law. She has also served as a diversity and inclusion consultant to incoming law students at New York Law School.

Susan Spies Roth
Associate Dean and Dean of Students and a Clinical Assistant Professor of Law, Northwestern Pritzker School of Law

Susan Spies Roth is the Associate Dean and Dean of Students and a Clinical Assistant Professor of Law at Northwestern Pritzker School of Law. Susie joined the Law School in September of 2009 as the Director of Academic and Professional Excellence (APEx), and then became the Assistant Dean of Student Services in the fall of 2013. Susie is passionate about providing meaningful, individualized support to students and fostering a culture of inclusion, maturity, professionalism, camaraderie, and happiness at Northwestern Law. Susie earned her B.A. from Northwestern University and her J.D. magna cum laude from Northwestern Pritzker School of Law. She is a member of the Order of the Coif and, while in law school, served as Membership Editor of the Northwestern University Law Review. Before returning to Northwestern Law, Susie clerked for the Honorable Kenneth F. Ripple on the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals and worked in Sidley Austin LLP’s General Litigation group.

Jennifer Spreng
Assistant Professor of Law, Southern Illinois University School of Law

Jennifer Spreng joined the faculty of Southern Illinois School of Law in 2022.  She has designed and taught numerous innovative doctrinal, writing, simulation, academic support, bar preparation, and integrated courses, often in experimental formats and notable for their authentic anchoring scenarios and extensive formative assessment.  Spreng regularly publishes and lectures both here and abroad about authentic learning, integrated course design, legal writing, and other law teaching and curriculum issues.

Professor Spreng was previously Associate Professor of Law and taught Bankruptcy, Civil Procedure, and Constitutional Law for nine years at Arizona Summit Law School, where she led cutting-edge curriculum development efforts, designed and delivered integrated courses, and regularly created innovative classroom activities and teaching materials, such as The Great Civil Procedure Shootout.  She also designed and taught first-year and upper-class writing courses as one of the original faculty of the Law Success program at Saint Mary’s University in San Antonio, Texas for more than five years.

Professor Spreng earned her Bachelor of Arts with honors in American history from Washington and Lee University (magna cum laude) in 1990; her J.D. from Saint Louis University (magna cum laude) in 1995, where she was Lead Articles Editor of Saint Louis University Law Journal, which published her comment, Failing Honorably:  Balancing Tests, Justice O’Connor, and the Free Exercise of Religion; and her LL.M in Biotechnology and Genomics from Arizona State University Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law in 2014.

Professor Spreng is the author of the book, Abortion and Divorce Law in Ireland, and her articles about school desegregation in Prince Edward County, Virginia, and possible Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals reorganization are leaders in their fields.  She won Arizona Summit’s 2013-14 Faculty Scholarship Award, and along with law teaching, her current scholarly interests include religious and other individual liberties, and food, drug, and pharmacy law.

Professor Spreng is a former clerk to Judges Andrew J. Kleinfeld of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and F. A. Little Jr. of the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana.  She practiced bankruptcy and civil litigation in Owensboro, Kentucky for nine years, and before law school, she served as a United States Congressional staff member providing research support for a welfare reform project that formed the foundation for the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act of 1996.

Justice Rena Marie Van Tine
First District Appellate Court

Justice Rena Marie Van Tine sits on the Illinois First District Appellate Court. She decides appeals on issues that are raised from various trial court proceedings. She was previously the Presiding Judge of the County Division in the Circuit Court of Cook County. In this capacity, she supervised the judges assigned therein. She was previously assigned to the Law Division, Jury Trial assignment call at the Daley Center. She was also assigned to Juvenile and Traffic Court.

Justice Van Tine has been on the bench for over 22 years. When Justice Van Tine first became an Associate Judge in 2001, she became the first female Indian American Judge in the United States. She was also the first female Indian American Judge to serve in the Law Division; the first female Indian American Judge to be appointed to a County-wide vacancy on the Circuit Court; the first female Indian American Judge to win a county-wide election; and the first female Indian American Justice to serve on an Appellate Court in Illinois.

Justice Van Tine is the President of the Asian American Judges Association of Illinois and a past President of the Asian American Bar Association. She has previously served on the boards of the Illinois Judges Association and the Women’s Bar Association of Illinois. She has also served on the board of the South Asian Bar Association, which she co-founded. She is a board member of the Chinese Mutual Aid Association, a non-profit organization that assists immigrants and refugees.

Dr. Ana Vázquez-Rivera, PhD.
Director of Diversity, Inclusion & Student Life, Loyola University Chicago School of Law

Dr. Ana Vázquez-Rivera has over 20 years of professional experience in the field of education, specializing in diversity initiatives, student affairs, and teaching. In her current role, she is responsible for diversity, wellness and student leadership programming. Dr. Vázquez-Rivera holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees, as well as a Ph.D. from Loyola University-Chicago. Her dissertation documented the college experiences of Latinx students at predominantly White higher education institutions. Dr. Vázquez-Rivera has committed much of her research and education advocacy to fostering positive educational experiences for students, particularly diverse students and helping them achieve their educational goals.

Stephanie Villinski
Deputy Director, Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism

Stephanie is the Deputy Director of the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism. She helps to execute operations and programs within the Commission by leveraging technology and project management processes.

As Deputy Director, Stephanie is responsible for streamlining the day-to-day activities of the Commission such as IT, workflows, and data analysis. In addition to these operations, Stephanie also supports the Commission’s mentoring, education, and law school programs. With a particular interest in health and wellness, Stephanie seeks to promote a healthier, more rewarding professional life for lawyers and by extension, better service to their clients.

Stephanie graduated summa cum laude from Saint Mary’s College and with Order of Coif distinction from DePaul University College of Law. Subsequently, she dedicated her career to social justice and public interest law. Most recently, she was the Content Director at Illinois Legal Aid Online (ILAO) and was charged with publishing high-quality, user-centered content. She managed ILAO’s recent 2-year content transformation from five websites to one.

Stephanie is the Chair of the American Bar Association’s (ABA) Standing Committee on Professionalism and a member of the ABA’s Cornerstones of Democracy Commission, the Illinois State Bar Association, the Chicago Bar Association, the Women’s Bar Association of Illinois, the ABA Commission on Lawyer Assistance Programs’ (CoLAP) Law School Outreach Committee, and an advisory committee member of Catholic Charities Legal Assistance.

Tomale Williams
2L, Chicago-Kent College of Law

Tomale “Mel” Williams is a 2L at Chicago-Kent. A native of Chicago, he attended Tennessee State University and received his Bachelor’s degree in communications. Mel has four years of policy and legal experience working at two law firms in Chicago before law school. He is currently a judicial extern at the Illinois Appellate Court under Justice Cynthia Cobbs. Mel is also theExecutive President of the Black Law Student Association and the Student Editor of the Chicago-Kent Workplace Law Journal. Mel enjoys poetry, creative writing, and world travel as hobbies in his free time.

Samantha Woo
Interim Associate Dean of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Northwestern Pritzker School of Law

Samantha Woo is the Interim Associate Dean of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at the Northwestern Pritzker School of Law. In that role, Samantha advises individual students and student affinity organizations, develops programs and trainings aimed at promoting an inclusive environment and fostering a sense of belonging, implements initiatives focused on strengthening the pipeline to the legal profession for individuals with identities that are historically underrepresented in the field of law, and supports other Northwestern Law departments and external partners in connection with strategic initiatives related to diversity, inclusion, and community building.

Prior to joining Northwestern Law in 2023, Samantha worked over a decade as an associate, then partner, at Jones Day in the Firm’s labor and employment practice group. During that time, Samantha represented employers in litigation matters, including collective and class action wage and hour cases and discrimination disputes, as well as labor-management relations issues, including collective bargaining and unfair labor practice cases. She also conducted internal investigations, guided clients through reductions-in-force, and counseled clients in connection with labor and employment issues that arose in mergers and acquisitions and other business transactions. Samantha earned the distinction as a “Rising Star” from Illinois Super Lawyers from 2016 to 2022 and The Legal 500 United States from 2019 to 2021. She also was included on the list of “Ones to Watch” by The Best Lawyers in America in 2021.

Samantha is active in both the legal and DEI communities. She has served on the Board of Directors of the National Employment Law Council since 2020 and co-chaired its Academy since 2018. She is also a former member of the Board of Directors of the Asian American Bar Association of Greater Chicago, as well as former chair of the Associate Board of the Chicago Committee on Minorities in Large Law Firms. Since 2018, Samantha has served on the Advisory Board of the Northwestern Pritzker School of Law’s Bluhm Legal Clinic.

Sy Yaw
Associate, Jones Day

Sy Yaw represents investment funds and institutional investors in a wide variety of transactions. She focuses her practice on the formation, structuring, and management of investment funds, including venture capital and private equity. Sy also represents institutional investors in connection with primary and secondary investments, co-investments, and separately managed accounts