About Us

Board of Directors


Kehinde Durowade

ElevateNext Law


Tori Bobryk

King and Spaulding


Daniel Raymer

Proskauer Rose LLP


Courtney Cohen

Cook County State's Attorney's Office


Tanya Hampton

Seyfarth Shaw LLP


Our Staff

Laura  Hoover

Executive Director & Supervising Attorney

Jennifer Vazquez

Associate Director


Brigitte Kocheny, J.D.

Supervising Staff Attorney: A2J & Afghan Program

Asylum, Minors & Removal Defense

Elizabeth Evans

 HR Associate


Valerie Garcia

Receptionist


Acacia Program

Children's Legal Center staff provide free legal and social services to Unaccompanied Minors both detained in and released from ORR custody. We assist detained Unaccompanied Minors in Long Term Foster Care (LTFC) & Short Term Foster Care (STFC) facilities throughout Illinois & Indiana.

Sarah Phelps

Program Manager

STFC, LTFC & Released Representation

Julisa Langer

 Staff Attorney

Detained Representation (STFC)

Maya Caminada

Student Attorney

Released Representation

Beatriz Forchinetti

Staff Attorney

Released Representation

Susana Montano Palacios

Student Attorney

Released Representation

Sadiyah Ahmad

Staff  Attorney

Released Representation

Jaime Alberto Ortiz Zavala

Paralegal

Released Representation

Daniela Salazar Saavedra

Student  Attorney

Released Representation

Michell Estevez

Student Attorney

Released Representation

Laura Pérez

 Senior Paralegal

Released Representation

Rodolfo René

Paralegal

Detained Representation (STFC)

Lina Pérez

Senior Social Worker

Released Representation

Omar Mejia

Social Worker

Released Representation

Alejandro Bello

Law Clerk

Released Representation

Natallie Santana

Supervising Attorney


Fernando Granda

Social Services Clerk

Released Representation

Haley Ziemianin

Program Manager

STFC, LTFC & Released Representation

Chasidy Clark

Staff Attorney

Released Representation

Palwasha Sanie

Law Clerk

Released Representation

Keaton Elliott

Staff Attorney

Detained Representation (STFC) & Released Representation

Jelanie Vasquez

Staff Attorney

Released Representation

Aura Cardona Vargas

Law Clerk

Released Representation

A2J Program 

Children's Legal Center staff provide free legal and social services to children and their families including Afghan Nationals and Unaccompanied Minors released from ORR custody through the Access to Justice (A2J) grant.

Karina Serna

Senior Law Clerk

Asylum, Minors & Removal Defense

Tapiwa Lapidos

Law Clerk



Joshua Filani

Staff Attorney

VCVA Program

Children's Legal Center staff provide free legal and social services to victims of crimes through the Violent Crime Victim Assistance (VCVA) grant. Our clients include victims of domestic violence, trafficking & other violent crimes committed both inside and outside of the United States.


Lindsey Sanderson

Student Attorney

Victims of Crime

Lizette Amador

Law Clerk

Victims of Crime

IEJF/LTF Program

Children's Legal Center staff provide free legal services to clients with Guardianship & Domestic Relations cases through both the Illinois Equal Justice Foundation (IEJF) & the Lawyers Trust Fund (LTF).

Pablo Moreno

 Student Attorney

Guardianship/Domestic Relations

Dafne Grafias

Staff Attorney

Guardianship/Domestic Relations

ILSP Program

Children's Legal Center provides free legal services to individuals and families bussed to Illinois from various countries such as Nicaragua, Venezuela & Honduras through the ILSP Grant. Services include assistance with Asylum applications.

Nathalie Rodriguez

Law Clerk 

Legal Services for Recent Arrivals

 Student Interns from the following schools:

Chicago-Kent College of Law

University of Illinois at Chicago

Northwestern University

Concordia University

DePaul University

New England Law | Boston

Loyola University Chicago

University of Chicago

Our Supporters

Grants

Corporate Donors

Seyfarth Shaw LLP      

Hoover Family Charitable Foundation     

Proskauer Rose Foundation


Private Donors

Ashley Hoover

Jason Varughese

Ann and Robert Cooper

John Duggan

Larissa Kruzel

Victoria Bobryk 

Alexis and Raymond Lavko

Barbara and Paul Fishback

John Harri 

Lisa McNeilley

Lindsey Sandle

Diane Casey

Lynne and Scott Mannard

David H Tente

Thea Kachoris-Flores