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
