direction

advisory Board

The Advisory Board is comprised of esteemed advocates, academics, and other key allies who help to guide LSRJ toward its goals. These distinguished individuals represent various facets of the reproductive health, rights, and justice movement, offering keen direction from a comprehensive compass. Advisory Board members have neither meeting nor fiduciary obligations to LSRJ.

• Maggie Crosby
  ACLU Northern California
• Walter Dellinger
  O’Melveny & Myers
• Kim Gandy
  National Organization for Women
• Marcia Greenberger
  National Women’s Law Center
• Angela Hooton
  Institute for Reproductive Health Access
• Priscilla Huang
  National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum
• Nancy Keenan
  NARAL Pro-Choice America
• Louise Melling
  ACLU Reproductive Freedom Project
• Debra Ness
  National Partnership for Women and Families
• Nancy Northup
  Center for Reproductive Rights
• Kim Parker
  WilmerHale
• Loretta Ross
  SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Health Collective
• Vicki Saporta
  National Abortion Federation
• Reva Siegel
  Yale Law School
• Louise Slaughter
  United States House of Representatives
• Eleanor Smeal
  Feminist Majority Foundation
• Jody Steinhauer
  Medical Students for Choice
• Ann Stone
  Republicans for Choice
• Melissa Upreti
  International Legal Program of the Center for Reproductive Rights
• Carlton Veazey
  Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice

board of directors

LSRJ’s Board of Directors ensures fulfillment of its mission by holding the vision of the organization, shaping its long-range plans, and monitoring its needs. The 11-person volunteer board meets monthly to discuss the financial health, programming feats, and strategic plans of the organization. True to LSRJ's mission to be student-led and student-driven, the majority of our directors and officers are law students. New directors are selected each spring through an application and interview process to serve one-year renewable terms, beginning in June. We are proud to have an active Board made up of ardent LSRJ supporters who bring diverse experiences, perspectives, and expertise to the noble work of steering the course of this organization and shaping the future for its members.

Current Directors

• Jill E. Adams
• Ashley Gorski
• Kim Buchanan
• Kate Hannaher (Secretary)
• Madison Burnett (President)
• Louise Melling
• Caitlin G. Coslett
• Cari E. Sietstra
• Jina Dhillon
• Aimée Thorne-Thomsen
• Julie B. Ehrlich

Directors Emeriti

• Claire Abernathy, J.D. (Former President)
  Stanford Law School, Class of 2005
• Sabrina Andrus, J.D.
  Seattle University School of Law, Class of 2008
• Sheila Bapat, J.D. (Former President)
  University of Pennsylvania School of Law, Class of 2007
• Heather Busby, J.D. (Former Secretary)
  South Texas College of Law, Class of 2007
• Julia Ernst, J.D.
  University of Michigan, Class of 1994
• Priscilla Huang, J.D.
  Washington College of the Law at American University, Class of 2006
• Kara Loewentheil, J.D. (Former President)
  Harvard Law School, Class of 2008
• Nancy Millar, J.D.
  University of Miami School of Law, Class of 2008
• Katherine Minarik, J.D. (Former Secretary)
  University of Pennsylvania School of Law, Class of 2006
• Jennifer Smith, J.D.
  University of California Davis, Class of 2007
• Melissa Thelemaque, J.D. (Former Secretary)
  Georgetown University Law Center, Class of 2006
• Melissa Upreti, J.D.
  Columbia University School of Law
• Joy Welan, J.D.
  Georgetown University Law Center, Class of 2006




regional coordinators

Regional Coordinators (RCs) are outstanding student organizers who facilitate communication and activism at many schools within a geographic region. RCs act as liaisons between the national office and chapters. They connect regularly with the chapters in their regions, checking in about their progress, needs, and goals. They are also the lead organizers for annual Regional Conferences designed to unite students with professors, practitioners, and policymakers who help them expand their reproductive justice work on campus and in their communities.

West Coast

• Sarah Clark
  Golden Gate University
• Monica Baumann
  University of California, Davis
• Alexis Wilber
  Golden Gate University

Midwest

• Michelle Cheek
  University of Cincinnati
• Marilu Gresens
  University of Cincinnati

DC and South

• Tamar Lawrence-Samuel
  George Washington University
• Helen Lowery
  American University

Northeast

• Leah Edwards
  New York University
• Sara Hanson
  Boston University
• Shaina Rasmussen
  Vermont Law School

staff

Executive Director

Jill E. Adams, J.D. has been the Executive Director of LSRJ since September 2006. Prior to that, she served the organization as President of its Board of Directors, intern in the national office, and trainer, facilitator, and speaker on many occasions throughout law school. As ED, Jill is responsible for coordinating and executing all curriculum programming, marketing, development, outreach, staff and volunteer recruitment, as well as extensive public speaking and writing. She is committed to empowering law students, building coalitions with other social justice groups, and fostering LSRJ’s long-term sustainability. She graduated with honors from the University of Missouri, Columbia School of Journalism in 2000 and from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law in 2006. Jill is licensed by the State Bar of California, a member of the Women’s Health Leadership Network at the Center for American Progress, and author of Unlocking Liberty: Is California’s Habeas Law the Key to Freeing Unjustly Imprisoned Battered Women? 19 Berkeley Women’s L.J. 217 (2004), reprinted in Nancy Lemon, Domestic Violence Law, (2d ed. 2005).

Program Director

Kimberly K. Irish, J.D. has been the Program Director of LSRJ since January 2008. Her involvement with the organization dates back to her first year at the University of San Francisco School of Law. Since then she has been president of her campus chapter, an intern in the national office, and a member of the Alumni Network Committee. In her newest role as Program Director, Kimberly develops materials for Student Coordinators, communicates with chapters, and plans events. She was recently selected for the Cindy Marano Women’s Policy Institute. Kimberly graduated with honors from the University of California, Davis, in 2001 with Bachelor of Arts degrees in Comparative Literature and Spanish. She earned her J.D. from USF in 2006.

Fellow

This position has not yet been filled.

Special Projects Coordinator

Cari E. Sietstra, J.D. is LSRJ’s part-time Special Projects Coordinator, in addition to being its Founder and former Executive Director. Prior to founding the organization, Cari worked as the Legal Fellow at CARAL, drafting and successfully lobbying for new local legislation to protect patients entering reproductive healthcare clinics. She now works as a freelance social justice advocate specializing in creating and incubating new projects in reproductive health and justice, voting rights, and women's empowerment. Cari received an honors B.A. from Harvard University in 1998 and earned her J.D. from Stanford in 2002.

National Office Interns

• Diana Chaikin
• Alison Perez
• Angela Rivera
• Erin Simonitch

Placed Interns




• Rebecca Blank
  Global Justice Center/Adolescent Reproductive Health Network (Mae Sot, Thailand)
• Jael Humphrey, J.D.
  pas (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
• Emily Kane
  Global Justice Center/Adolescent Reproductive Health Network (Mae Sot, Thailand)
• Elizabeth Owen
  EnGendeRights (Manila, Philippines)
• Aaron Schwid, J.D.
  Forum for Women, Law and Development (Kathmandu, Nepal)