ADONZA ANDERSON CERTIFICATE PROGRAM IN LEADERSHIP AND ADVOCACY

Regina Curran

Regina Curran serves as Director of Privacy & Cyber Policy at American University in Washington, D.C., where she leads the development and implementation of the university’s IT and privacy policies, responsible AI initiatives, and IT governance, risk, and compliance. She oversees compliance with federal, state, and international data privacy and security laws. Regina’s passion for privacy is rooted in her background in civil rights and a deep belief that our online lives should be governed by respect for human rights.

With more than fifteen years of experience in higher education, Regina has developed deep expertise in university policy, nondiscrimination, Title IX, the Violence Against Women Act, and mediation. She earned her J.D. from Roger Williams University School of Law in 2010 and a B.A. in Sociology from Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas. She is a certified mediator and has trained students and professionals in campus and residential conflict resolution.

Regina is an adjunct faculty member in the Sociology Department at American University and has served as an external faculty member with the Clery Center since 2017. She provides national training on mediation, disrupting bias and harassment, anti-discrimination programs, Title IX, VAWA, and policy enforcement through a critical lens.

Regina is actively engaged in civic and professional service. She serves on the Board of Directors of Adelphi Recreation Inc. and the Roger Williams University Law Alumni Association, and on the Advisory Board of Women in Security & Privacy (WISP), DC Metro Chapter. She is also a longtime board member of the Texas A&M Club Endowment, Inc., National Capital Chapter, where she helps oversee scholarship funding for students in the Washington, D.C. region.

Lia Epperson

Lia Epperson is a Professor of Law at American University Washington College of Law and a nationally recognized expert in the areas of constitutional law, civil rights, and education policy. She previously served as Senior Associate Dean and Director of the Doctor of Juridical Studies Program. Professor Epperson received the American University Excellence in Teaching Award in 2022. Last year, she served as the Inaugural Microsoft Tech and Racial Equity Fellow at Howard University School of Law.

Professor Epperson has worked with international scholars as a fellow and visiting lecturer on issues of constitutional law and fundamental rights at the Collegium de Lyon, France, the University of Navarra, Central European University, and the University of Galway. She has appeared in news outlets including the BBC, CNN, NBC News, CBS, and NPR.

Professor Epperson previously served on the faculties of University of Maryland and Santa Clara University, and as a Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress. Prior to becoming a law professor, she directed the education law and policy group of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. She began her legal career as a law clerk on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit and was an attorney with Morrison Foerster.

Professor Epperson currently serves on the Executive Committee of the National Board of Directors of the ACLU and the Project on Government Oversight. She received her law degree from Stanford University and her bachelor’s degree, magna cum laude, from Harvard University.

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

BEYOND THE HEADLINE: HOW STORYTELLING SHAPES SECOND CHANCES

 

 Shuja Moore

Shuja Moore is an award-winning filmmaker and dynamic community advocate rising from the heart of West Philadelphia. With a life story as compelling as his work, Shuja transformed a defining chapter—serving 12 years for an accidental crime—into a powerful commitment to narrative justice and community empowerment. His breakout film Pardon Me has earned accolades for its searing, hopeful portrayal of the transformative power of pardons. Recognized by the Philadelphia Mayor’s Office of Black Male Engagement and celebrated with a Community Service Award, Shuja has helped mobilize over a million dollars in support for residents and businesses. He stands at the forefront of a new generation of directors telling urgent, human stories rooted in lived experience and social impact.

WORKSHOP 1 – WORDBUILDING: A CONVERSATION WITH LAW SCHOOL DEANS

Nicky Boothe

Nicola “Nicky” Boothe has been the Dean of the University of Illinois Chicago School of Law since 2022. A leader in legal education and experienced litigator, Dean Boothe was previously a tenured member of the Florida A&M University College of Law faculty, where she taught since 2006. Before joining UIC Law, she was a Visiting Professor of Law at the Boston University School of Law. During her time with FAMU, she served as the Interim Dean of the College of Law, and the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. Before entering legal academia, Dean Boothe practiced defense litigation for a decade.

A member of the Order of Barristers and the Chicago Inns of Courts, she is a certified speaker by the Florida Department of Insurance, holds certifications in interviewing and counseling in the legal field, and was a Fellow of the National Institute for Teaching Ethics & Professionalism. She has taught law school courses, including Civil Procedure, Torts, Professional Responsibility, the Guardian Ad Litem Clinic, Florida Criminal & Civil Practice, Ethics & Professionalism, Lawyers as Leaders, and Mindfulness in Life & Law.

Dean Boothe’s scholarship has been published in several law reviews and journals and addresses issues of legal professionalism and ethics, cultural competency, social media, and human trafficking. Her op-eds have also appeared in local and national publications.

She has served as a speaker, panelist, and commentator on media outlets, and at national conferences. Dean Boothe serves on committees of the Illinois State Bar Association and the Chicago Bar Association and is a member of the Black Women Lawyers’ Association of Greater Chicago, Inc., and the Chicago Inn of Court. She has received the National Bar Association’s Excellence in Academia award and holds leadership positions in the American Bar Association, the American Association of Law Schools, and the Society of American Law Teachers, where she serves as an elected member of the Board of Governors. Dean Boothe is a member of The Chicago Network and is licensed to practice law in Florida and Illinois.

Gregory Bowman

Gregory Bowman serves as dean and professor of law at Roger Williams University School of Law in Rhode Island. During his 22-year teaching career, he has advocated for greater inclusion in the legal profession and enhanced experiential learning and service opportunities for law students.

During his academic career, Dean Bowman has held board and leadership positions at the Law School Admission Council, the Association of American Law Schools, the Southeastern Association of Law Schools, and the American Bar Association’s Police Practices Consortium. He has been an American Bar Foundation Fellow, an Association of American Law Schools Fellow, and a member of the American Law Institute. Dean Bowman received his juris doctor degree from Northwestern University’s Pritzker School of Law and his master’s degree in international economics from the University of Exeter in England. Prior to teaching, Bowman practiced international trade law in Chicago and Washington, DC for a decade with the law firm Baker McKenzie. Bowman and his wife Elizabeth live in Bristol, Rhode Island with their 17-year-old rescue dachshund, Paddington.

Todd Clark

Todd J. Clark is the current Dean of Widener University Delaware Law School. Dean Clark is an avid scholar and writes on legal issues involving corporate law and justice, employment discrimination, sports, and the intersection of hip-hop culture and the law. He has published articles in the Cincinnati Law Review, the Case Western Law Review, the St. Thomas Law Review, the Louisiana Law Review, the St. John’s University School of Law’s Journal of Civil Rights and Economic Development, the Tennessee Journal for Race, Gender and Social Justice, and the Georgetown Journal of Law & Modern Critical Race Perspectives.  He has published book chapters in the Oxford Handbook of American Sports Law, published by Oxford University Press, and in a book published by Carolina Academic Press entitled Hip Hop and the Law. Additionally, Dean Clark co-authored a textbook with Dean Andre Douglas Pond Cummings entitled Corporate Justice, which explores issues of social justice and corporate power. Dean Clark regularly teaches contracts, employment discrimination, sales, business associations, sports law, hip hop law & social justice, and corporate justice.

Prior to joining Delaware Law School, Dean Clark was the Senior Associate Dean of Academic Affairs and a Professor of Law at the St. Thomas University Benjamin L. Crump College of Law (“STU”) in Miami, Florida where he worked for four years. During that time, Dean Clark was the Upper-Level Division Professor of the Year in 2020-2021; the Upper-Level Division and the 1L Division Professor of the Year in 2021-2022; and in the 2022 -2023 academic year, he was named the Most Valuable Person in the law school. Before transitioning to STU, Dean Clark was a tenured professor of law at North Carolina Central University School of Law where he worked for approximately 12 years. During his time at NCCU, he served as the Director of New Initiatives where he collaborated with external partners to cultivate partnerships between minority serving institutions. He also created and directed the Justice in the Practice of Law certificate program. Before Dean Clark transitioned into the academy, he worked for two years at Steptoe & Johnson, PLLC where he specialized in employment law and medical malpractice defense. After leaving Steptoe & Johnson, Dean Clark worked for two years as a Lecturer in Law at West Virginia University where he taught legal writing and appellate advocacy.

Dean Clark is originally from Columbus, Ohio and is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi, Fraternity Incorporated. He received his undergraduate degree in political science from Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio, his juris doctorate from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and his master’s in business administration from West Virginia University School of Business and Economics in Morgantown, West Virginia.

Dean Clark is committed to helping to develop law students from underrepresented populations as well as promoting and facilitating wealth creation in minority communities. In his spare time, Dean Clark enjoys spending time with his granddaughter Zara, weightlifting, and watching his beloved Ohio State Buckeyes.

WORKSHOP 2 – NO PLOT ARMOR: PROTECTING VULNERABLE COMMUNITY MEMBERS

Jessie Fuentes

Jessie Fuentes, a queer Latina grassroots organizer, educator, and public policy advocate. As the Alderperson of the 26th Ward, she brings over a decade of experience in education, criminal justice reform, affordable housing, community development, and sustainability.

As the proud Alderperson of the 26th Ward, she has led legislative accomplishments, including sponsoring the resolution for the national fight for parole in place for the 11 million undocumented workers in the United States, the One Fair Wage ordinance to eliminate the sub-minimum wage for tipped workers, and the Northwest Side Housing Preservation Ordinance to protect communities from gentrification.

Dr. Jennifer Juárez

Dr. Jennifer Juárez is the Director of Higher Education Policy at the Latino Policy Forum, where she leads research and policy strategy to advance higher education equity across Illinois. She earned her Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from the University of Illinois at Chicago and has more than 20 years of experience across high school and higher education institutions.

Dr. Juárez’s work centers on supporting Latina/o/x/e undergraduates, strengthening Hispanic-Serving Institutions, and fostering student belonging. She has helped pass important state legislation to help protect undocumented students and students from mixed-status backgrounds, led major academic success initiatives at a large public four-year institution, developed training to support undocumented students, and launched leadership programs for Latino students. Dr. Juárez is a recent Negocios Now, Chicago Latina 40 Under 40 honoree, a Chicago Latino Caucus Foundation Fellow, and a former professor at UIC, and remains deeply committed to expanding opportunities for Latina/o/x/e students.

Dr. Khanh N. Nghiem 

Khanh N. Nghiem, PhD is a licensed clinical psychologist and Associate Director for Diversity, Inclusion, & Outreach at the University of Chicago’s Student Wellness. With over 18 years of experience in the mental health field, her areas of specialization are multicultural therapy
and advocacy, the intersectionality of identities and cultural identity development, historical trauma, cultural healing, and family of origin issues. She is also actively engaged in consultation, training, outreach, supervision, and research. She has several empirically reviewed journal publications and conference presentations, particularly on the topic of diversity. As an Asian (Vietnamese) American, refugee woman, she recognizes the importance of integrating cultural considerations in mental health and wellbeing and is passionate about increasing access to care for underserved communities.

Jay Wong

Jay Wong (he/him) serves as the Assistant Dean of Students at the University of Minnesota Law School, where he leads initiatives focused on student support, wellness, and building inclusive communities. Prior to this role, he practiced as a public defender in Minneapolis, specializing in Fourth Amendment and data-driven litigation. His diverse background also includes serving as an educator in the Federated States of Micronesia and working in residence life. He holds a J.D. from the University of St. Thomas and an M.Ed. from Clemson University.

WORKSHOP 4 – DON’T JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS COVER: STORYTELLING IN THE LEGAL PROFESSION

Lexi Freeman

Alexi Freeman serves as Associate Dean of DEI, Director of Externships and Social Justice Initiatives, and Professor of the Practice at Denver Law. She teaches courses in externships, movement lawyering, and racial justice. Freeman has received multiple awards from students, local bar associations, and the university for her mentorship, leadership, and efforts to create belonging for students. She is a graduate of Harvard Law School and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Dori Pina

Professor Pina is an accomplished professor, author, and civil litigation attorney. She brings her effective communication, customer service, and project management skills to Santa Clara Law as Associate Dean of Inclusive Excellence and Clinical Professor.

Thiadora directs and manages the Law School’s nationally recognized first-year professional identity curriculum and its Critical Lawyering Skills seminar. The Seminar received the ABA’s E. Smythe Gambrell Professionalism Award, and Thiadora received commendation as the author of the book used in the course: Critical Lawyering Skills: A Path to Professional Identity (Carolina Academic Press). Thiadora is also the Law School’s first Associate Dean of Inclusive Excellence, where she brings this same innovative approach to belonging and inclusion work. She works with all Santa Clara Law stakeholders in its relentless pursuit of excellence.

Thiadora also teaches Torts and Advanced Torts and is the faculty advisor for the Black Law Student Association and the founding advisor for the First-Generation Law Student Association. She also teaches an Introduction to Law course for the University’s first-gen LEAD Scholars Program.

Thiadora practiced civil litigation for over eleven years and regularly appeared in both state and federal courts throughout the Boston, Massachusetts area. When not working, Thiadora enjoys cooking, travel, sports, personal finance, and astronomy.

Alexzandria Poole

As Director of Defender Initiatives at Zealous, Alexz serves as the point-person for public defender offices where Zealous is working nationwide, trains defenders and their allies on non-traditional systemic advocacy tools and supports advocacy campaigns in collaboration with communities impacted. She is a Lecturer in Law at University of Chicago Law School, jointly develops and supervises law school clinical projects, including projects with the University of Chicago’s Police Accountability Project clinic, and co-develops and co-teaches law school curriculum for law schools throughout the country. Prior to her work at Zealous, Alexz spent her legal career serving as a public defender in New York City and Detroit. In addition to being a trial attorney, Alexz facilitated community engagement initiatives such as Know Your Rights trainings for both New York immigrant communities and for Detroit youth, advocated for discovery reform in Albany, New York, and promoted data integrity for the purpose of systemic change in public defender office settings.

Alexzandria received her JD from William and Mary Law School and graduated with distinction from the University of Michigan – Ann Arbor with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Asian Languages and Cultures.

June Tai

June Tai is Clinical Professor of Law and Director of the Field Placement Program at the University of Iowa College of Law. Her teaching and research focus on professional identity development and legal skills. Currently, her research projects include studying how storytelling as a lawyering skill can be taught through written reflection essays. In addition, Professor Tai is board member and researcher for the Center for the Study of Applied Legal Education (CSALE), a nonprofit organization that conducts empirical research tracking the development of law clinic and field placement programs. Prior to joining the College of Law, Professor Tai served as in-house counsel for a Fortune 100 company and practiced at two different Bay Area law firms. Her law practice focused on complex civil litigation, with a focus on patent and other intellectual property disputes.

Dr. Nickey Woods

Dr. Nickey Woods is Associate Dean for Student Life & Community Engagement at the University of Southern California Gould School of Law. She leads student-facing strategy and oversees initiatives that advance belonging, access, and professional identity development, including Gould’s First-Generation Professionals program. Her work centers on cultivating inclusive learning environments where students from historically underrepresented and first-generation backgrounds can thrive academically and professionally.

Dr. Woods approaches leadership through a high-IQ, high-EQ framework that integrates storytelling, cultural competency, and community-building. A former collegiate athlete and fiction writer, she explores how narrative shape’s identity, power, and institutional transformation within legal education.