Nneka Ugwu is a 2024 Skadden Fellow at Equip for Equality, leading the School Pushout Prevention Project through direct representation, community outreach, and systems-level advocacy to reduce school pushout for Black youth with disabilities across Illinois. A former special education teacher and education technology professional in Chicago, her work is informed by nearly a decade of experience engaging Illinois education systems, from classrooms to school systems and policy advocacy. In the design and execution of her fellowship project, Nneka continues to draw on her interdisciplinary background in education, law, and literature. She received her JD from Loyola University Chicago School of Law and graduated with the Certificate in Child and Family Law and the Certificate in Public Interest and Social Justice. During her time at Loyola, Nneka served as Editor-in-Chief of the Public Interest Law Reporter (PILR), President of the Stand Up for Each Other (SUFEO) Education Advocacy Program, and published the PILR article “Chicago Is Not a Sundown Town: A Closer Look at Youth Curfews”. Nneka holds a BA in Black Studies and French from Amherst College, completing an honors senior thesis titled “Chinua Achebe and Chimamanda Adichie: Tracing a Literary Lineage.” She also holds an MS in Special Education and Teaching from Dominican University.

Max Pardo Hornung, LCSW, LISW is the Director of Family Services at GRO Community, where he leads family-centered, community-based mental health services for Black and Brown youth and families. Born and raised on the South Side of Chicago, Max brings lived experience and deep community roots to his work. In his role, Max oversees the implementation of evidence-based family therapy models including Functional Family Therapy, Multisystemic Therapy, and Intensive Home-Based Therapy. He is particularly focused on strengthening culturally responsive care, ensuring treatment fidelity, and equipping clinicians to serve families navigating complex trauma, systemic inequities, and multi-system involvement.

Max began his career in education, serving as a post-secondary educator, college counselor, and music teacher. These early roles shaped his approach to adolescent development, identity formation, and the structural barriers that impact opportunity and mental health outcomes. At GRO Community, he later founded a music-based therapeutic program that integrates creative expression into trauma-informed care to increase engagement and emotional regulation among youth. He earned his undergraduate degree from Tufts University and his Master of Social Work from the University of Chicago, with a focus on community mental health. Grounded in a strengths-based and relational framework, Max draws from his own experience navigating childhood mental health challenges, including a stuttering disorder. His leadership philosophy centers on accountability, community-rooted healing, and the belief that sustainable change happens within families and systems when individuals are met with respect and care.

Jocelyn Fetting is a social work professional and policy advocate focused on improving outcomes for young people impacted by the child welfare system and was recognized with the 2025 Outstanding Young Leader Award from FosterClub. She earned her Master of Social Work and Bachelor of Social Work from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and has experience in child welfare policy analysis, legislative advocacy, and direct youth support across community and child welfare settings. Jocelyn also hosts the Illinois Child Welfare Exchange (ICW Exchange) podcast amplifying lived experience and accessible policy dialogue.

Professor Bruce Boyer is an expert in child welfare law who has litigated, taught, consulted and written extensively in the area of child abuse and neglect. He has represented clients in a wide range of proceedings including child welfare, adoption, juvenile delinquency, special education, disability hearings, and international child abduction, with his focus being primarily on issues of child maltreatment. He has designed and co-directed an intensive trial skills course for child advocates, and his publications include a book of training materials for child advocates, as well as numerous scholarly and practice-oriented articles. He has served as Chair of the American Bar Association's Steering Committee on the Unmet Legal Needs of Children and as a member of the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism, and he has been elected as a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation in recognition of his "outstanding dedication to the welfare of the community and the highest principles of the legal profession." Before joining Loyola in 2001, Professor Boyer taught for 12 years at the Northwestern University Law School, where he helped in 1991 to establish Northwestern's nationally-renowned Children and Family Justice Center, a multidisciplinary project focused on Juvenile Court reform. He was an associate at the law firm of Jenner & Block before joining the Northwestern Law School faculty in 1989.

Elizabeth A. Henneke is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Lone Star Justice Alliance (LSJA). She serves on the Juvenile Council for the State Bar of Texas, the Federal Advisory Committee on Juvenile Justice, OJJDP Subcommittee on LGBTQ Issues, the Collaborative Council for the Judicial Commission on Mental Health, as an advisor to the Texas Judicial Council Subcommittee on Juvenile Justice, and the Board of Directors for the Campaign for Youth Justice. In addition to being named a finalist in 2019, Elizabeth joined the Board of Directors for Philanthropitch in 2020 furthering the mission of LSJA to support other nonprofits and shift resources from prisons to the community.

​Elizabeth graduated from Yale University and the University of Texas School of Law. She then served as a law clerk for the South Africa Constitutional Court and for Judge Edward C. Prado on the U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit, before joining Williams & Connolly in Washington, D.C.. Elizabeth has been a clinical instructor for the University of Texas' National Security & Human Rights Clinic, and was the inaugural Audrey Irmas Clinical Teaching Fellow at the University of Southern California Gould School of Law.

Since founding LSJA, Elizabeth has received the Travis County Women Lawyers' Association Attorney Award, been recognized as the Austin Under 40 winner in the legal category, and was named a finalist in the DivInc. Champions for Change Rising Star Award.

Angela Raschelle Belton-Frison is a transformational leader, advocate, and policy strategist with over a decade of experience advancing criminal justice reform, public health equity, and community reinvestment in Chicago. With an MA in Urban Community Research, a BA in Inner City Studies, and a deep commitment to racial and social justice, she has led initiatives that reduce recidivism, expand reentry opportunities, and address public health disparities in underserved communities. 

Angela currently serves as Cook County Court Coordinator and Case Manager for the SEED (Supporting Education and Employment Development) Court, a diversion program within the Office of the Chief Judge that operates under Specialty Courts. In this role, she manages court operations, provides SEED service providers with information and resources, promotes knowledge and awareness about the SEED Program, drives legislative analysis, stakeholder collaboration, strategic planning, and community engagement to strengthen comprehensive justice reform. 

Previously, Angela served as Director of Policy and Community Engagement for Illinois State Representative Marcus C. Evans, Jr., where she advanced community justice reform with a focus on reentry. Her professional journey also includes leadership roles across organizations dedicated to reducing violence, recidivism, and systemic disparities. 

Angela’s work is distinguished by her ability to align policy with lived experience, her pedagogical approach to mentorship, and her collaborative engagement with legal, public health, and grassroots partners. She is recognized as a trusted bridge-builder among elected officials, community leaders, and justice-involved youth and adults. 

Beyond her professional roles, Angela is a dedicated community advocate. She contributes her time and expertise to organizations such as Kennedy-King and Malcolm X City Colleges of Chicago, Project Vida, Equal Hope, the Frederick Douglass Prison Project, First Defense Legal Aid, Bridge-2-Freedom, Equality Illinois and, most recently, The Illinois Prison Project.  

As an alumna of Just Leadership USA’s Emerging Leaders Program, she continues to champion the voices of the formerly incarcerated while advancing local and national justice reform efforts.

Karlos Lloyd is a licensed social worker and dedicated advocate for justice-involved individuals with more than a decade of experience supporting underserved communities. Raised on the South Side of Chicago, Karlos witnessed firsthand the effects of poverty, violence, and systemic inequities—experiences that shaped his lifelong commitment to social justice and community empowerment. 

He earned his master’s degree in social work from Northeastern Illinois University and currently serves as the Program Manager for the SEED Program (Supporting Education and Employment Development). In this role, he leads initiatives that equip emerging adults with the tools to build resilience, develop emotional awareness, and strengthen the confidence needed to succeed in employment and education. 

Karlos is passionate about helping individuals overcome barriers and create pathways toward stable, productive, and self-sufficient lives. His work focuses on trauma-informed support, workforce development, and empowering justice-involved young adults to reach their full potential. 

Marshan Allen is the Director of Policy and Communications at the Illinois Prison Project (IPP), where he leads initiatives to reduce incarceration and advocate for a fairer and more equitable legal system. Prior to joining IPP, Marshan held several leadership roles in the criminal legal reform space, including Vice President of Advocacy & Partnerships at Represent Justice, Research and Policy Fellow with Fair and Just Prosecution (FJP), and Policy Director for the Restore Justice Foundation. He also brings a diverse professional background, having worked as a Starbucks Barista and Supervisor early in his career.

Marshan’s personal journey fuels his commitment to justice reform. At the age of 15, he received a sentence of life without parole for a minor role in an offense. After serving almost 25 years in prison, he was released in 2016 following the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark decision in Miller v. Alabama, which deemed mandatory life sentences without parole for juveniles unconstitutional. Since his release, Marshan has become a prominent advocate for systemic change, earning widespread recognition for his impactful work.

Marshan has been honored with numerous awards, including the Illinois Judges Association's Recognition of Excellence in Outreach Award in 2018 for his participation in Your Future, Your Choice, a program educating school-aged children about the legal system. In 2019, he received the Liberty Bell Award from the Chicago Bar Association and the Grace Warren Award from the Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth (CFSY).

Marshan also served on the Board of Directors for Restore Justice Foundation and CFSY and is a member of the Incarcerated Children’s Advocacy Network (ICAN). In 2020, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker appointed Marshan to the Juvenile Justice Commission (IJJC). In 2025, he was further appointed to the Illinois Judicial Conference Emerging Adults Task Force.

Marshan’s advocacy journey began during his incarceration, including when, in 2006, he assisted the Illinois State Bar Association in revising Post-Trial Remedies: A Handbook for Illinois’ Prisoners. He has since continued to build a strong foundation of education and expertise, earning certificates in paralegal studies, business management, computer technology, and restorative justice. Marshan holds an associate degree from Lake Land College, graduating Summa Cum Laude, and a bachelor’s degree in Justice Policy & Advocacy from Northeastern Illinois University. In May 2026, he will graduate from Chicago-Kent College of Law, where he is the recipient of the prestigious Abraham Lincoln Marovitz Full-Tuition Public Interest Scholarship. 

Brian Beals is an accomplished activist, organizer and award-winning playwright, who was exonerated in 2023 after spending 35 years incarcerated for a crime he did not commit. A Chicago native, Brian works in nonprofit and artistic spaces to create programming and support for communities impacted by injustice. In 2025 Brian completed the Just Leadership USA Emerging Leaders Fellowship and the Boyd Barrett Fellowship for Organizing from Northwestern University. He is the founder and Executive Director of Mud Theatre Project, a non-profit organization that produces original plays as a tool for community organizing and healthy emotional growth. Mud Theatre is an outgrowth of the Dixon Correctional Center Performing Arts Program, which Brian also founded in 2018. Under Brian’s guidance, the Dixon Performing Arts Program won multiple PEN America National Prison Writing Awards, Brian is now a judge for the Pen America National Prison Writing competition. Currently, Brian is employed by Restore Justice and is completing the Future Leadership Apprenticeship program. While incarcerated Brian earned an Associates Degree from Lakeland College, is a certified Paralegal, and has worked as a Civics Peer Educator, HIV/AIDS Peer Educator, and Literacy Instructor.

Shobha Mahadev is a Clinical Professor of Law and Assistant Dean for Clinical Education at the Bluhm Legal Clinic, Northwestern Pritzker School of Law. Shobha represents adolescents and adults facing trial or who are convicted of offenses that occurred in their youth and supervises students on those cases. Shobha also leads the Illinois Coalition for the Fair Sentencing of Children, advocating for fairer sentencing approaches for youth and young adults through policy and litigation. The Coalition’s work and Shobha’s expertise have contributed to significant sentencing reforms in Illinois and across the country. Shobha has also co-authored numerous amicus curiae briefs submitted in the U.S. Supreme Court, state supreme courts, and other courts of review. Shobha has also served on various boards and commissions. She is currently an Alternate Commissioner on the Illinois Torture Inquiry and Relief Commission and serves on the Illinois Supreme Court Committee on Juvenile Courts and the Illinois Judicial Conference’s Emerging Adult Task Force.
 
Prior to joining the faculty at Northwestern, Shobha was a litigation associate at a Chicago law firm and an Assistant Defender with the Illinois Office of the State Appellate Defender, where she represented clients convicted of criminal offenses on appeal.