Speakers et al.
KEYNOTE SPEAKER- Bridget Mary McCormack (President and CEO, American Arbitration Association-International Centre for Dispute Resolution)
SPEAKERS, PANELISTS, & INSTRUCTORS
- Robert J. Ambrogi (LawSites)
- Jade Brown (Lecturer and Clinical Instructor, Boston University)
- David Colarusso (LIT Lab, Suffolk University Law School)
- Lisa Colpoys (Justice Innovation Lead for the Filing Fairness Project)
- Sam Glover (LIT Lab, Suffolk University Law School)
- Sarah Hoskinson (Director of Access to Justice - Kansas Judicial Branch)
- Colin MacArthur (Product Manager for eFiling at the Free Law Project)
- Devshi Mehrota (CEO and co-founder of JusticeText)
- Jason Morris (Senior Software Development Engineer, Thomson Reuters)
- Bill Palin (Lead Developer, Free Law Project)
- Kara Peterson (Co-founder descrybe.ai)
- Kelli Raker (Associate Program Director for Law, Tech & Entrepreneurship Programs, Duke Univerity Law School)
- Julia Rogers (CEO HelloPrenup)
- Andrew M. Perlman (Dean, Suffolk University Law School)
- Quinten Steenhuis (LIT Lab, Suffolk University Law School)
- Gabriel Teninbaum (LIT Institute, Suffolk University Law School)
- Bryce Willey (Former LIT Lab, Suffolk University Law School)
EMCEES & ORGANIZERS
- Sarah Boonin (Clinical Programs, Suffolk University Law School)
- David Colarusso (LIT Lab, Suffolk University Law School)
- Sam Glover (LIT Lab, Suffolk University Law School)
- Dyane O'Leary (LIT Concentration, Suffolk University Law School)
- Quinten Steenhuis (LIT Lab, Suffolk University Law School)
- Gabriel Teninbaum (LIT Institute, Suffolk University Law School)
STUDENT PRESENTERS
- Taylor Arnold (LIT Clinic Student, Suffolk University Law School)
- Sydney Brault (LIT Clinic Student, Suffolk University Law School)
- Abbey Chappell (LIT Fellow, Suffolk University Law School)
- Sophia Ceniza (Georgetown University Law Center)
- Philip Coaltl (Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra)
- Jalen Coleman (Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra)
- Jackson Dowd (LIT Clinic Student, Suffolk University Law School)
- Christopher W. Emrich (LIT Fellow, Suffolk University Law School)
- Olivia Luongo (Georgetown University Law Center)
- Leah Marszalek (LIT Fellow, Suffolk University Law School)
- Allie Ott (Founder and CEO of Trustie & a Suffolk Law Student)
- Gabriela Riveros (LIT Clinic Student, Suffolk University Law School)
- Coleman Silver (LIT Clinic Student, Suffolk University Law School)
- Najelie Smith-Ortiz (Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra)
- Claudia Tolosa Tomassini (LIT Clinic Student, Suffolk University Law School)
- Mario Treto (LIT Clinic Student, Suffolk University Law School)
- Jessica Vandervort (LIT Fellow, Suffolk University Law School)
KEYNOTE: Bridget Mary McCormack, President and CEO, American Arbitration Association-International Centre for Dispute Resolution
Bridget Mary McCormack is President and CEO of the American Arbitration Association-International Centre for Dispute Resolution. She is also a Strategic Advisor to the Future of the Profession Initiative at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School. Until the end of 2022, McCormack was Chief Justice of the Michigan Supreme Court, a position her peers selected her for in January 2019 after she served for six years as a Justice. While on the Court, she championed innovation and the use of technology to improve access to justice.
A graduate of New York University Law School, McCormack started her legal career in New York City. In 1996, she joined the Yale Law School faculty. She then joined the University of Michigan Law School faculty in 1998, where she taught criminal law, legal ethics, and numerous clinics. She was Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs from 2002 until 2012.
McCormack was elected to The American Law Institute in 2013. The Attorney General of the United States appointed her to the National Commission on Forensic Science in 2014. In 2019, the Governor of Michigan named her Co-Chair of the Michigan Joint Task Force on Jail and Pretrial Incarceration. In 2020, she joined the American Bar Association’s Council on Legal Education and Admission to the Bar and currently serves as Vice Chair. In 2021, the Governor of Michigan asked her to co-chair the Michigan Task Force on Forensic Science and to chair the Michigan Jail Reform Advisory Council. She also chaired the Michigan Judicial Council, the strategic planning body for the judicial branch. In 2021, McCormack was also appointed to serve nationally on The Council of State Governments Healthy States National Task Force and the ABA Center for Innovation’s Governing Council. She was also named Chair of the ABA Board of Elections.
McCormack is an Editor of the ABA’s preeminent publication, Litigation Journal. She speaks and writes frequently about access to justice, innovation in the legal profession, and legal education.
McCormack is married to Steven Croley, General Counsel and Chief Policy Officer at Ford Motor Company. They have four adult children.
Alphabetical List (Speakers, Organizers, et al.)
Robert J. Ambrogi, Lawyer and Legal Journalist
Bob Ambrogi is a lawyer and journalist who has been writing and speaking about legal technology and innovation for more than two decades. He writes the award-winning blog LawSites, is a columnist for Above the Law, hosts the podcast about legal innovation, LawNext, and hosts the weekly legal tech journalists' roundtable, Legaltech Week.
Sarah Boonin, Associate Director of Clinical Programs and Clinical Professor of Law
Sarah Boonin teaches in the areas of mental health and disability law, women's reproductive health, and legal ethics. She designed and teaches Suffolk's first Health Law Clinic. The Clinic provides students with an opportunity to hone their legal skills under close supervision through live client practice in the areas of guardianship, Social Security disability practice, and healthcare benefits. Professor Boonin and her clinical students specialize in serving clients with complex mental health needs. Professor Boonin serves as the Associate Director of Clinical Programs. She is a member of the Access to Administrative Justice Sub-Committee, which advises the Supreme Judicial Court's Access to Justice Commission.
Jade Brown, Lecturer and Clinical Instructor (Boston University)
Jade Brown is a Clinical Associate Professor of Law in the Civil Litigation & Justice Program (CLJP) at Boston University School of Law. Jade teaches the art of lawyering in the CLJP’s clinics, in which students learn to practice law while analyzing issues of systemic justice. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she created a nationally recognized eviction defense project at BU Law in which students assist tenants remotely with drafting and filing an Answer to an eviction case using the MADE (MA Defense for Eviction) online portal. Most recently, Jade developed the Consumer Economic Justice Clinic at BU Law, where she will teach and supervise law student to work on consumer law cases and issues.
Previously, Jade was a staff attorney at Greater Boston Legal Services (GBLS), where she practiced housing and consumer law. At GBLS, Jade helped to develop a highly regarded Lawyer-for-the-Day Debt Clinic to represent consumers sued by debt collectors in small claims court. Jade graduated from Boston University School of Law in 2016.
David Colarusso, Co-Director of the Legal Innovation and Technology Lab
David Colarusso co-directs Suffolk University Law School's Legal Innovation and Technology Lab. An attorney and educator by training, he has worked as a public defender, data scientist, software engineer, and high school physics teacher. He is the author of a programming language for lawyers, QnA Markup, an award winning legal hacker, ABA Legal Rebel, and Fastcase 50 honoree. In 2017 he was named one of the ABA's top legal tweeters.
Lisa Colpoys, Justice Innovation Lead
Lisa Colpoys leads the Filing Fairness Project at the Deborah L. Rhode Center on the Legal Profession at Stanford Law School. She is an experienced public service leader and innovator who has spent her career working to create and deliver new ways for people to solve their legal problems. She is passionate about transforming our courts and the practice of law through innovative ideas and the use of technology, and improving and simplifying processes and systems. Prior roles include launching Illinois Court Help for the Illinois Courts, primary consultant to the Michigan Courts Justice for All Project, Program Director at the Institute for the Future of Law Practice (N/K/A Law Hub), and Executive Director of Illinois Legal Aid Online.
Sam Glover, Clinical Fellow
Sam works with courts, orgs, and the LIT Lab team to build online tools that make legal processes more accessible.
Early in his legal career Sam defended consumers from abusive debt collectors and landlords. He also founded Lawyerist, where he focused on legal innovation, access to justice, technology competence, and community building. Sam has been recognized as a legal innovator by the American Bar Association and Fastcase. Before joining the LIT Lab he opened a website design, strategy, and development studio.
Sam is also a dad, bookworm, aging skate punk, whittler, paddler, and—technically—lawyer.
Sarah Hoskinson, Chief of of Access to Justice Initiatives, Kansas Judicial Branch
Sarah Hoskinson is the Chief of of Access to Justice Initiatives for the Kansas Judicial Branch. In that role she advances projects that reduce barriers to equitable and effective access to the court system. Her prior experience includes attorney positions with the Kansas Supreme Court, the U.S. Department of Labor, and the Bar Association of San Francisco's Homeless Advocacy Project. Sarah is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley School of Law and holds a bachelor's degree in Religious Studies from the University of Kansas. She hails from rural Kansas and appreciates every opportunity to help people participate more meaningfully in the justice system in her home state.
Colin MacArthur, Product Manager for eFiling at the Free Law Project
Colin MacArthur is the product manager and user researcher for eFiling at the Free Law Project. Previously, he was the Director of Digital Practice and Head of Design Research at the Canadian Digital Service. Colin was an early member of 18F and the Center for Civic Design, and an adjunct professor of design and government at Bocconi University. Colin holds a Masters of Information Management and Systems from the University of California, Berkeley.
Devshi Mehrota, CEO and co-founder of JusticeText
Devshi Mehrotra is the CEO and co-founder of JusticeText, an AI startup that is building police accountability software to help public defenders analyze voluminous body-worn camera footage. She has raised $3+ million for the venture from investors like John Legend, Reid Hoffman, and Bloomberg Beta. She previously led applied machine learning projects at Google Brain, Microsoft Research, Peking University, and Stanford Law. Her work at the intersection of tech and social good has led her to be recognized as a Forbes 30 Under 30 social entrepreneur, Dream.org Justice Innovation Prize winner, ABA Legal Rebel, SXSW Pitch winner, and MIT Solver.
Jason Morris, Senior Software Development Engineer, Thomson Reuters
Jason Morris is a husband, father, non-practicing lawyer, computational law researcher, and software developer. After running his home-based solo practice for nearly a decade in Alberta, Canada, Jason was introduced to computational law by David Colarusso, now the co-director of Suffolk's LIT Lab. Jason obtained a Masters in Computational Law from the University of Alberta in 2020, and has been working in computational law ever since. He spent a year with Singapore Management University's Centre for Computational Law, where he was a senior researcher in symbolic artificial intelligence, and spent two years with the Government of Canada as Director of Rules as Code. Jason has been invited to speak on Rules as Code - a method of encoding laws and regulations - at Clio Con, the ABA Tech Show, FutureLaw, and TEDx among other venues. He is the author of Blawx, which was recognized by the OECD as one of the best open source tools for Rules as Code. He was an ABA Innovation Fellow in 2019, and was featured on the Fastcase 50 in 2023. His research into computational law has been published in the MIT Computational Law report, and in the proceedings of the International Conference on Artificial Intelligence and Law. Last December Jason joined the Innovation section of Thomson Reuters' CoCounsel product division. At Thomson Reuters he works on a small team building legal AI prototypes.
Dyane O'Leary, Co-Director of the Legal Innovation and Technology Concentration
Professor O’Leary’s scholarship focuses on integrating technology competence into the legal practice curriculum. She has published on topics such as artificially intelligent legal research and writing tools and designed an advanced writing class to build skills in areas such as e-discovery, research analytics, word processing for lawyers, and typography and digital design of legal documents. Professor O’Leary previously taught at Northeastern Law School and New England Law Boston. She graduated summa cum laude from Villanova University and Suffolk University Law School and practiced complex commercial and intellectual property litigation at WilmerHale, LLP in Boston.
Bill Palin, Lead Developer, Free Law Project
William is an attorney and software developer that is passionate about technologies role in bridging the Access-to-Justice gap. Prior to joining Free Law Project he was the Access to Justice/Technology Fellow at Harvard Law School, an Adjunct Professor of Law and Technology at Suffolk University in Boston and a practicing attorney.
Andrew M. Perlman, Dean, Suffolk University Law School
Dean Andrew Perlman is a nationally recognized voice on the future of legal education and law practice. Dean Perlman was the chief reporter of the American Bar Association’s Commission on Ethics 20/20, which was responsible for updating the ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct to reflect changes in technology and increased globalization. He also served as the vice chair of the ABA Commission on the Future of Legal Services, which produced projects and recommendations designed to improve how legal services are delivered and accessed. Most recently, he was appointed by the president of the American Bar Association to serve as the chair of the governing council of the ABA’s new Center for Innovation.
Kara Peterson, Co-founder of descrybe.ai
Kara Peterson is a marketing communications leader who focuses on organizations with a social justice orientation. She is currently the co-founder of descrybe.ai, a legal tech startup founded in June 2023. Kara is also involved in social justice activism and is a founding member of Newton Upstanders, which advocates for an inclusive and welcoming community. She previously headed marketing teams at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston University School of Public Health, and Suffolk University Law School. Kara earned her MBA at Boston University and her undergraduate degree at the University of Wisconsin. Kara lives in Newton, MA with her husband and descrybe.ai co-founder Richard DiBona, two children, and two dogs.
Kelli Raker, Associate Program Director for Law, Technology, & Entrepreneurship Programs, Duke University School of Law
Kelli Raker supports law, tech, and entrepreneurship programs at Duke Law, including coordinating the annual Legal Design Derby and Future of Contracts Design Derby programs. Kelli has served as managing director of the justice tech accelerator, the Duke Law Tech Lab, and published a report in October 2023 about her research on justice tech in From Founded to Funded: Challenges and Visions for Justice Tech. Kelli was a 2021 Women of Legal Tech honoree and is currently serving on the RAILS – Responsible A.I. in Legal Services implementation team through the Duke Center on Law & Tech. Kelli is also a certified mindfulness instructor.
Julia Rogers, CEO HelloPrenup
Julia Rogers is a legal entrepreneur, attorney, and the CEO of HelloPrenup, a platform that takes the awkwardness out of discussing and creating prenuptial agreements. With years of experience in litigation and family law, she has a unique understanding of the complexities surrounding prenups and the need for a more accessible and user-friendly solution.
HelloPrenup has revolutionized the way prenups are created and managed, by offering a simple, affordable, and online alternative to traditional legal services. Their mission is to simplify the legal process and empower couples to communicate openly and lay a solid foundation for healthy, long-lasting relationships. As an industry thought leader, Julia regularly speaks on panels and at conferences to share her insights on the intersection of technology, law, and of course, all things prenups. She is also a dedicated mentor and advocate for women in law and entrepreneurship.
Jacqueline Schafer, Founder and CEO of Clearbrief
Jacqueline Schafer is the founder and CEO of Clearbrief (Winner, Litigation Technology Product of the Year, Legalweek 2023). Schafer serves as one of inaugural members of the Texas Bar’s AI Taskforce, and she was chosen by the American Bar Association as one of the “2022 Women of Legal Tech” and named to the 2022 Fastcase 50, Honoring ‘Innovators, Techies, Visionaries and Leaders’ in Law, Schafer also received the 2021 Washington State Bar APEX Award for Legal Innovation for founding Clearbrief as well as for her 2020 law review article ("Harnessing AI for Struggling Families").
Jacqueline began her career as a litigation associate at the New York law firm of Paul, Weiss, and spent the majority of her career as an Assistant Attorney General in Alaska and Washington State, where she specialized in appellate practice and complex litigation. Before founding Clearbrief in 2020, she served as in-house counsel for a $3B national nonprofit. She received her B.A. in English and French from the University of Pennsylvania (where she sang with John Legend's former a cappella group!), and her J.D. from Boston University School of Law.
Quinten Steenhuis, Co-Director of the Legal Innovation and Technology Lab
Quinten Steenhuis co-directs Suffolk Univeristy Law Schoola Legal Innovation and Technology Lab. Quinten has practiced housing and eviction defense law since 2008, and has been a professional programmer and web application developer since 2001. He speaks at area law schools and blogs frequently on the topic of legal technology. He works on projects addressing social justice and access to justice with technology focusing on the topic of housing and evictions. Quinten is an active member of his local community, serving as an appointed member of the City of Cambridge's Recycling Advisory Committee, serving on the Access to Justice Commission's working group on housing through the Justice for All initiative, founding a neighborhood political action group, and serving as the long-time president of a Scrabble club in Somerville, MA. He received his B.Sc. in Logic and Computation with an additional B.Sc. in Political Science from Carnegie Mellon University and J.D. from Cornell Law School.
Personal Website | Mastodon | Twitter | GitHub | LinkedIn
Gabriel Teninbaum, Director of the Institute on Legal Innovation and Technology & Professor of Legal Writing
Gabe Teninbaum is a professor and legal technologist at Suffolk University Law School. He serves as Director of the Institute on Legal Innovation & Technology (“LIT”), the LIT Concentration (akin to an undergraduate major), and the LIT Certificate (an online program for legal professionals). During his time at Suffolk Law, he has taught more than 10 different courses (including classes held in Hungary, Sweden, and at MIT) and published more than 30 law review pieces and other articles. In addition to his work at Suffolk Law, Prof. Teninbaum has also - simultaneously - held appointments as a Faculty Associate at the Berkman-Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University, as a Visiting Professor at the MIT Media Lab, and as a Visiting Fellow at the Yale Law School Information Society Project.
He is the founder of an educational technology startup, SpacedRepetition.com, which was named one of the Top 20 Legal IT Innovations in the world by ALM/Legal Week Intelligence; is a former trial attorney at Sugarman in Boston; and, before law school, protected dozens of dignitaries – including two sitting U.S. presidents—while serving as an Operations Support Technician in the U.S. Secret Service. He has been named to the FastCase 50, which "honors the law's smartest, most courageous innovators, techies, visionaries, and leaders,” and called “perhaps the most tech-savvy law professor in the country” by the ABA Journal, which named him to the Web100 (the top 100 legal professionals to follow on social media).Bryce Willey, Former Clinical Fellow Suffolk University Law School
Bryce is a full-stack software engineer. He was previously a clinical fellow with the Suffolk LIT Lab, where he worked on everything from analyzing the complexity of court forms, to making online forms accessible, to developing an entire e-filing application and platform. Bryce graduated from Rice University with a dual BS in Computer Science and BA in Visual and Dramatic Arts in 2017, and with a MS in Computer Science in 2018. He previously worked at Realtime Robotics as a Motion Planning Software Engineer, and was a Political Data Fellow with Bluebonnet Data, organizing data and technology efforts on downballot campaigns.
Alphabetical List (Student Presenters)
Taylor J. Arnold, LIT Clinic Student
Taylor J. Arnold is a 3L at Suffolk University Law School. Prior to law school, Taylor graduated from St. Edward’s University with a B.A. in Writing and Rhetoric with a concentration in Professional Writing. Her legal interests are in Intellectual Property Law along with Legal Innovation and Technology. Taylor is an active member of OUTlaw, IPLSA, and IfWhenHow. She also was a member of the National Trial Court team. She plans to pursue a legal career in Trademark and Patent law in Austin, Texas after graduation.
In the Legal Innovation and Technology (LIT) Lab, Taylor has worked with the Massachusetts Appellate Court on their Informal Appellate Brief Pilot Program. This program aids pro se litigants file appellate briefs and to have their case heard by a panel of judges when they would often have their case dismissed or delayed due to a failure to comply with these certain requirements.
Sydney Brault, LIT Clinic Student
Sydney Brault is a 3L at Suffolk University Law School. Prior to law school, Sydney graduated from the University of Connecticut with a B.S. in Real Estate & Urban Economic Studies. Sydney serves as a Note Editor for Moot Court Honor Board Journal of Trial and Appellate Advocacy and a Lexis Nexis Representative. Sydney is a member of the Legal Innovation and Technology Clinic where she enjoys working on projects involving Docassemble and Python. Sydney is looking forward to entering the Fund Formation and Investment Management industry upon graduation.
Abbey Chappell, LIT Clinic Student
Abbey Chappell is a 3L at Suffolk University Law School. Prior to law school, Abbey graduated from Ohio State University where she studied Criminology and Psychology. She then taught middle school writing and reading for three years in Houston, Texas. Her time in the classroom ultimately cemented her interest in exploring how law and policy could be leveraged to address the way systemic injustices manifest on an individual basis and are perpetuated at a structural level.
Abbey works as a legal intern with the Housing Unit of Greater Boston Legal Services assisting with tenant eviction defense. In this role, she was initially introduced to how powerful document automation could be as a tool to extend access to justice to not only unrepresented parties, but to also give the necessary tools to support staff and attorneys with the high volume of clients in need of representation.
At Suffolk, Abbey is a student in the Legal Innovation and Technology (LIT) Clinic. Alongside fellow LIT Clinic member, Claudia Tolosa Tomassini, Abbey has worked to design and develop the lab's usability testing process, aiming to enhance the efficiency of court forms and guided interviews and increase accessibility for pro se litigants.
Following graduation, Abbey hopes to continue exploring how legal innovation and technology can intersect with process improvement and project management practices to expand access to legal information and self-help resources, the delivery of legal services, and collaboration with stakeholders.
Sophia Ceniza, Clinical Student, Georgetown University Law Center
Sophia Ceniza is a student attorney in the Intellectual Property and Information Policy (iPIP) Clinic at Georgetown Law, where she counsels clients on artificial intelligence and professional ethics. Her iPIP experience focuses on how IP and information policy affects marginalized communities, and she will be writing a feminist cyberlaw paper exploring those themes next year. She is an alumna of the University of Southern California, where she received BAs in Art History and International Relationships and a minor in Gender and Sexuality Studies.
Philip Coalt, Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra Student
Philip Coatl is a dedicated and driven 2L student at Hofstra Law, pursuing a Juris Doctor degree with a focus on combining their background in biology and technology with his legal studies. Graduating from Hunter College with a degree in Human Biology, Philip brings a unique perspective to the legal field, merging scientific rigor with legal acumen.
During their time at Hofstra Law, Philip has been an active participant in the Legal Tech Fellowship program, where they have contributed significantly to various projects at the intersection of law and technology. Their keen interest in legal tech has led to a deep understanding of how technological innovations can enhance legal practice, improve access to justice, and streamline legal processes.
Apart from their involvement in the Legal Tech Fellowship, Philip has also been engaged in academic pursuits, excelling in courses related to trial advocacy, ethics within the law, and criminal law. Their interdisciplinary background in biology enriches their legal analyses, particularly in cases involving scientific evidence, regulatory compliance, and emerging technologies.
Outside of academics, Philip is passionate about community service and has volunteered with organizations such as the Pro Se Legal Assistance Program. He believes in using their legal education and scientific expertise to contribute positively to society and address pressing issues facing our communities.
Looking ahead, Philip is excited to continue exploring the dynamic intersection of law, technology, and science, with a goal of leveraging their skills and knowledge to make meaningful contributions to the legal profession and beyond.
Jalen Coleman, Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra Student
Jalen Coleman is a 2L at Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University. He has a strong passion for client relationship facilitating and utilizing technological systems to avoid lengthy trials. At Hofstra Law, he is a general member in Dispute Resolution Society, Treasurer/Founder of the Law, Innovation, & Technology Society, and a Legal Tech Fellow. He is interested in Employment law, Real Estate, and Family Law. The summer after his 1L year he gained valuable experience interning for the Administrative Judge of the Bronx County Supreme Court - Civil Term, Honorable Doris M. Gonzalez.
Jackson Dowd, LIT Clinic Student
Jackson Dowd is a 3L at Suffolk University Law School. Prior to law school, he graduated from Providence College with a B.S. in Finance. Jackson serves as an Articles Editor for the Suffolk University Law Review. As a member of the LIT Clinic, Jackson has built a guided interview for the Massachusetts Appeals Court to assist pro-se litigants in filing briefs as part of the Appeals Court's Informal Brief Pilot Program.
Christopher W. Emrich, Student LIT Fellow
Chris's journey in law began with an internship under the Chief Justice of the Massachusetts Land Court, where he gained a solid foundation in judicial processes and legal research. This experience ignited his passion for addressing the access to justice (A2J) gap, leading him to concentrate on legal innovation. During his second year of law school, Chris had the opportunity to work for Quinten Steenhuis at his legal technology firm, Lemma Legal, on healthcare and housing related projects.
Now, as a Legal Innovation Fellow within the Human Rights and Indigenous People Clinic, Chris applies his passion to create accessible legal processes for the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, helping their Tribal Court integrate online coded interviews into their civil procedure. His work represents a profound commitment to making the legal system more inclusive by making the code for his legal assistance tools open source, enabling other tribes to adapt and customize the coded interviews.
Beyond his technical contributions, Chris is deeply involved in the legal community. His commitment is evident through his participation in the Massachusetts Bar Association's Community Mentoring program, which aims to support students with an interest in legal careers. Chris also serves as Chief Justice on his law school's Board of Governors, amending and guiding the interpretation of the law school's governing documents.
Olivia Luongo, Clinical Student, Georgetown University Law Center
Olivia Luongo is a current 3L at Georgetown University Law Center. Olivia received a B.A. from Georgetown University with a major in Government and minors in History and Italian. In law school, Olivia has focused on intellectual property and information privacy, and she is currently enrolled in Georgetown Law’s Intellectual Property and Information Policy (iPIP) Clinic.
After law school, Olivia will be working at a law firm in New York, where she hopes to continue working on intellectual property matters.
Leah Marszalek , Student LIT Fellow
Leah Marszalek is a current 4LE at Suffolk University Law School. She received a dual degree from UMass Amherst with a B.S. in Psychology and a B.A. in Legal Studies. Prior to law school she was a Litigation Paralegal at Ropes & Gray, and simultaneous to being a night student at Suffolk Law, she worked as a Compliance Internal Investigator at Alexion Pharmaceuticals. At the pharmaceutical company, Leah served as an Innovation and Technology Fellow and was on the Women in Leadership Steering Committee. After passing the bar, Leah will be joining Ropes & Gray as a Litigation & Government Enforcement Associate.
At Suffolk Leah is Vice President of the Health and Biomedical Law Society, a Student Attorney in the Health Law Clinic, and a student in the Legal Innovation and Technology (LIT) Lab. She has served on the National Moot Court Team, and was a Property Law Teaching Assistant. In the LIT Lab, Leah has created a Google Collaboratory to extract data from PDFs to streamline the drafting of Asylum Country Condition Reports, and through the LIT Lab's Document Assembly Line, has also created a streamlined interview for Massachusetts Guardians filling out their Annual Care Plan Report.
Allie Ott, Founder and CEO of Trustie & a Suffolk Law Student
Allie Ott is the Founder and CEO of Trustie, an online platform dedicated to simplifying the estate planning process for busy parents. Through Trustie, Allie empowers parents to secure their family's future with ease and confidence, beginning with a crucial first step: designating a guardian for their children.
Allie is a third-year student at Suffolk University Law School, where she is a member of the Journal of High Technology Law. Prior to her law school studies, she led teams at two high-growth technology startups, Blue Apron and Indigo Agriculture. Allie founded Trustie in 2024 and lives in Concord, MA, with her husband and daughter.
Gabriela Riveros, LIT Clinic Student
Gabriela Riveros, a Colombian native and University of Maryland alumna, channels her passion for legal innovation into creating equitable solutions. Completing her Juris Doctor at Suffolk Law in 2024, Gabriela is an active member of the Legal Innovation and Technology Clinic. Collaborating with peers, she focuses on developing guided interviews for pro se litigants, aiming to democratize access to justice. Gabriela's belief in leveraging technology to dismantle barriers reflects her commitment to fostering inclusivity in the legal sphere.
Coleman Silver, LIT Clinic Student
Coleman Silver, a third year Juris Doctor candidate at Suffolk University Law School, brings a unique blend of musical creativity and legal innovation to the forefront of the legal profession. As a member of the Legal Innovation and Technology Student Association (LITSA), Coleman is deeply engaged in leveraging technology to revolutionize legal practice, especially through his work at the Suffolk Legal Innovation Technology (LIT) Clinic. His academic achievements, coupled with practical experience in small litigation firms and work in the LIT Clinic, underscore his commitment to enhancing access to justice. Coleman’s passion for the arts and access to justice enriches his holistic approach to legal services. Looking forward to a career where he may utilize his experience with legal tech, Coleman is determined to contribute to meaningful advancements in the sector. He received his B.A. from Franklin and Marshall College in Business in 2019 and is excited to take the Massachusetts bar and launch his career as an attorney this summer.
Najelie Smith-Ortiz, Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra Student
Najelie is a 2nd year law school student currently pursuing a Juris Doctor degree at the Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University. She is an active member in Hofstra's Mock Trial team, honing her advocacy skills in a simulated courtroom environment. Najelie has provided invaluable assistance to individuals navigating the legal system through Hofstra's Pro Se Legal Assistance Program at the United States District Court Eastern District of New York. Furthermore, her involvement in Hofstra's Deportation Defense Clinic allowed Najelie to directly impact the lives of vulnerable individuals navigating complex immigration proceedings and removal orders. Najelie proudly served as a founding member of Hofstra's Law Innovation and Technology Society. Through this platform, she aims to foster discussions and initiatives that drive forward-thinking solutions within the legal field. She is deeply passionate about the intersection of law and technology and is a member of the Dean's Legal Tech Fellowship, where she is committed to exploring innovative ways to address legal challenges. Najelie has a focus on Plaintiff's Personal Injury and Immigration law, she is dedicated to advocating for justice and fairness for individuals facing challenging circumstances.
Claudia Tolosa Tomassini, LIT Clinic Student
Claudia Tolosa Tomassini is a current 3L at Suffolk University Law School. She completed her undergraduate education at Villanova University, earning a BBA in Marketing, with a double minor in Business Law and International Business. At Suffolk, Claudia has served as the Public Relations chair for the Student Bar Association's DEI Committee, as well as an Admissions Ambassador for Suffolk University Law School.
This year, she is the co-director for the Student Bar Association's Social Affairs Committee and is a member of the Legal Innovation & Technology (LIT) Clinic. In the LIT Clinic, Claudia has worked alongside fellow clinic member, Abbey Chappell, to design and develop the LIT Lab's Utility Testing process, aiming to enhance the efficiency of past and current work product, and become more accessible for pro se litigants. While she hopes to pursue a career in public interest, Claudia's legal interests are focused on Immigration, Corporate law, and Legal Innovation and Technology.
Mario A. Treto, LIT Clinic Student
Mario A. Treto is a graduating Suffolk Law student with a passion for Modern Technology and its effects on the legal industry
In his capacity as a Paralegal at the Law Offices of Leonardo Caruso, Mario’s work has assisted in recovering $450,000 of successful personal injury settlements in 2023 alone.
His involvement in the Suffolk LIT clinic has driven him to gain a unique perspective from his personal injury experience in an effort to understand what lawyers need from advancements in Legal Technologies.
Jessica Vandervort, Student LIT Fellow
Jessica Vandervort is a graduating 3L at Suffolk University Law School. She received her B.A. in History with a minor in Speech-Language Pathology from Gordon College, in Wenham, MA. At Suffolk, Jessica has served as a Research Assistant and Teaching assistant. This year, she is an S.J.C. 303 Certified Student Attorney in the Accelerator-to-Practice program, representing low-income tenants in housing disputes. She is also the Legal Innovation and Technology (LIT) Fellow for the Accelerator Clinic. In May, she will be graduating with honors distinction in the Legal Innovation and Technology Concentration.
While Jessica hopes to eventually have a career in Academia, serving as a professor, her interests in law are focused on Accessibility, Innovation and Technology, Personal Injury, and Religious Freedom. Highlights of her legal career include publishing an article in Modern Lawyer, on Well-being in the Legal Profession; automating the Massachusetts Trial Courts Request for Reasonable Accommodations; earning a Google certification in User Experience design; creating and maintaining the ADA Accommodations Coordinator Directory for use in Suffolk's Court Forms; and assisting in the research and drafting of an Amicus Brief, filed in the Supreme Court of the United States.
In her free time, Jessica enjoys spending time with her family and friends — especially her little sister who is her biggest inspiration — and serving in her church. Jessica hopes to continue to provide open doors for conversations about both well-being and accessibility in the legal profession, and beyond.
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