Cohort 1 Presenter Bios

Alyssa is currently the Assistant Director of Law Admissions at DePaul College of Law. She has been in this role since October 2023. Before coming to the College of Law, Alyssa worked in graduate admissions at DePaul University for almost two years. She also briefly worked at Northwestern Pritzker School of Law working as an Admissions Assistant for their LLM programs. 

Alyssa graduated from DePaul University in 2021 with her bachelor’s degree in political science and a minor in community service studies. 

Since working at DePaul, she has been pursuing her master’s degree in public administration. She recently completed her Final Capstone and the program.

Education: Bachelor’s Degree and Master’s Degree, DePaul University 

Email: aboster@depaul.edu

Professor Cue joined the College of Law as an instructor of Legal Analysis, Research and Communication in fall 2007. She comes to DePaul from the John Marshall Law School, where she served as an adjunct professor in the lawyering skills program. Prior to teaching, she was an associate at Roberts & Vess PC in Wheaton, Illinois, where she handled a variety of commercial litigation matters. Professor Cue is actively involved in the Legal Writing Institute (LWI). She is the Technology Chair of the LWI listserv committee, on the editorial board of the LWI Monograph series, and an assistant editor of the Journal of the Legal Writing Institute. She received her bachelor’s degree and JD from the University of Illinois.

Education: Bachelor’s Degree and JD, University of Illinois

Email: mcue@depaul.edu

As General Counsel, Michelle Causey-Drake sets internal corporate governance policies, identifies areas of risk and compliance vulnerability, and manages external contractual negotiations, insurance coverage, litigation, complex real estate transactions, employment matters and city, state, and federal regulatory matters. Prior to joining After School Matters, Mischelle was General Counsel for Jane Addams Hull House Association, where she provided strategic legal advice regarding risks that were inherent in its business processes and acted as the lead negotiator on the Collective Bargaining Agreement between National Organization of Legal Services Workers, International Union UAW Local 2320, AFL-CIO and Jane Addams Hull House Association. She was also a litigator for the Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission before her tenure began with Jane Addams Hull House Association. A graduate of DePaul University College of Law, Mischelle was selected as DePaul’s first recipient as a Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom Fellow, a Leadership Greater Chicago Fellow, and the Board of Directors’ representative for her Leadership Greater Chicago class.

Education: DePaul University, JD

Erin will be entering her third year of undergraduate at DePaul University this fall. She is currently studying Economics and is a part of the 3+3 BA/JD Law Program. Through this program, Erin plans on finishing her undergraduate in 3 years and continuing her legal studies at DePaul’s College of Law. Erin has been volunteering at DePaul’s College of Law where she assists first-year law students (1Ls) with their oral arguments. Additionally, in her free time, Erin works as a lead at Abercrombie & Fitch where she is the top leading sales associate in her district. Erin will be working as a FGLP fellow this summer and is extremely excited to work closely with the different cohorts and make an impact on their law school journey.  

Education: 3rd Year Undergraduate Student, DePaul University (3+3 Law Program) 

Email: echo16@depaul.edu

As Assistant Director of Law Career Services, Tiffany provides general career advising for students pursuing legal careers in all areas of practice. Tiffany also teaches Preparing to Practice, a mandatory 1L career and professional development course. Tiffany has worked as a career and professional development counselor since 2011. At The John Marshall Law School, she served as Associate Director of Career Services and counseled law students and alumni on all aspects of the job search. At Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, she served as Associate Director for Student and Employer Engagement. In this role she counseled undergraduates, graduate students and alumni on all aspects of the job search and managed all journalism employer engagement activity. Prior to becoming a career counselor, Tiffany focused her law practice in the areas of disability rights and special education law. After graduating from law school, Tiffany worked as a Pro Bono Coordinator and Staff Attorney at the Center for Disability and Elder Law.

Education: Bachelor's Degree, Indiana University Bloomington; JD, Indian University Mauer School of Law

Email: tfarber@depaul.edu

Aurelia will be entering her first year at the DePaul University College of Law this August as a member of the DePaul 3+3 program. For her undergraduate degree, Aurelia majored in political science. She is a first-generation law student with an interest in appellate law and human rights law. Aurelia interned for Children's Legal Center, a non-profit immigration law firm. Additionally, she attends lectures hosted by DePaul Sanctuary and is a member of Students of Incarceration and Women of Color Pre-Law. In her free time, Aurelia works at Kasama, the first Michelin star Filipino restaurant. She is very excited to meet the undergraduate students participating in the FGLP program and to help them take advantage of all the resources the university has to offer.

Education: Incoming 1L (3+3 Law Program), DePaul University 

Email: aflynn11@depaul.edu

Ashlee Germany helps companies close deals that advance their strategic business objectives. She has experience representing and advising buyers and sellers in both the public and private sector, as well as startup companies. Ashlee practices corporate law with a focus on M&A, venture capital and private equity transactions. Her work includes managing and advising on due diligence and drafting governing merger, purchase and equity agreements for private and public companies for a variety of transactions in industries including transportation and logistics, health care and financial services. Ashlee also advises startup companies and venture capital arms on formation, corporate governance and investment documents. Ashlee spends her free time watching professional basketball games, reading memoirs and watching interior design shows. Ashlee has dedicated more than 100 hours the past two years tutoring and mentoring first generation law students and law students of color and has passion in helping the next generation of lawyers succeed.

Education: Bahelor's Degree, University of Missouri-Columbia; JD, DePaul University 

Julie D. Lawton joined DePaul in 2011. She previously taught at Georgetown University Law Center. She received her JD, cum laude, from Howard University School of Law, LLM from Georgetown University Law Center, and BS in Business Administration (Finance), magna cum laude, from Florida A&M University. She also worked as an attorney and development consultant in residential real estate development in Washington, D.C., including owning a real estate development company. Prior to her career in real estate, she practiced for a number of years in the Financial Services group at Morrison & Foerster in Washington, D.C. providing legal counsel on consumer credit issues to large banks and credit card issuers. Prior to her legal career, she worked as a financial analyst in the Commercial Banking group at Bank of America in Atlanta, GA and in summer positions at a Wall Street investment bank and multiple commercial banks.Her work has appeared in the Michigan Journal of Race and Law, the Indiana Law Review, the UMKC Law Review, and the Washington University Journal of Law and Policy. She authored the textbook, Business Fundamentals for Law Students, which introduces law students to foundational concepts in business. Her media appearances include CBS News Chicago, Fox News Chicago, and ABC News Chicago. Since joining DePaul, she has served in several leadership capacities including as Associate Dean for Experiential Learning, Chair of the University Faculty Council Budget Committee, member of the University Faculty Council Executive Committee, and as Chair of the law school Curriculum Committee. Julie Lawton is serving as the current Interim Dean of DePaul Law. 

Education: Bachelor's Degree, Florida A&M University; JD, Howard University; LLM, Georgetown

Email: jlawton1@depaul.edu

Kate Letcher is an associate with Nixon Peabody’s Complex Commercial Disputes practice group. She is a courtroom lawyer who represents individuals and entities in a wide variety of matters, including breach of contract, business torts, insurance coverage and defense, and professional liability.

Education: Bachelor's Degree and JD, DePaul University 

Elizabeth (Beth) Lopez received her bachelor’s degree in English with a minor in political science from Loyola University Chicago. A year after graduating from Loyola, Ms. Lopez attended the University of Detroit School of Law (now known as University of Detroit Mercy School of Law) in Michigan, where she studied Constitutional Law. During her final semester of law school, Ms. Lopez began working part-time as a researcher for a general practice law firm in St. Clair Shores, Michigan. After graduating from law school, she continued working with the Michigan law firm for five years. While employed there, Ms. Lopez drafted pleadings, motions, wills, and trusts. She also argued motions and assisted with trial preparation. Ms. Lopez is licensed to practice law in Illinois and Michigan.

In 2004, Ms. Lopez began teaching test prep classes to high school students at a community college. In 2010, her course load grew to include LSAT, GMAT, and GRE prep classes. Ms. Lopez also tutors students individually for each of these tests. Ms. Lopez began teaching GMAT prep courses at DePaul University in 2014 and LSAT prep at DePaul University in 2015. In her current position as the LSAT lead instructor, she is responsible for helping each student develop techniques to solve reasoning and comprehension questions quickly and accurately as well as to learn how to write a strong essay for the writing portion of the LSAT test. Her goals are to help students strengthen the skills needed to excel on the LSAT, learn strategies for succeeding on the LSAT, and increase confidence in preparation for the test day.

Education: Bachelor’s Degree, Loyola University Chicago; JD, University of Detroit Mercy School of Law

Email: eslopez62@gmail.com

Prior to joining the College of Law, Professor Jody Marcucci served as a law clerk to Illinois Appellate Court justices David A. Erickson and Rodolfo Garcia, where she drafted judicial decisions encompassing several areas of criminal and civil law including post-conviction, medical malpractice and contract cases. She also taught at DePaul as an adjunct legal writing instructor. Professor Marcucci received her BA in political science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and earned her JD, magna cum laude, from DePaul, where she served as an associate editor of DePaul Law Review and as a legal writing teaching assistant. Professor Marcucci also served as a law clerk at the Legal Assistance Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago and the Chicago Legal Clinic.

Education: Bachelor's Degree, University of Wisconsin-Madison; JD, DePaul University

Email: jmarcucc@depaul.edu

Gregory Mark joined the College of Law in July 2011, serving as dean until July 2014. A noted legal historian, he has extensive experience in academia, administration and the professional world. From 1996 until joining DePaul, he was a vice dean, professor of law, center director and Justice Nathan L. Jacobs Scholar at Rutgers University School of Law in Newark, New Jersey, where he taught Business Associations, Contracts, Corporate Finance, Corporate Governance and Legal History. He was an assistant professor at Cleveland-Marshall College of Law from 1992 to 1996 and a visiting faculty member at Chicago-Kent College of Law in 1994. Professor Mark also was a member of the graduate faculty in history at Rutgers and a teaching fellow in the history department at Harvard University.

Prior to his academic career, Professor Mark served as associate counsel for the office of Independent Counsel in the Iran-Contra affair. In that role, he helped develop a case against Duane Clarridge, a former high-ranking official of the CIA, who later received a presidential pardon. He also led a project on foreign intelligence and national security concerns in the prosecution of government officials and acted as liaison to the White House Counsel’s office, the U.S. Senate, the National Security Agency and the CIA.

Professor Mark’s scholarship focuses on the areas of corporate finance, corporate governance and American legal history.

Education: Bachelor’s Degree, Butler University; JD, University of Chicago; Master’s Degree, Harvard University

Email: gmark@depaul.edu

Amanda R. Moncada-Perkins is an educator, turned attorney and negotiating phenom. Her experience ranges from teaching second-grade scholars in Boston Public Schools to closing multimillion dollar corporate transactions at globally-recognized law firms. Amanda has served as an adjunct legal writing professor at DePaul Law, teaching future lawyers how to write excellent contracts and provide conscious counsel to their clients. She is a Chicago-native, wife to a humble writing genius and mother to a beautiful baby boy. When Amanda’s not helping her clients protect their businesses and intellectual property, she keeps busy by praying, laughing at her own jokes, sipping tea all hours of the day or jamming to Beyoncé and Shakira. Relaxing stuff. 

Education: Bachelor's Degree, Universtiy of Illinois Urbana-Champaign; JD, DePaul University 

Amanda Noascono returned to the College of Law as Assistant Dean and Director of Admissions in 2017, bringing with her over a decade of higher education admissions and recruitment experience. Amanda began her career in higher education at DePaul University College of Law after graduating in 2006 and has been the director of admissions at Northern Illinois University College of Law, North Park University and Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science. She has been a member of the Law School Admission Council Finance and Legal Affairs Committee, Midwest Association of Pre-Law Advisors, Illinois Association of College Admission Counseling, Illinois Medical School Admissions Consortium, and the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association. Amanda has presented at university campuses and prospective law student forums across the country and has taught pre-law students in college. Amanda has a particular interest in diversity and inclusion in legal education.

Education: Bachelor’s Degree, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; JD, DePaul University

Email: ANOASCON@depaul.edu

Bruce L. Ottley is a professor of law at DePaul University, where he has taught since 1978. He also directs the DePaul University/University College Dublin Cooperative Program, and serves as a co-director of the International Aviation Law Institute. Professor Ottley served as associate dean of the College of Law for nine years, acting dean in 2006 and interim dean during the 2014-2015 academic year.

Professor Ottley’s areas of teaching include torts, civil procedure, remedies and products liability. He is the co-author of Illinois Tort Law (4th ed., LexisNexis 2011), Product Liability Law in Illinois (4th ed., Law Bulletin Publishing 2009), Understanding Products Liability Law (2d ed., LexisNexis 2013), and Arson Law and Prosecution (Carolina Academic Press 2009). He also worked with the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts for 20 years conducting seminars on tort law for Illinois judges.

Prior to joining DePaul, Professor Ottley was a member of the University Of Papua New Guinea Faculty Of Law from 1972 to 1977. While in Papua New Guinea, he also practiced law and was a judge of the National Capitol District Court from 1976 to 1977.

Education: Bachelor’s Degree, University of Missouri-Kansas City; JD and Master’s Degree, University of Iowa; LLM, Columbia University

Email: BOTTLEY@depaul.edu

Prior to teaching, Martha Pagliari was a partner at Cassiday Schade & Gloor practicing in the areas of medical malpractice, products liability, property damage, construction accidents, toxic torts and general negligence. She represented management in employment law cases before the federal courts, the EEOC, State of Illinois Department of Human Rights, Cook County Commission on Human Rights and the City of Chicago Commission on Human Relations. She is licensed to practice law in Illinois and is a member of the Federal Trial Bar. At DePaul, she teaches Legal Analysis, Research & Communication.

Education: Bachelor's Degree, University of Notre Dame; JD, DePaul University

Email: mpagliar@depaul.edu

Aarón Siebert-Llera, Esq., has been committed to social justice work for over 20 years, a commitment that began in earnest while he was an undergraduate student at San Francisco State University working towards his BA in Raza Studies (Latino Studies). After graduation he worked as an Americorps fellow at an after-school program in San Francisco's Excelsior District. He moved to Chicago in 2003 for graduate school and completed his Master of Arts in interdisciplinary studies at DePaul University in 2004. He eventually went to Loyola University Chicago's School of Law and graduated in 2009. With a focus on civil rights, his legal career has included work at the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois as an immigrants' rights attorney, legislative and litigation roles at the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, community lawyering with the Inner-city Muslim Action Network, and as a high school law teacher in the Chicago Public Schools. Community centered work remained a core part of his career as he served in the role of director of inclusion at The Morton Arboretum from 2021 – 2023. He now returns to the legal world and is excited to join DePaul University College of Law, eager to return to his alma mater to work with future lawyers.

Education: JD, DePaul University 

Email: asiebert@depaul.edu

Swathi Staley is the chief community investment officer and general counsel for the YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago, a human services organization that aims to connect people to their purpose, potential, and each other. The YMCA serves the community by providing a safe place for youth and families to be themselves and connect with others. Swathi leads the YMCA’s strategic community development goals, leading the organization’s health equity, digital literacy, economic empowerment, food security, violence prevention, workforce development, and legal and real estate portfolio. Swathi is passionate about connecting critical community resources to disinvested and underinvested communities.

Education: Bachelor's Degree, Saint Louis University; JD, DePaul University

Mr. Thomas is the Director of Professional Development at the Law Office of the Cook County Public Defender where he is responsible for the training of over 500 attorneys, 70 administrative professionals and 60 investigators. As an Assistant Public Defender, Mr. Thomas was assigned to the Homicide Task Force where he exclusively represented indigent clients charged with murder and other homicide-related offenses. During his more than 14 years with the Office, Mr. Thomas has tried over 60 jury trials and has worked in the Office’s Felony Trial Division at the Leighton Criminal Courthouse as well as the Misdemeanor and Traffic Divisions of the Maywood Courthouse.

When he is not zealously representing his clients or training, Mr. Thomas spends his time mentoring young attorneys and law students. One of his dearest passions is his service as head coach of the National Trial Team at DePaul University College of Law, where he has closely mentored hundreds of aspiring lawyers. He is also an adjunct professor of Trial Advocacy I at DePaul University College of Law and has presented various topics related to trial advocacy and the rules of evidence. Mr. Thomas is a graduate of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and DePaul University College of Law

Education: Bachelor's Degree, Illinois University; JD, DePaul University 

Email: Theo.S.Thomas@gmail.com

Donna Welch is a Kirkland trial lawyer, who has tried complex cases involving a broad range of business and commercial issues before federal and state courts. Her practice includes public nuisance claims, breach of fiduciary duty, pharmaceutical litigation, government investigations, class actions and litigation involving fraud and civil RICO. Donna was recently recognized as an American Lawyer "Litigator of the Week" for achieving a complete defense win in a $50 billion public nuisance suit against opioid manufacturers in a six month trial in Orange County, California. CVN named it the #1 most impressive defense verdict of 2021. Donna’s practice also includes plaintiff-side litigation, obtaining the largest civil verdict then recorded in Wisconsin and a top ten national jury verdict involving breach of fiduciary and RICO claims. Donna also serves as pro bono coordinator for Kirkland’s Chicago office.

Education: Bachelor’s Degree, University of Chicago; JD, DePaul University College of Law

Email: Donna.welch@kirkland.com