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Presenters


Greenberg
Alexandra is a partner at the family law firm Davis Friedman LLP, focusing on high-conflict divorce and child custody cases, orders of protection and guardianships. She has successfully negotiated and litigated numerous issues pertaining to pre-decree divorces and post-decree modifications, child-related matters such as attempted relocation and supervision of parenting time, orders of protection, and complex financial issues such as business valuation and determination of parties’ income. Alexandra has been named Super Lawyers Rising Star from 2022-2025. 
 
Alexandra received her undergraduate degree from Vanderbilt University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science. She attended DePaul University College of Law, graduating with a Certificate in Child and Family Law and being a first year Schiller DuCanto & Fleck family law fellow. While at DePaul, Alexandra was active in the formation of DePaul’s Child and Family Law Association, participated in DePaul University’s Family Law Clinic, and received the Benjamin Hooks Public Service Award for over 200 hours of service. Alexandra held an externship with the Domestic Violence Legal Clinic, using her 711 law student license to assist domestic violence victims in obtaining Orders of Protection. 
 
Alexandra sits on the Schiller, DuCanto & Fleck Family Law Advisory Board of DePaul University College of Law.  She is Co-Chair of the Chicago Bar Association Domestic Violence Committee and the Alliance for Women. She is in her 5th year sitting on the Young Professionals Board of Ascend Justice, serving as Vice Chair of Fundraising.  
 
Alexandra currently expands her philanthropic involvement beyond the law. She sits on the Board of Directors of Chicago Gateway Green and is currently in her second term as Commodore of Diversey Yacht Club. She is a dedicated Tri Delta, serving as a Collegiate District Officer and overseeing multiple chapters. When she is not in the courtroom, you can find her on the water enjoying Lake Michigan. 
Haldar

Deeya Haldar is a Professor and the Director of the Civil Justice Clinic at the Charles Widger School of Law at Villanova University. Professor Haldar also serves as the Director of the Clinical Program at Villanova. Prior to Villanova, she was the Supervising Attorney for the Drexel Civil Litigation Field Clinic at Philadelphia Legal Assistance (“PLA”) and a Co-Supervising Attorney of the Family Law Unit at PLA, as well as an Adjunct Professor at Drexel University’s Thomas R. Kline School of Law. Professor Haldar graduated from Cornell University and received her J.D from the New York University School of Law. After law school, Professor Haldar clerked for the Honorable Carolyn Berger of the Delaware Supreme Court. Prior to her time at PLA, Professor Haldar served as a law guardian at the Legal Aid Society in Brooklyn, New York, and represented children in all stages of their child welfare proceedings. She is the co-author of an article about teaching trauma-informed lawyering to law students and has also written and presented extensively on the topic of trauma-informed representation. 

Hawkins
Throughout her tenure at the Cook County Office of the Public Guardian (OPG), Sarah has been a tireless advocate having represented children in contested divorces, complex guardianship matters, delinquency issues and child protection proceedings. In her current role as Director of the OPG’s Domestic Relations Division, she manages the division of attorneys and support staff ensuring that the focus remains on having their clients’ voices heard as they navigate the often difficult and emotional legal process of divorce and custody matters. Sarah brings a wealth of experience and expertise from her years as a supervisor in juvenile court where she supervised and managed courtroom staff and litigated complex abuse and neglect issues. Despite her challenging work at the OPG, Sarah remains active in Chicago’s legal community and has served on the Board of Directors of the Black Women Lawyers Association also having presented to both the Family Law Section of the Cook County Bar Association and the Young Lawyers Section of the Chicago Bar Association. In service to the bar and community, Sarah has also coordinated and developed the Mock Trial Program at her high school alma mater, Hyde Park Career Academy. Sarah is involved in a number of bar committees and currently serves as vice-chair of the Schiller, DuCanto & Fleck Family Law Center at the DePaul College of Law and is a member of The Cook County Domestic Relations Division Child Representative Steering and Mentoring Committees. 
 
Sarah is a proud graduate of the University of Illinois and earned her Juris Doctor from the University of Wisconsin Law School. 
Khatoon
Aziza Khatoon is a senior staff attorney within the Children & Families Practice Group at Legal Aid Chicago where she exclusively litigates orders of protection and family law cases. Khatoon received her MA in Middle Eastern studies from the University of Chicago and her JD from DePaul Law with a certificate in Public Interest Law.  
 
Presently, she serves as a board member of DePaul’s Schiller DuCanto & Fleck Family Law Center and on board of the American Bar Association (ABA) Commission on Domestic and Sexual Violence, having previously served as an ABA Family Law Fellow. 
Melrose

Elise Melrose is the Senior Attorney for Legislative Affairs with the Office of the Cook County Public Guardian. Elise works with the office’s legislation unit to identify needed changes in the law to effectively advocate for youth involved in the Illinois child welfare system, in addition to providing direct client representation to children in child protection proceedings.  She also facilitates sessions for staff to address secondary trauma. She graduated from DePaul University College of Law. 

Morgan

Mallory Morgan is a supervisory attorney in the Children & Families Practice Group at Legal Aid Chicago. She joined Legal Aid Chicago as a staff attorney in 2018, after working at DePaul Law as an Illinois Bar Foundation Fellow. Her practice focuses on representing survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence in civil protective order hearings and domestic relations matters, including divorce and child custody. Morgan works primarily with immigrant clients, and she has expanded her practice to assist survivors of domestic violence in addressing their immigration needs. Additionally, she is the leader of Legal Aid Chicago’s Comprehensive Legal Assistance for Survivors Project, which focuses on providing legal services to survivors of sexual assault. Mallory received her undergraduate degree from Villanova University and her law degree from DePaul University College of Law. 

Munoz

Karen Munoz is a seasoned plaintiff’s attorney, wellness educator, and the founder of Roaring Grace, a legal wellness consultancy dedicated to helping lawyers thrive. After nearly two decades practicing trauma-informed law, Karen is now pursuing a master’s in psychology with a focus on integrating mindfulness, resilience, and emotional intelligence into the legal field. Through her work as a speaker, yoga teacher, and educator, she brings a unique perspective on what it means to be both a strong advocate and a healthy human being in the legal world. 

Nathan

Lindsay Nathan has been an Attorney at Ascend Justice since June 2011. She is currently the Director of the Family Law Program at Ascend. Prior to this position, Lindsay worked as a Senior Family Law Attorney and a Staff Attorney in the Order of Protection walk-in clinic. At Ascend, Lindsay manages the family law team, which handles divorce and parentage matters, including representing victims of domestic violence and frequently handling cases involving Orders of Protections. She also serves as a member of DePaul's Schiller DuCanto & Fleck Family Law Center Advisory Board.  Lindsay is fluent in Spanish. In May 2010, Lindsay received her JD from the University of Notre Dame Law School. She received her BA from Illinois Wesleyan University. 

 
Pedroza

Jenelle Pedroza, LCSW, is the Director of Client Support Services at Legal Aid Chicago where she leads a team of social workers who partner closely with attorneys to support clients in navigating their legal challenges alongside trauma and instability. Since joining Legal Aid Chicago in 2017, Jenelle has worked at the intersection of legal and social work practice, helping develop and implement trauma-informed strategies that support both clients and staff. Her work focuses on providing practical, client-centered support, and she has helped create organization-wide trainings for legal staff and leads a national working group of social workers in legal aid settings. Jenelle is fluent in Spanish and holds a Master of Social Work from Jane Addams College of Social Work at the University of Illinois at Chicago. 

Pica

Jason practices divorce and family law at Dussias Wittenberg Koenigsberger LLP (DWK). Jason obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Loyola University Chicago and a Master of Social Work with a specialization in clinical work with children and families from Loyola University Chicago School of Social Work. There, he was Co-Editor-in-Chief of Praxis, the School of Social Work’s student-run academic journal and a counselor to teenagers. Having provided psychotherapeutic services to children, Jason takes special interest in divorce and family law cases involving mental health challenges.  

 
Jason also obtained a Juris Doctor from the University of Illinois-Chicago where he is an adjunct professor. During law school, Jason served as a judicial extern in the Circuit Court of Cook County – Domestic Relations Division as well as a Court Appointed Special Advocate in the Child Protection Division. Jason is a graduate of the American Bar Association’s Section of Family Law Fellowship program and presently serves as an Editorial Board Member of the Section’s Family Law Quarterly, a peer-reviewed journal and has served as faculty for the Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education (IICLE). Jason is the President-Elect of the Illinois Chapter of the Association of Family & Conciliation Courts (AFCC), Co-Chair of the Family Law Committee of the Cook County Bar Association (CCBA), an Advisory Board Member for DePaul College of Law’s Schiller DuCanto & Fleck Family Law Center, an Associate Board Member of the Black Men Lawyers’ Association, an Editorial Board member of Family Law Advocate and was appointed to the Illinois State Bar Association’s Family Law Section Council and Diversity Leadership Council. Jason has been honored to receive the CCBA’s Presidential Award-2025 and recognized by Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America in Family Law-2025.
Ryan

By bringing a practical approach to problem solving, Patrick helps his clients move forward with their lives by addressing the complex, emotional and often difficult situations that arise in divorce cases. In addition to his legal practice, Patrick served as an adjunct professor at DePaul University’s College of Law, teaching Family Law Legal Drafting to law students. He is presently a member of the DePaul University College of Law’s Schiller DuCanto & Fleck Family Law Center’s Advisory Board. He was a frequent volunteer at Cabrini Green Legal Aid and a former member of their Young Professional’s Board. Patrick has also dedicated pro bono service on behalf of minor children as a Guardian Ad Litem in the Cook County Domestic Relations division. A frequent author and speaker, Patrick has authored several publications on the drafting of settlement agreement, pre-nuptial agreements, and the intersections of personal finance, planning and divorce. He has lectured on various topics at law schools, Continuing Legal Education seminars, and to various professional organizations over the years.  

A lifelong resident of the City of Chicago, Patrick attended the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, where he spent a year working for the Champaign County State’s Attorney in the area of juvenile neglect and abuse. After graduating from the University of Illinois, Patrick returned to Chicago to attend DePaul University’s College of Law. While at DePaul, Patrick focused his studies on Family law, earning a Certificate in Family Law from DePaul, and graduating Cum Laude. During his time at DePaul, Patrick served as a law clerk for the Chief Judge of the Domestic Relations Division of Cook County. He also spent a semester teaching Street Law, a course aimed at teaching the fundamentals of the American Legal System to high school students at Curie High School on Chicago’s South Side.
Schroeder

Lauren Schroeder is currently a Senior Attorney in Ascend Justice's Systemic Justice Division, working specifically with the Incarcerated Survivors and Family Defense programs. In this role, she provides direct representation and other legal services to survivors of gender-based violence who are incarcerated or impacted by the child welfare system. Prior to her current position she worked in Ascend Justice's Emergency Services Division, representing survivors of domestic violence achieve safety through Orders of Protection. Prior to joining Ascend Justice, she served as the Post-Graduate Clinical Teaching Policy and Legislation Fellow at Loyola's Civitas ChildLaw Center, where she advocated on a variety of policy and legislative issues impacting underserved and underrepresented children and families. She also previously clerked for the Honorable Kathleen G. Kennedy in the Chancery Division of the Circuit Court of Cook County. 

   
Lauren received her J.D. magna cum laude from the Loyola University Chicago School of Law, where she served as an Executive Editor of the Loyola University Chicago Law Journal and was a Civitas ChildLaw Fellow. She simultaneously obtained her M.P.P. from Loyola University Chicago in a dual-degree program. Lauren received her B.A. from DePaul University. 
Stankus

Alison Stankus is a supervising attorney and the Director of Training/Development for the Juvenile Division of the Office of the Cook County Public Guardian. In addition to direct client representation of children and youth in care, she coordinates the division’s training and continuing education programs for law students, attorneys, and other professional disciplines. She also co-facilitates monthly consultation groups for staff to address secondary traumatic stress. Alison trains and presents throughout Illinois as well as nationally on topics including trial skills, child interviewing, and secondary trauma inherent in the practice of child and family law. She has published articles in various law journals and through the American Bar Association Children’s Rights Litigation Section. In 2021, Alison was appointed by the Supreme Court of Illinois to the Illinois Judicial College Committee on Guardian ad litem Education, and was reappointed for a second term in December 2023. She serves as faculty for National Institute for Trial Advocacy courses, and is an adjunct lecturer at the University of Illinois School of Social Work and Loyola University School of Law. Alison received both her JD, with a Certificate in Child and Family Law, and MSW from Loyola University Chicago. 

 

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