Background
I am an attorney and scholar with a Ph.D. in Comparative Immigration Law from Radboud University in Nijmegen, Netherlands. My work focuses on the intersection of law, migration, and institutional change, particularly on how faith-based organizations, states, and individuals navigate displacement and transformation.
My research and practice span immigration law, institutional analysis, appellate procedure, and the role of civil society in migration policy. I bring both academic rigor and practical legal experience to these complex, interdisciplinary questions.
Professional Roles
Judicial Law Clerk
I clerk for the Illinois Appellate Court, where I assist with case analysis, legal research, and opinion drafting across civil and criminal appeals. This experience deepens my understanding of appellate procedure and the judicial decision-making process.
Adjunct Professor
I teach courses in immigration law and advanced legal writing. I am committed to helping students understand law not as a static set of rules, but as a dynamic instrument through which societies organize themselves and address fundamental human challenges.
Vice President & Board Member
I serve on the Board of Directors and Finance Committee, participating in governance and financial oversight decisions for this community development organization.
Judicial Evaluation Committee Investigator
I evaluate the fitness and qualifications of candidates for Circuit Court judgeships in Cook County, authoring formal investigative reports for committee members responsible for judicial endorsement decisions.
Philosophy
I believe that legal education is most meaningful when it connects theory to practice, doctrine to lived experience, and rule-following to moral reasoning. Law is not a closed system of rules to be memorized, but a dynamic instrument through which societies organize themselves and attempt to solve problems.
My teaching aims to cultivate three things in students: a deep understanding of legal doctrine and procedural mechanics; the ability to recognize law's limits and constraints; and the imagination to envision and work toward legal change. I encourage students to ask not only "what does the law say?" but also "what should the law say, and how can we make that change?"
I believe that law is most interesting and most important at the points where it touches human life—where abstract doctrine meets concrete human struggle. My work seeks to illuminate these moments: how legal systems enable or constrain the agency of those within them, and how communities build alternatives when existing institutions fail them.
Courses
Immigration Law
DePaul University College of Law
A comprehensive survey of U.S. immigration law covering admissions, removals, naturalization, and the rights of noncitizens. The course explores how immigration law reflects and shapes American society's understanding of membership, belonging, and the limits of state sovereignty. Emphasis on both statutory frameworks and case law, with attention to administrative agency role and recent reforms.
Advanced Legal Writing
DePaul University College of Law
A course in persuasive legal writing and argumentation, focusing on developing clear, compelling prose for professional legal contexts. Students work on briefs, memoranda, and other forms of legal communication, with emphasis on clarity, precision, and effective advocacy.
Advanced Legal Writing
Chicago-Kent College of Law
A course in persuasive legal writing and argumentation, focusing on developing clear, compelling prose for professional legal contexts. Students work on briefs, memoranda, and other forms of legal communication, with emphasis on clarity, precision, and effective advocacy.
Research & Scholarship
My research is grounded in comparative and transnational law, with particular attention to how non-state actors—including churches, NGOs, and community organizations—shape migration outcomes. I am interested in moments of institutional innovation and resistance, where established rules meet human ingenuity and moral conviction.
I have published work with Brill Academic Publishers, one of the world's leading scholarly presses, and continue to contribute to academic and professional dialogues on immigration, institutional design, and social change.
Academic Interests
I am interested in supervising student research and independent study projects on topics related to immigration law, comparative law, institutional design, and the role of non-state actors in law and policy. If you are a student interested in working with me on research, please get in touch.
- Immigration Law and Policy
- Appellate Practice and Procedure
- Comparative Legal Systems
- Institutional Analysis and Design
- Migration and Human Rights
- Civil Society and Law
- Legal Advocacy and Social Change
Education
Ph.D. in Comparative Migration Law
J.D., summa cum laude
Order of the Coif
LL.M. cum laude, European Human Rights and Migration Law
B.A. magna cum laude, German & International Studies (Business)
Professional Affiliations
I am a member of the Illinois Appellate Lawyers Association and am active in professional organizations focused on immigration law and judicial reform.
In the Media
I've discussed immigration law, institutional design, and legal reform in various forums. Watch an interview on my work:
Click to watch on YouTube