Claire Nilsen Blumenson, Esq., Executive Director & Co-Founder (she/her)
Claire has focused her career on the intersection of juvenile justice and education. After graduating from University of Virginia Law in 2011, Claire joined the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia as an Equal Justice Works Fellow. Through this two-year fellowship, Claire provided post-disposition special education representation to young people ages 18-22 who had been placed in DC's secure juvenile facility. To continue this work, she co-founded and launched School Justice Project (SJP) in August 2013 thanks to seed funding from Echoing Green’s Black Male Achievement Fellowship. SJP is a DC-based special education legal services nonprofit for older court-involved students with disabilities.
Prior to working at PDS, Claire received her Bachelor of Arts from Wesleyan University, majoring in government, sociology, and psychology. After joining Teach for America’s New York City cohort in 2006, Claire earned her master’s degree while teaching third and fourth grade at Excellence Boys Charter School. From 2016-2020, Claire was an adjunct professor The George Washington University Law School.
Claire is an attorney admitted to practice in the District of Columbia and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Claire can be reached at: cblumenson@sjpdc.org.
Tayo Belle, Esq., Deputy Director (she/her)
As Deputy Director for School Justice Project, Tayo supervises all programmatic areas of SJP’s work. Tayo’s systemic work aims to mitigate the consequences of the juvenile and criminal legal systems by using special education laws to promote education throughout all periods of court involvement and reentry.
Tayo serves as lead counsel in Charles H. v. District of Columbia, a class action challenging the denial of education to students incarcerated at the DC Jail during the COVID-19 pandemic and Barnes v. District of Columbia, a class action challenging the lack of special education for DC students in Federal Bureau of Prison (BOP) facilities. Tayo leads SJP’s systemic advocacy efforts aimed at improving correctional education and advocating for the effective implementation of special education laws.Before joining SJP, Tayo was a Staff Attorney at Advocates for Children of New York representing individual students with special education needs.
Tayo was also an Equal Justice Works Fellow at the American Civil Liberties Union of New York, where she advocated for statewide and local policies to address school discipline and safety issues and assisted with education-related federal litigation. During Tayo’s tenure with the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights in San Francisco, she served as the Thurgood Marshall Civil Rights Fellow. She was part of the team that successfully challenged the Federal Railroad Administration to increase contracting opportunities for minority-owned businesses resulting in a nationwide change to the standard contract.
During law school, Tayo was a legal intern for the Honorable Ann Williams (Ret.), U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit in Chicago and at the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund in New York City where she worked on education issues. Prior to law school, Tayo was a Staff Assistant for United States Senator Robert P. Casey. Tayo holds a B.A. in Political Science from The Ohio State University and a J.D. from Northeastern University School of Law.
Tayo is an attorney admitted to practice in the District of Columbia, the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, and New York. Tayo can be reached at: tbelle@sjpdc.org.
Rachel Russo, Esq., Director of Operations (she/her)
Rachel joined SJP in 2014 shortly after graduating from Georgetown University Law Center where she immersed herself in the various facets of representing young people in the juvenile legal system. Her dedication was evident through internships at the Gault Center (formerly National Juvenile Defender Center), the Juvenile Services Program of the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia, and a specialized division of Maryland's Office of the Public Defender representing children charged as adults. In her final year of law school, Rachel served as a student attorney in Georgetown's Juvenile Justice Clinic, focusing on representing young people committed to the District's juvenile justice agency. She also contributed as a teaching assistant for a course on advocating for young people in the deepest end of the juvenile system.
Over the past decade at SJP, Rachel's role has evolved significantly. Initially, she served as a Staff Attorney and then became a Supervising Attorney, training and supervising new team members. Rachel now serves as SJP's Director of Operations, providing administrative leadership to the organization by overseeing financial, human resources, and development systems and managing day-to-day operations while continuing to contribute to SJP's programmatic efforts.
Rachel holds a Bachelor's Degree in Art History from the University of Miami, where her volunteer work with young people aging out of foster care and students with disabilities fueled her decision to become an attorney.
Rachel is admitted to practice law in the District of Columbia and Maryland. Rachel can be reached at: rrusso@sjpdc.org.
Aubrey Dillon, Esq., Managing Attorney (he/him)
Aubrey joined School Justice Project after over twelve years as a public defender advocating for our most marginalized community members facing accusations ranging from traffic violations to homicide charges. He is a proud alum of Queens Defenders (formerly known as Queens Law Associates), the Maryland Office of the Public Defender and the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia, where he served as a Supervising Attorney. He has developed and implemented trainings in person, virtually, in one one-on-one settings, in large groups, small groups and even once internationally. He has handled dozens of jury trials, hundreds of bench trials, and has represented thousands of individual clients.
He holds a B.A. summa cum laude in Women's and Gender Studies and Political Science from the City University of New York-Hunter College and a J.D. from Berkeley Law School. Prior to law school, Aubrey worked in the LGBTQ+ civil rights movement.
Aubrey is an attorney admitted to practice in DC, Maryland, and New York and speaks Spanish. Aubrey can be reached at: adillon@sjpdc.org.
Rachel Goodman, Esq., Senior Staff Attorney (she/her)
Rachel joined the School Justice Project as a Senior Staff Attorney in the fall of 2023. Before joining SJP, Rachel spent four years defending both young people and adults charged with crimes at the Public Defender Service of Washington D.C. (PDS) and Brooklyn Defender Services (BDS). While in law school, Rachel represented clients facing misdemeanor charges at CUNY's Criminal Defense Clinic, and prepared a petition for Executive Clemency on behalf of an individual serving a life sentence, which was ultimately granted by Governor Cuomo in January 2019.
Rachel also interned with the Criminal Defense Practice at The Bronx Defenders, advocated on behalf of detained clients at Rikers Island with the Prisoner’s Rights Project at the Legal Aid Society, and supported folks as they prepared for upcoming parole hearings as an advocate with the Parole Preparation Project.
Prior to law school, Rachel worked for the International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ), where she developed advocacy campaigns calling for state accountability and reparations in the aftermath of mass violence. Rachel also supported a truth-seeking initiative in Ferguson, MO, which sought to expose and eliminate state-sponsored racial violence. These experiences led her to law school to fight mass incarceration and to reimagine systems for community safety. Rachel is a graduate of the George Washington University, and completed a Masters degree in Political Studies from the University of Cape Town in South Africa. Rachel received her J.D. from the City University of New York (CUNY) School of Law.
Rachel is an attorney admitted to practice in the District of Columbia. Rachel can be reached at: rgoodman@sjpdc.org.
Sophie Thackray, Esq., Supervising Staff Attorney (she/her)
Sophie supervises Staff Attorneys as part of SJP's direct representation work. Sophie graduated from the Georgetown University Law Center in 2020, where she focused on juvenile justice and special education law. While in law school, Sophie interned at Children's Rights, the National Center for Youth Law, and Advocates for Children of New York. She also participated in Georgetown's Innovative Policing Practicum, where she worked with DC's Metropolitan Police Department to train officer recruits and research policing reform. During her final year of law school, she served as a student attorney with Georgetown's Juvenile Justice Clinic.
Prior to law school, Sophie served with City Year AmeriCorps at Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School in Washington, DC. She received her bachelor's degree in Spanish and Art History from the University of Oregon's Clark Honors College, where she also participated in the Inside Out Prison Exchange Program.
Sophie is an attorney licensed to practice in the District of Columbia. Sophie can be reached at: sthackray@sjpdc.org.
Rebecca Desta, Esq., Staff Attorney (she/her)
Rebecca graduated from Loyola University New Orleans College of Law in 2022, where she focused on social justice. While in law school, Rebecca interned at the Louisiana Fair Housing Action Center, ACLU of Louisiana, Citizen SHE, Voice of the Experienced, the Washington Lawyer’s Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs, and the Innocence Project New Orleans. She also volunteered with the Justice and Accountability Center of Louisiana’s Reentry Clinic. During her final year of law school, Rebecca served as a student practitioner with Loyola’s Youth Justice Clinic, focusing on special education law and juvenile defense.
Prior to law school, Rebecca worked as a Staff Assistant for a former U.S. Senator, and as a Political Coordinator for a candidate in the 2019 Kansas City Mayor’s Race. She received her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Missouri-Kansas City.
Rebecca is an attorney licensed to practice in the District of Columbia. Rebecca can be reached at: rdesta@sjpdc.org.
Katie Martinez, Esq., Equal Justice Works Fellow Co-sponsored by Greenberg Traurig, LLP and Steptoe & Johnson LLP/Staff Attorney (she/her)
Katie joined School Justice Project as an Equal Justice Works Fellow co-sponsored by Greenberg Traurig, LLP and Steptoe & Johnson LLP. As a law student, Katie focused on advocating for court-involved young people and adults in both pre-trial and post-conviction settings. In Massachusetts, she co-led the disciplinary hearing representation practice of the Harvard Prison Legal Assistance Project and served as a student practitioner for the juvenile defense office of the Massachusetts Committee for Public Counsel Services (CPCS). Katie also served as a law clerk for the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia (PDS) in both the Special Education practice and Prisoner & Reentry Legal Services Program.
In her final year, she worked as a student attorney for the Education Law Clinic, a part of the Trauma and Learning Policy Initiative, where she represented her clients in special education and other related administrative proceedings.
Katie graduated cum laude from Harvard Law School in 2023. Prior to law school, she received her B.A. in Political Science from the University of California Berkeley, where she graduated with Highest Honors.
Katie is an attorney licensed to practice in the District of Columbia. Katie can be reached at: kmartinez@sjpdc.org.
Morgan Crawford, Esq., Staff Attorney (she/her)
Morgan joined School Justice Project as a Staff Attorney in the fall of 2024. Before joining SJP, Morgan clerked for the Honorable Judge J. Michael Ryan at the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. During law school, she interned in the Office of the Public Defender in Arlington, Virginia and Prince George’s County, Maryland, Quality Trust for Individuals with Disabilities, and for the Honorable Judge Tanya S. Chutkan at the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. Her studies and internship experiences focused on the intersection of criminal and disability law. In her final year of law school, Morgan worked as a student attorney in the Disability Rights Law Clinic where she represented a parent in special education proceedings and co-wrote a motion to reduce a client’s sentence under the Incarceration Reduction Amendment Act (IRAA). This motion was ultimately granted, resulting in the client’s release from prison after more than 21 years.
Prior to law school, Morgan was a case manager on the forensic ACT Team at Community Connections, a D.C.-based non-profit organization providing mental health services. Morgan graduated cum laude from American University Washington College of Law in 2023. She received her B.A. in Cognitive Science and Psychology from the University of Virginia.
Morgan is an attorney admitted to practice in the District of Columbia. Morgan can be reached at: mcrawford@sjpdc.org.
Access to Justice | Access to Education
Kate A. Martin, Board Chair
Human Rights/Civil Liberties Lawyer
Kate is proud to have served as Chair of the Board of SJP since its founding. Martin served as Director of the Center for National Security Studies for more than 20 years doing litigation, policy research and advocacy on issues at the intersection of national security, civil liberties, and human rights. The New York Times Taking Note blog described her as an expert on surveillance and detention, and a leading advocate for the rule of law in the so-called war on terror. She has testified before Congress, commented in the national media, and written extensively on these issues for more than 30 years. She has taught national security law and also served as general counsel to the National Security Archive. Most recently, she was a Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress. She was a partner at the law firm of Nussbaum, Owen and Webster before becoming a public interest lawyer. She has a BA from Pomona College and a JD from the University of Virginia Law School.
Christy Weisner, Treasurer
Practice Innovation Consultant
Christy is a lawyer who focuses on legal operations and innovation to help improve the way that lawyers deliver services to their clients. Prior to law school, Christy worked on Capitol Hill in the personal office of the Honorable Elijah E. Cummings (MD-07) and as an intern for Senator Paul S. Sarbanes (MD). Christy graduated from the University of Virginia School of Law in 2010, clerked for the Honorable Edward Hogshire in Charlottesville, Virginia, and practiced as a litigation associate at a global law firm, where she dedicated significant time to pro bono cases. Christy stopped practicing law and began innovating it through process and technology improvements, first at alternative legal companies and now in the practice innovation department of a large law firm.
As a member of the board of School Justice Project since 2013, Christy has focused her efforts on community outreach, fundraising, and governance improvements. She has led or supported SJP’s annual fundraising event since 2013, she served as the Secretary from 2016-2017, and now serves as the Treasurer since 2018.
Ewadele Butler, Secretary
Associate General Counsel and WIT General Counsel at Walton Enterprises, LLC
Dele is an attorney for Walton Enterprises with over 12 years of experience optimizing multi-million dollar business investments and performance across diverse industries. She is an advisor to family offices, founders, venture capitalists, corporate executives, and institutional investors. She has strong, expertise and background in PE/VC fund formation, team building, and corporate governance. She effectively leads with intelligence, interpersonal awareness, and the innate ability to create long-term solutions for the most complex business needs.
Marcus Littles, Board Member
Founder & Senior Partner, Frontline Solutions
Marcus is an experienced social entrepreneur with expertise in racial and gender justice, strategic philanthropy, and social justice and advocacy. He is the Founder and Senior Partner at Frontline Solutions, a Black-owned national consulting firm that offers clients in the nonprofit and public sectors a full range of services to enhance impact. Under Marcus’ leadership, Frontline has provided support services to numerous social change organizations, including philanthropic foundations, affinity groups and support organizations, as well as nonprofits advocacy groups and social enterprises. Frontline has three offices, in Washington DC, Philadelphia, and Durham, NC, and 17 full-time staff.
Previously, Littles worked as a consultant for TCC Group, served as a Program Associate in the Ford Foundation’s Community and Resource Development Unit and has held positions as a policy analyst at the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, an educator at a middle school in South Africa and a program director at several youth development organizations.
Originally from Mobile, Alabama, currently Marcus lives in Washington DC with his wife and toddler son.
Sarah Remes, Board Member
Senior Education Attorney, Children’s Law Center
Sarah Remes is a senior education attorney with the Children's Law Center's Healthy Together medical-legal partnership and the Guardian ad Litem (GAL) project. She represents parents and caregivers primarily in special education and discipline cases, as well as provides technical assistance and consultation to GALs on education-related issues for youth who are the subject of abuse and neglect cases. Prior to joining Children’s Law Center, Sarah was a Guardian ad Litem with D.C. Volunteer Lawyers Program and an immigration attorney in private practice, where she represented immigrants applying for asylum and for relief from deportation.
Sarah received her bachelor's in public policy from Brown University, J.D. from UCLA, and Master's in Social Work from the University of Maryland. She lives in DC with her husband and two children.
Dan Sharpe, Board Member
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Manager, Foley & Lardner LLP
Dan is a former patent attorney who is now the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Manager at Foley & Lardner LLP. Prior to starting in this role, Dan practiced law at Bookoff McAndrews, a patent law firm specializing in patent counseling and prosecution. Dan’s practice includes all aspects of patent prosecution and portfolio development in a variety of technologies including sporting goods, augmented reality, safety equipment, apparel, and medical devices.
Dan received his bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering along with a certificate in African American Studies from Princeton University, and his J.D. from The University of Virginia Law School. Prior to law school, Dan was a patent examiner at the USPTO.
Jahmila Williams, Board Member
Director of Social Impact, 1Huddle
Jahmila is the Director of Social Impact at 1Huddle, a workforce tech company that upskills, trains, and motivates employees through science-backed, quick-burst mobile games.
Jahmila leads strategy and execution of 1Huddle's social impact work by helping community organizations and nonprofits transform their employee training and development programs into highly effective skill building experiences. In this role she has advised global brands on workforce policy and DEI related content strategy, including donating over $2 million in platform and services to a community of nonprofits, associations, and critically important programs.
Prior to her work at 1Huddle, Jahmila was a corporate attorney, practicing anti-corruption and compliance law at Ropes and Gray and Paul Hastings in New York City. Jahmila is a board member for the School Justice Project, a trustee for the All Stars Project of New Jersey, a graduate of American University's Washington College of Law, and a former NCAA collegiate soccer athlete.
Dave Bligh, Board Member
Director, AlixPartners LLP
Dave is a forensic accountant at AlixPartners. He has nearly 15 years of experience assisting clients with their investigation and compliance needs focused primarily on accounting, disclosure, and internal controls matters. His practice often involves advising clients on reporting to and negotiations with the Securities and Exchange Commission and Department of Justice.
Dave is a Certified Public Accountant, a Certified Fraud Examiner, and Certified Compliance and Ethics Professional. Dave holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration with honors in accounting and management from the University of Richmond.
Prior to his career at AlixPartners, Dave was a senior auditor at a Big Four public accounting firm.