Law and Public Service Pathway Leadership Team

Career Pathway Leadership Teams are model community members and leaders within the Career Pathways, who help the Career Advancement Center with mobilizing community members, evaluating services, and implementing best practice career development solutions to support graduates’ ability to prepare for, and attain, productive and rewarding careers. Leadership teams are composed of trustees, alumni, faculty/staff, employers and students willing to serve as engaged, enthusiastic partners to the CAC.

Law and Public Service Career Pathway Leader: Jennifer Lazarus, JD


Jennifer Lazarus

Jen Lazarus is the Law and Public Service Career Pathway Leader and Senior Associate Director for Internships, supporting students in this pathway and directing the Academic Internship Program. 

Jen graduated from the University of Michigan with a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature and holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law. Prior to joining Lake Forest College in 2014, she served as an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney for the Washtenaw County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office in Ann Arbor, MI. She brings experience in both law and public service through her extensive litigation experience, prosecuting cases in criminal and civil law, representing the Department of Human Services in child protection cases, and conducting legal training for law enforcement, social workers, education professionals, and interns. Jen also directed the Juvenile Diversion Restoration Program, dedicated to reducing juvenile recidivism and helping at-risk youth avoid criminal prosecution. She holds active law licenses in Illinois and Michigan.

Jen’s professional career has been dedicated to advocacy, ensuring all people’s voices are heard, protecting and promoting their rights, and helping those who are unable to speak for themselves. She is passionate about student success and works collaboratively with colleagues, presenting novel approaches to students' challenges and helping them discover their unique path.

External Community Members: Trustees, Employers, Alumni, and Friends


Devon Bruce
Partner
Power, Rogers & Smith, LLP

David Castagnetti ’84 (Trustee)
Founder
Mehlman Castagnetti Rosen & Thomas

Jennifer Grumhaus
Executive Director
North Chicago Community Partners

Gerald Hankerson
Outreach Coordinator
CAIR Chicago

Sandra Khouri ’20
JD Candidate
Chicago-Kent College of Law, Illinois Institute of Technology

Ashley Lamarre ’18
Ph.D. Candidate, Philosophy and African American Studies
Penn State University

Lisa Ledvora ’16
Immigrant Justice Corps Fellow
Safe Horizon

Doug Adolph London ’07
Vice President
CCS Fundraising

Bill Lowry ’84 (Trustee)
Cook County Commissioner of the 3rd District
President and Managing Shareholder
Nyhan Bambrick Kinzie & Lowry P.C.

Gia Orr
Director of Legislative Affairs and Community Relations, Chief Results and EEO/AA/504 Officer
Illinois Guardianship and Advocacy Commission

Rather Stanton ’01
Chief Operating Officer and Co-Founder
Legal Prep Charter Academy

Internal Community Members: Faculty, Staff, Students


Patricia Buenrostro
Assistant Professor of Education

Cynthia Hahn
Professor of French
Chair of Modern Languages and Literatures

Aundrey Jones
Assistant Professor of African American Studies

Jim Marquardt
Professor of Politics
Chair of International Relations

Deja McClellan ’20
Internship Program and Early Engagement Coordinator

Aarti Singh '24
Majors: International Relations and Business

Christine Walker
Lecturer in Politics

Affiliate Membership

There are many more people interested in contributing to the Career Pathways than will be able serve on Leadership Teams at any given time, and supporters who want to be highly involved, but are not serving on a Leadership Team may elect to join the Career Pathways as affiliate members. Privileges and responsibilities for affiliates include:

  • Receive regular updates from Pathway Leaders about events and success stories
  • Be invited to offer assistance to students in the Pathways – ways to help may include: event attendance, hosting interns, recommending sites for interns we are struggling to place, or networking referrals; some update messaging will be similar to what is provided to leadership teams
  • Highly engaged affiliate members can be considered as future Leadership Team members

Leadership Teams are limited to 20 members. All key stakeholders (faculty, staff, employers, alumni, parents, students and other friends of the College) are welcome to become affiliates. All stakeholders will receive periodic updates from the CAC; affiliate members will get more action-oriented, community-building messages, while more passive community members will receive outreach messages more appropriate for their level of involvement. There is no limit to the number of affiliate members associated with leadership teams, and key stakeholders are welcome to join multiple pathways as affiliate members. Join a Career Pathway as an affiliate.

Check out the Law and Public Service Career Pathway