Law Blog Writers, LLC

Audrey earned her J.D. from Wake Forest University School of Law, where she served as Executive Editor of the Wake Forest Law Review.  She received her B.A. from Wesleyan University, and she recently completed a Ph.D. in English at the University of Virginia.  Her dissertation engages with theories of law and literature, using the global novel to re-imagine an ethics of restorative justice.  The work is deeply concerned with the history of the international criminal tribunal system and its attention to human rights violations.  In her spare time, Audrey enjoys traveling, cooking, and cinema.

Sydney Goggins received a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from DePaul University in 2019. While studying in Chicago, Sydney worked at Voice of the People where she promoted quality, safe, and affordable housing for low-income families. Further, she provided pro bono legal services in Panama and worked on a project focused on systemic discrimination in the EU while in Germany. Sydney went on to graduate from the University of Minnesota Law School with a concentration in Human Rights Law. Through her three years, she worked for several different non-profit organizations in Chicago and Minneapolis. She provided pro-bono legal services at the Center for Disability and Elder Law in a wide range of legal issues including adult guardianship, estate planning, eviction, and elder abuse. Sydney went on to represent Indigenous parents in child custody proceedings at the Indian Child Welfare Act Clinic. In that role, she also oversaw the other law students in the Clinic. Finally, Sydney worked on criminal policy reform at Restore Justice with a specific focus on juvenile offenders. Outside of the law, Sydney loves spending time with her goldendoodle Ollie. 

Kat McClain was born and raised in the Midwest. She moved to the South and attended the University of Texas, where she majored in Political Science and minored in Pre-Law. She also worked as a child advocate for East Texas Child Advocates, where the court charged her with representing the best interests of children in dependency court. She then moved to Houston, one of the largest legal markets in the nation, to attend law school. While at the University of Houston Law Center, Kat was afforded many different opportunities, including clerking for a family law judge and Rusty Hardin, a nationally-known attorney. After graduating from law school, she began practicing family law. While in Texas, she was a certified mediator and conducted mediations for small claims courts and the Better Business Bureau. She decided to move back to the Midwest, where she practiced criminal defense and family law. Always looking to improve her knowledge and skills, she moved to Southern California to get her LL.M. in Trial Advocacy. While on the west coast, she added Landlord/Tenant law to her repertoire. Additionally, she worked with the California Innocence Project. Kat is licensed to practice law in Texas, Wisconsin, California, and Arizona, as well as the Western District Court of Wisconsin and the Central District Court of California. When not working in her law practice, Kat enjoys politics, writing, reading, and watching her favorite sports teams.

David was born in and raised in Rutland, Vermont. He received his BA in history in 2010 and then went on to graduate from the Georgetown University Law Center in 2014. At Georgetown Law he was on the Tax Journal and volunteered with the immigration clinic. Since law school he’s worked in tax law. His interests include tax law, real estate and technology start ups. When David is not working, he enjoys pick-up basketball, hiking and extremely amateur woodworking.

Lori A.G. Hellis retired recently from practice to devote time to writing. She graduated from the University of Portland in Portland, Oregon Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Journalism. She holds a Juris Doctor Degree from Lewis and Clark Northwestern School of Law in Portland, Oregon, and a Master's of Fine Arts Degree in Creative Writing from Oregon State University, Cascades in Bend, Oregon. Lori practiced criminal and family law in Oregon for 27 years. She served as both a prosecutor and a public defender and was involved in complex adult and juvenile criminal cases. Lori operated her own practice and mentored other attorneys in practice management. She also advised divorcing couples on child custody and parenting time, and complex property divisions.  Her book, Done, An Attorney's Guide to Getting Divorced, is represented by Max Sinsheimer Literary. Lori is a 20-year veteran of the Air National Guard who takes a keen interest in the issues facing veterans, especially women. Lori lives in Mesa, Arizona, with her husband, two Labradoodles, and a couple of Siamese cats.  When she isn't writing, she loves to travel and read; she is a maker of quilts and fabric art.

Brandeis earned his J.D. from Brooklyn Law School.  He received his B.A. in Economics and M.P.P. from the University of Calgary where he contributed to the School of Public Policy's blog.  His master's thesis explored the feasibility of a high speed rail corridor in Canada. Prior to law school, he worked for WestJet Airlines, which led to his assistance as a legal intern representing airlines in general liability litigation. He also devoted significant time to the New York City Law Department, first representing N.Y.P.D. Police Officers in civil suits under the supervision of the Special Federal Division, then to complete a large-scale memorandum for the Environmental Law Division and Department of Design and Construction. In his spare time he enjoys the outdoors, travelling, and watching documentaries with his wife.

Kathryn received her Bachelor in Science in Psychology with a concentration in Behavioral Neuroscience from Purdue University in 2012. She then went onto Michigan State University College of Law, where she earned her J.D. in 2015. While in law school, Kathryn worked at the MSU Urban Food, Farm and Agriculture Law Clinic, as well as interning for the Honorable Judge Patricia Banks at the Cook County Circuit Court. Kathryn is licensed to practice in Illinois. In her free time, she enjoys hot yoga, running, hiking, wakeboarding, and pretty much anything outdoor related.

Kimberly is a native Texan, currently residing in Austin.  She received her BS in Journalism from Texas A&M University, and then went on to graduate from Texas Tech School of Law in 2010.  Kimberly began her career as an attorney in private practice, with a focus on real estate law, construction law, employment law, landlord-tenant law, civil litigation, and general business law.  Currently, Kimberly practices administrative law for the state of Texas.  In her free time, Kimberly enjoys being out in the beautiful Austin weather and spending time with family and friends.

Cara grew up in Detroit, though she has taken every opportunity possible to see the world. She interned for the U.S. State Department in Paris, France, serving as an assistant to the vice-consuls. She graduated from McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada in 2004 with a B.A. in History, receiving her J.D. from University of Detroit Mercy School of Law in 2009. At UDM, she was active in the Immigration Law Society and worked in the Immigration Law Clinic helping prepare asylum claims before the Board of Immigration Appeals. Cara blogs about a variety of issues including disability rights and refugee law, and currently resides in Chicago, IL, where she is a member of the bar. Cara enjoys writing novels and volunteering her time to the Autistic Self Advocacy Network.

Shamira is a graduate of North Carolina Central University School of Law. After law school, Shamira returned home to Pennsylvania and began working as a law clerk for the Honorable Jonathan Mark of the Monroe County Court of Common Pleas. Once she completed her clerkship, Shamira joined a small firm in Stroudsburg Pennsylvania. Her primary areas of practice include family law, wills and estates, and probate administration. 

Stephanie received her Bachelor’s Degree from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, where she graduated with a double major in psychology and legal studies. Stephanie went on to graduate from University of Illinois College of Law Magna Cum Laude with pro bono notation. Stephanie received the Marguerite L. Rickert Award for Excellence in both Legal Writing and Service as one of the top eight students in her graduating class in both areas. Stephanie is currently a licensed Family Law Attorney, specializing in all aspects of Illinois dissolution of marriage proceedings. In her free time, Stephanie enjoys volunteering for local legal aid organizations, traveling, and eating her way through the best Chicago restaurants.

Maria earned her J.D. from American University Washington College of Law where she served on the National Security Law Brief, the Criminal Law Practitioner, and the Student Bar Association. Maria is a former Division I athlete where she played at Indiana University and earned her B.A. in criminal justice. She spent her time during law school working at a boutique law firm specializing in criminal defense. Maria’s academic interests include criminal justice reform, civil rights law, criminal law, immigration law, as well as sports and entertainment law. In her free time, Maria enjoys attending or watching sporting events, snowboarding, and spending time with her family. 

Sean grew up in Connecticut and received a B.A. in English with Departmental Honors from the University of New Hampshire.He received his J.D. from the University of Cincinnati College of Law in 2014. During his time in law school, Sean focused his attention on human rights law. He was an articles editor for Human Rights Quarterly and the managing editor for the Freedom Center Journal, and wrote articles on the extraterritorial application of U.S. laws and on tort liability of the mentally ill. Now a freelance writer, Sean lives in Rochester, New York, where he plays competitive ultimate Frisbee and the guitar.

Kathleen is originally from Santa Cruz, California, and graduated from the University of California San Diego in 2010 with dual B.A. degrees in Political Science and Sociology. Following her undergraduate studies she attended the University of San Diego School of Law and graduated with her J.D. in 2014. While in law school she focused her studies on international law and competed in the Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot in Hong Kong. Apart from writing, Kathleen enjoys traveling, sailing, cooking, and hiking.

Geannina holds a bachelors in mass communications, a master of business administration and a juris doctor from Florida International University. Born in Chile and raised in Miami, she has worked in the legal industry since 2004 and the non-profit arts sector since 2007. A classically trained ballet, modern and flamenco dancer, she has performed professionally on the local and national stage in both classical and contemporary works. Her writing experience includes freelance work for national and local publications such as Hispanic Enterprise Magazine, The New York Times and Miami’s Community Newspapers. She currently lives in Miami, Florida with her husband and their preschool-aged daughter.

Randy is a California based globe trotter, who enjoys remote working. This dedicated writer, editor, and social media manager has over 10 years’ experience creating human-centered online content that ranks high in search engines. He enjoys writing in the fields of family law, personal injury, and criminal law. With a bachelor of science in mechanical engineering from the University of California and a minor in business, Randy landed in the content law writing space by chance. It was a case of a side-hustle turning into a passion. In his free time, you’ll find Randy on a train or plane to a different location, armed with a laptop and his current read. If his home, you’ll find him with Fiji, his GSD.

Michael grew up in Paris, France, earning a bilingual International Baccalaureate degree in 2003. He graduated from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University in 2007, writing and editing for award-winning publications The Daily Northwestern and In These Times. Michael transitioned into business in 2010, rising from entry-level associate to executive leader at Marketwired, a global communications firm. Simultaneously, he pursued his Juris Doctor as a night student at The John Marshall Law School. A member of Phi Delta Phi legal honors society, Michael excelled at oral and written advocacy, dispute resolution and contracts. After passing the Illinois bar exam in 2015 and driving the sale of Marketwired to Nasdaq in 2016, he now leads the communications, operations and legal functions at BareItAll Petfoods. In his free time, Michael enjoys writing, reading, basketball and boxing.

Jennifer earned a Ph.D. from the Department of Semitic Languages and Literatures at Catholic University of America, specializing in Arabic language and literature.  She has six years of experience in Arabic to English translation and has translated many rulings and other documents used as evidence in legal cases.

Blake Lynch is the editor for the TMT Research team at OTR Global. He is also a late stage testicular cancer survivor, and a law school graduate. His first publication was in the New York City art magazine Chelsea when Lynch was still seventeen. Over the years, Lynch has published in more than fifty journals including Turk’s Head Review, Two Cities Review, Lines + Stars Journal, Pulp Magazine, 2River, Zygote in My Coffee, Pif Magazine, and Shampoo. His plays have been performed at Tisch School of the Arts at New York University and the BBC. Lynch is currently shopping his debut novel, Everything You Love Will Be Taken to the River, among publishers. His third book of poetry, Hanging the Angels, will be published by Finishing Line Press in May 2025. He lives in the Charlottesville, Virginia area with his wife, Jessie, and his daughter, Charlie.

Kim is originally from Pittsburgh, PA. She moved to Myrtle Beach, SC in 2001, where she worked as a freelance writer while attending school. After graduating Cum Laude with a degree in Paralegal Studies from Horry Georgetown Technical College, Kim began working as a virtual paralegal. She has a broad range of experience, working in the areas of bankruptcy, wills and estates, as well as criminal and family law. When she's not working, Kim enjoys spending time with her family, going to the beach and visiting her daughter in Charleston. In addition to three children, she and her husband have a 1 year old Shepherd mix named Sampson, and are outspoken advocates for local animal shelters and rescue groups.   

Kate earned her bachelor’s degree in culinary arts from Southern Alberta Institute of Technology. She worked in that role for several restaurants and hotels for many years after that, before changing career directions and becoming a freelance writer. Over the past decade she has worked with many attorneys writing in the areas of personal injury, criminal defense, and family law. Keeping one foot in the culinary world, her blog has also appeared in Women’s World magazine. Her poetry is also featured in the book The Song of the Heart. When Kate is not writing or in the kitchen, she can be found with her nose in a good book, or spending time with her husband and two daughters.

Elena grew up in Augusta, Georgia and attended Augusta State University, where she received a B.A. in Political Science. After relocating to Maryland, she obtained her Juris Doctor from the University of Baltimore. While in law school, Elena interned with the U.S. Department of Commerce and the U.S. House of Representatives. After graduating, Elena joined a boutique international trade firm, where she assisted businesses with strategic sourcing, import/export and customs classification. Currently, Elena works as an attorney and she is working towards her LLM in taxation. In her free time, Elena spends time with her husband and sons and runs with her golden retriever, Bella.

Sid graduated from the University of Colorado with a degree in International Relations, and has since taken his skills across the world. He spent a year teaching English in a small village in the Republic of Georgia, during which he sharpened his language skills, imparted some knowledge of his own, and developed a love for old Soviet automobiles. When he isn't reading or writing for work, he is studying Farsi, exercising, and reading Wikipedia.

Jessica is a writer, editor, and marketing consultant with over a decade of experience. She lives in Chicago and is a Juris Doctor candidate at Chicago-Kent College of Law with a passion for public interest law. When she is not working or studying, Jessica does volunteer advocacy work with Resilience and Ascend Justice, Chicago-based organizations serving survivors of gender-based violence.