Shannon Mace, Esq., MPH – Executive Director
Shannon has over 12 years of experience working in the fields of poverty law, public health, and behavioral health in government administration as well as for nonprofit organizations. Prior roles include Senior Advisor for the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, Director of Policy Implementation for Community Oriented Correctional Health Services, Director of the Office of Policy and Planning at the Baltimore City Health Department, and Health Reform and Health Equity Manager for the Philadelphia Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disABILITIES Services (DBHIDS). She holds a law degree and a certificate in Health Law from Delaware School of Law and a Master of Public Health degree from Thomas Jefferson University. Shannon was awarded the Reed Hamilton Memorial Award for Excellence in Health Law in 2011. She is admitted to practice law in Pennsylvania.
Daniel G. Atkins, Esq. – Senior Counsel
Since 1990, Dan has been a disabilities rights and poverty lawyer with the Community Legal Aid Society, Inc. (CLASI) in Delaware, where he now serves as Executive Director. CLASI is the largest and oldest legal aid program in Delaware, with a staff of over 70 people and a budget of over $9 million. CLASI also operates numerous Medical Legal Partnerships (MLPs)—including one with the State Division of Public Health serving high risk pregnant women, one with a large regional hospital system, Christiana Care Health System addressing the social determinants of health for patients with low incomes, one with the Delaware Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health, and one with a large non-profit supporting homeless veterans.
Since 1998, Dan has served as an Adjunct Professor at Widener University School of Law, where he has co-taught courses on disabilities law, poverty law, and MLPs with Professor Robert L. Hayman, Jr. Dan and Professor Hayman co-founded HELP: MLP in 2009 as part of a course on MLPs. Dan was HELP: MLP inaugural director until October 2022, while Professor Hayman served as a senior advisor. Dan provides technical assistance to fledgling MLPs and other legal services programs around the country and publishes frequently about poverty law, disability law, and MLPs in legal and public health journals. In 2015, Dan received the ACLU-Delaware’s Gerald E. Kandler Award for outstanding commitment to the cause of civil liberties. In 2016, he received the National Center for Medical-Legal Partnership’s Advocate Award for leadership in the advancement of MLPs nationally. In 2023 Dan was recognized by the News Journal as one of Delaware’s Most Influential Lawyers. He is admitted to practice law in Delaware and Pennsylvania.
Delaware County Office
Laura Handel Schwartz, Esq. – Managing Attorney
Laura is the Managing Attorney of HELP: MLP’s Delaware County-based collaboration with The Foundation for Delaware County’s Healthy Start and Nurse-Family Partnership programs. Laura was HELP: MLP’s first full-time attorney and she has been with and helped build the project since January 2010. Laura has represented clients in a wide range of civil legal matters within the domains of income supports, housing security, utility stability and disability rights advocacy, and she has provided broad legal and social support to survivors of domestic violence throughout her career. Her special area of expertise is public benefits law, and she focuses the majority of her practice on individual and systemic advocacy in this field. Laura also routinely provides substantive legal education and training to MLP partnering staff, to law students and to community partners and stakeholders.
While in law school, Laura worked at Delaware Volunteer Legal Services, Inc. and participated in the Delaware Civil Law Clinic, representing victims of domestic violence seeking custody and civil protective orders. Laura graduated from Widener University School of Law in 2008 and was awarded the Christine M. McDermott Legacy Award for Outstanding Performance in Widener’s Clinical Program and Ongoing Dedication to Pro Bono Legal Service that same year. Laura is admitted to practice law in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
Eileen Somers, Esq. – Supervising Attorney
Eileen joined HELP: MLP in 2021 where she supports HELP: MLP’s collaboration with the Foundation of Delaware County’s Healthy Start, Nurse-Family Partnership, and Housing Opportunities for Equity (HOPE) programs and focuses her practice on housing and consumer issues. Prior to joining HELP: MLP, she spent seven years as a civil litigation associate at Faegre, Drinker, Biddle & Reath LLP in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where she practiced in state and federal courts throughout the country. Eileen maintained a deep commitment to addressing the legal needs of underserved populations while in private practice, including serving as a child advocate with the Support Center for Child Advocates, representing individuals facing homelessness with the Homeless Advocacy Project, and assisting clients with family law matters with Philadelphia VIP. Eileen graduated cum laude from the Kline School of Law at Drexel University and holds a B.A. in American Studies, with honors, from Franklin & Marshall College. She is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
Emily Cooley, Esq. – Staff Attorney
Emily is a Staff Attorney in HELP: MLP’s Delaware County office where they primarily focus on HELP: MLP’s Social Security disability work, including the SOAR Project. Emily joined HELP: MLP in 2024 as a Law Fellow, with support from the Langer, Grogan & Diver P.C. Fellowship in Social Justice. Emily was a Toll Public Interest Fellow at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School. During law school, they interned at Philadelphia Legal Assistance, the Federal Defender for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Community Legal Aid Society, Inc., and Community Legal Services in areas of law including public benefits, child custody, eviction defense, and capital habeas work. Prior to law school, Emily was a professional musician and helped to develop music programming at the State Correctional Institution at Phoenix and at Project HOME. Emily is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania.
Susan Stathakes, MA – Paralegal
Susan is a Paralegal and certified notary in HELP: MLP’s Delaware County office. Prior to HELP: MLP, she worked with Legal Aid of Southeastern Pennsylvania’s (LASP) Community Engagement Unit as a pro bono paralegal. At LASP, she served individuals and families seeking criminal expungement and assistance with record clearing. Susan has also worked as an estate planning paralegal with the Jerner Law Group of Philadelphia. Susan is a graduate of the Paralegal Studies Program at Delaware County Community College (DCCC) and has also served the DCCC Family Advocacy Center as their student/family advocate, providing legal education and paralegal support. Additionally, she is a DCCC staff grant recipient of the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board’s “Reducing Underage and Dangerous Drinking” program, which specifically targeted truancy reduction in Delaware County schools. She is a 2023 scholarship recipient of the Chester County Paralegal Association. In 2024, Susan was awarded the DCCC Bradley Award, presented to paralegal students who have demonstrated exceptional academic excellence and whose contributions deserve special recognition. Prior to her paralegal career, Susan spent over 25 years in corporate communications and advertising in Philadelphia. She received her B.A. from Penn State and holds her M.A. Ed. from Arcadia University.
Philadelphia Office
Susanna Greenberg, Esq. – Managing Attorney
Susanna serves as Managing Attorney of HELP: MLP’s Philadelphia office, where she provides legal and political advocacy for families participating in maternal and child health home visitation programs. Previously, Susanna taught in civil litigation clinics at the University of Pennsylvania Law School and Villanova Law School, supervising representation of underserved clients in housing, employment, public benefits, consumer finance, and family law. She also practiced previously at Ballard Spahr LLP in Philadelphia, representing clients in antitrust litigation, as well as pro bono matters. Susanna was selected for the Center for Progressive Leadership’s Political Leaders Fellowship in 2010, and she served on the boards of trustees for Young Involved Philadelphia and Independence Charter School, including two years as Board President. She is a graduate of Yale University and New York University School of Law and is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania.
Molly Kenney, Esq. – Supervising Attorney
Molly serves as a Supervising Attorney in HELP: MLP’s Philadelphia office, supporting pregnant people and young families through the FAIR Project. Molly was a public defender for several years, first at The Bronx Defenders and later at the Defender Association of Philadelphia. She also previously practiced at a private firm, representing plaintiffs in complex class action litigation and in several pro bono matters focused on access to justice. In 2019, she was named a Lawyer on the Fast Track by The Legal Intelligencer. She currently serves on the board of the Youth Sentencing and Reentry Project (YSRP). Molly is a graduate of American University and the University of Pennsylvania Law School, and she is a Harry S. Truman Scholar. She is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania and New York.
Rachel Mark, Esq., MPH – Senior Attorney
Rachel graduated from the University of Pennsylvania Law School in 2014, where she participated in the Interdisciplinary Child Advocacy Clinic, was an intern with Community Legal Services (Philadelphia) and the Legal Aid Society (New York City), and also served as the Symposium Editor for the Journal of Constitutional Law. Prior to joining HELP: MLP in 2016, Rachel spent a year as an associate with Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel, in New York City, where she was also an Associate Advisory Board Member for Legal Services New York City. Rachel now serves as a Senior Attorney in HELP: MLP’s Philadelphia office, where she supports our FAIR Project. Rachel holds a Bachelors of Arts in History with honors from Columbia University, and is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York.
Antoine Fowler, MPH – Paralegal
Antoine serves as a Paralegal for HELP: MLP’s Philadelphia office. Prior to joining HELP: MLP, he was a paralegal at the Defender Association of Philadelphia in the Probation and Alternative Sentencing Unit, where he worked with attorneys to advocate for clients to be released back into their community and get connected to resources that can help their quality of life. Antoine has years of experience with community engagement, advocacy, and uplifting underserved populations. He is a graduate of Clark Atlanta University and Temple University College of Public Health.
Ellie Kimmelman – Paralegal
Ellie serves as a Paralegal in HELP: MLP’s Philadelphia office, handling referrals from FAIR Project partners and providing technical support to staff attorneys. Before joining HELP: MLP, Ellie worked at the Tenant Union Representative Network (TURN) as a Hotline Paralegal where she assisted renters in accessing housing resources and exercising their legal rights. Ellie is a graduate of Haverford College where she studied political science and public health.
MacDonald Taylor Jr. – Paralegal
Mac Donald (Mac), a Paralegal and certified notary at HELP: MLP’s Philadelphia office, is a graduate of Delaware County Community College, receiving his Associate of Applied Science degree in Paralegal Studies. Mac was selected as one of six students internationally as an Achieving the Dream Scholar and is an honorary member of Phi Theta Kappa. Previously, he was a victim advocate and intern with the Senior Law Center, where he assisted older adult victims of crimes. Most recently, Mac advocated for returning citizens with Philadelphia Lawyers for Social Equity, where he focused on helping clients with pardons and expungements. Mac has a passion to be a voice and to use his personal journey to be a mentor and advocate for the underserved and disenfranchised.
Matthew Junell, Esq. – Staff Attorney
Matthew is a Staff Attorney specializing in housing and landlord-tenant law. Before joining HELP: MLP, he was an advocate at Tenant Union Representative Network (TURN) assisting hundreds of clients with discrimination complaints, eviction defense, lead law violations, illegal lockouts, utility shutoffs, and rent and fee disputes. He has years of experience working with clients on subsidy programs such as HOPWA, Continuum of Care, and Rapid Rehousing, to ensure that they received the services that they needed and the quality housing that they deserved. While attending law school, he participated in clinics at Face to Face Germantown, assisting Philadelphians with getting essential documents that they needed to apply for public benefits and jobs. He also spent a semester with the Defender’s Association of Philadelphia. He graduated with honors from the University of Texas at Dallas and received his law degree from Villanova Law School.
Sadye Stern, Esq., MSW – Staff Attorney
Prior to joining HELP: MLP as a Staff Attorney, Sadye was a fellow at Amistad Law Project, where she supported and advocated for incarcerated people navigating Pennsylvania’s parole process and worked on developing a local model for parole support. Prior to graduate school, Sadye was an organizer with the union for hotel workers in New York, where she collaborated with workers and attorneys to fight for and win life-changing union contracts. Sadye holds a joint law and social work degree from the University of Pennsylvania. While in school, she interned with Community Legal Services’ Family Advocacy Unit, Justice at Work, and Philadelphia’s Federal Reentry Court, and co-directed the Youth Advocacy Project, advocating for children being criminally charged as adults to be transferred to the juvenile system.
Lakeshia McCloud, Esq. – Staff Attorney
Lakeshia serves as a Staff Attorney for HELP: MLP’s Philadelphia office. Lakeshia’s legal career has been dedicated to helping those most vulnerable. As an attorney fellow of the inaugural class of Equal Justice Works Elder Justices, Lakeshia helped seniors age 60 and over who were being financially, physically, and/or emotionally abused with civil legal issues they were facing. Similarly, working with grant partners and the New York State Office of Victim Services, Lakeshia helped crime victims and their family members looking to obtain civil legal help. As an attorney at Legal Assistance of Western New York, Inc., Lakeshia was committed to stopping predatory and abusive practices that trap her clients in financial insecurity. Lakeshia’s hard work and dedication to the legal services field have garnered her the designation of a 2022 Up and Coming Lawyer and 2021 Civil Legal Service honoree for The Daily Record and Rochester Business Journal Legal Excellence Awards. Lakeshia earned her Juris Doctor (J.D.) from Albany Law School, where she started her work with civil legal services. Lakeshia is admitted to the New York Bar and will be seeking Pennsylvania licensure.
Melissa Novoa, MPH – Paralegal
Melissa serves as a Paralegal and certified notary for HELP: MLP’s Philadelphia office, where she supports interdisciplinary legal advocacy for families participating in maternal and child health programs. Before joining HELP: MLP, Melissa worked at the Philadelphia Office of Homeless Services and the Department of Public Health. At the Office of Homeless Services, she coordinated planning initiatives to expand affordable housing, while at the Department of Public Health, she focused on improving health outcomes, advancing equity, and reducing barriers to care, including vaccine access. Additionally, Melissa supported alternatives to incarceration through her work with Philadelphia Treatment Court, helping connect individuals to treatment. Melissa currently serves on the Norristown Area School Board, where she advocates for equitable and inclusive education policy. She is a graduate of West Chester University and Drexel University.
Shira Nash – Legal Extern
Shira Nash serves as a legal extern for HELP: MLP’s Philadelphia office. Shira is currently a law student at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School. Shira’s passions stand proudly at the legal intersections between maternal advocacy, decarceration, and reproductive justice. Committed to empowering and advocating for women and families, Shira recently participated in the Interdisciplinary Child Advocacy Clinic and worked as a summer research assistant for leading reproductive justice scholar, Professor Dorothy Roberts. Shira is the co-President of the Black Law Student Association at Penn Carey Law and is a Dr. Sadie T.M. Alexander Scholar. Shira graduated magna cum laude from Northwestern University, where she studied sociology, international studies, and French. Before law school, Shira taught English at a high school in France as a Fulbright Fellow. Shira also previously worked at two large law firms, where she gained robust litigation experience and continued her passion to ensure legal resources are accessible to all. Outside of the classroom, Shira dedicates her time extensively to pro bono work, where she is a legal education volunteer at the Philadelphia Industrial Correctional Center and represents clients in Philadelphia’s Family Court. Shira is also a certified full spectrum birth doula, where she centers her practice on trauma-informed, client-first, holistic care for primarily Black and/or queer families.