Shannon Mace, JD, 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 50 and a budget of over $5 million. CLASI also operates three Medical Legal Partnerships (MLPs)—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 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 co-teaches courses on disabilities law, poverty law, and MLPs. Dan also co-founded HELP: MLP and was its inaugural director until October 2022. 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. He is admitted to practice law in Delaware and Pennsylvania.

Delaware County Office

Laura Handel Schwartz, Esq. – Managing Attorney

Laura Handel is the Managing Attorney of HELP: MLP’s Delaware County-based partnership 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. – Staff Attorney

Eileen joined HELP: MLP in 2021 as a staff attorney where she supports the Foundation of Delaware County’s Healthy Start and Nurse-Family Partnership 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.

Jordan Mickman, Esq. – Staff Attorney

Jordan is a Staff Attorney who advocates for families in Delaware County who have been wrongfully denied public benefits or are enforcing their rights to safe and affordable housing. Prior to re-joining HELP: MLP, Jordan was a Supervising Attorney at Rhode Island Center for Justice. Jordan has previously worked with HELP: MLP as a Consumer Law Fellow and Managing Attorney. Jordan has significant experience with eviction and foreclosure prevention and defending consumers from unfair debt collection practices. He earned his undergraduate degree from The George Washington University and a law degree from Delaware Law School where he graduated with honors and was awarded the Outstanding Student Service Award.

Philadelphia Office

Susanna Greenberg, Esq. – Managing Attorney

Susanna Greenberg serves as Managing Attorney of HELP: MLP’s Philadelphia office, where she provides legal and political advocacy for first-time mothers and their babies in collaboration with Philadelphia Nurse-Family Partnership. 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 and New Jersey.

Ellie Kimmelman, Paralegal

Ellie Kimmelman 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 P. Taylor Jr. (Mac) 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 Senior LawCenter 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.

Makenzie Libbey, Staff Attorney

Mackenzie is a Staff Attorney in HELP: MLP’s Philadelphia office, where she works with pregnant people and young families to address civil legal issues that adversely affect their health and stability. Prior to law school, Mackenzie worked as a paralegal case handler at Legal Services NYC in the Bronx, preparing emergency rental assistance applications and advocating for clients whose public benefits had been wrongfully decreased or terminated. During law school, Mackenzie interned at Community Legal Services of Philadelphia, the Bronx Defenders’ Family Defense Practice, and the Juvenile Law Center and was Co-Director of the Walk-in Legal Assistance Project. Mackenzie is a graduate of Mount Holyoke College and the University of Pennsylvania Law School, where she was a Toll Public Interest Scholar.

Matthew Junell, 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.

Molly Kenney, Esq. – Supervising Attorney

Molly Kenney serves as a Supervising Attorney in HELP: MLP’s Philadelphia office, supporting pregnant people and young families in collaboration with the Philadelphia-Nurse Family Partnership and Mabel Morris Family Home Visit Program. 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 Hausfeld LLP, representing plaintiffs in complex class action litigation and in several pro bono matters focused on access to justice. In 2019, she was a named a Lawyer on the Fast Track by The Legal Intelligencer. A Truman Scholar, Molly is a graduate of American University and the University of Pennsylvania Law School. She is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania and New York.

Rachel Mark, Esq. – Staff 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 an attorney in our Philadelphia office, where she supports our partnership with Nurse-Family Partnership of Philadelphia.  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.