OUR TEAM

Executive Director

READ BIO

Jessica Ryckman, J.D./M.Ed., returned to LWOB to serve as Executive Director in December 2024. Previously, Jessica served as Deputy Director at Lawyers Without Borders, in which capacity she partnered with national governments, corporations, and individuals around the world to design and implement high-impact programming advancing the rule of law. She also worked closely with local leaders and stakeholders to ensure demand-driven programming and managed a network of more than 10,000+ lawyers, judges, and other volunteers supplying expertise to Lawyers Without Borders projects.

Prior to her time at Lawyers Without Borders, Jessica served as the Director of Fellowships at Equal Justice Works and as an associate attorney at Wilmer, Cutler, Pickering, Hale, and Dorr LLP in Washington, D.C., where she worked on policy and legislative analysis, congressional relations, voting rights, and national security matters. She also served as an adjunct professor at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law, where she taught National Security Law and Policy.

Jessica has a J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School, an M.Ed. in Education Policy from Harvard University, and a B.S in Biomedical Engineering and a B.S. in Political Science from the University of Michigan. She is admitted to practice law in the District of Columbia and Virginia.

Director of Programs

READ BIO

Hadley Rose Staley, J.D./LL.M., is the Director of Programs at Lawyers Without Borders (LWOB). Hadley has 15 years of professional experience in rule of law programming in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. Hadley worked as an embedded advisor in legislative drafting unit at the Rwandan Ministry of Justice, assisting in drafting and revising over 50 laws and orders arising from Constitutional mandates, organic laws, and ordinary laws, including legislation related to national security. She also developed a 6-month diploma course in legislative drafting, and supported the launch of the Rwanda Law Reform Commission. More recently, Hadley was the Executive Director of Friends of the Public-Private Partnership for Justice Reform in Afghanistan for 8 years, focused on teaching, training, and supporting Afghan lawyers, and an Assistant Professor and Chair of the Law Department at the American University of Afghanistan in 2013-2014 teaching international law, comparative law, and traditional dispute resolution. She also served on a team of victim’s lawyers at the Khmer Rouge Tribunal in Cambodia, and represented victims of land rights violations in Rwanda. 

Hadley also has extensive experience in legislative reform, legislative drafting, and law and policy reform. She has worked on improving the effectiveness of national laws and policies and conducting reviews of national legislation in the Asia-Pacific using empirical data to highlight best practices in legislative design and implementation. Hadley has also worked with lawmakers, human rights activists, and lawyers to ensure accountability for national security instruments in respect of the freedom of expression, and has developed guidance for parliamentarians on incorporating human and civil rights into national legislation and improving government transparency. 

Chief of Staff

READ BIO

Ralph Kantrowitz, J.D., serves as the Chief of Staff at Lawyers Without Borders, where he manages daily operations and ensures organizational efficiency. His role requires adaptability, as his responsibilities shift in response to the needs of the Executive Director and the organization. The position allows Mr. Kantrowitz to contribute in myriad ways, from navigating technical challenges and managing compliance and banking matters, to contributing to legal research and grant writing.

Mr. Kantrowitz join LWOB in 2019, working on an anti-human trafficking initiative in Tanzania, where he developed program materials and organized training sessions. He went on to become a Program Manager, where he collaborated with staff and government partners to implement hybrid training programs, ultimately leading TIPTAN to a successful completion in January 2022.

Mr. Kantrowitz holds a B.A. in Philosophy from Brown University and a J.D. from Fordham University School of Law. He is admitted to practice law in the state of New York.

In-Country Manager (Tanzania)

READ BIO

Joseph B. Kisole is the In-Country Manager and Faculty at Lawyers without Borders T-TIP project. For the past Seven years he worked in CEASE: Wildlife Crimes 2017, Wildlife Crime Mock Trial Competition for Tanzania and Kenya (WICRI) 2021 and IMPACT: TIPTAN Project Ant-Trafficking in Persons Tanzania (2023) and T-TIP, The Projects focusing at Training Magistrates, Judges, police officers, Immigration Officers, Wildlife Officers, State Attorneys and Community Leaders on Investigation and prosecution of TIP and Wildlife cases in Tanzania and Counter Terrorism project in Kenya. In 2016 he was Legal officer in-charge of legal education and Community outreach at Center for Environmental Law and Governance (CELG) and served as an intern at the Ministry of Land and Human Settlement in Tanzania. 

Joseph holds, Master of law in Rule of Law for Development from Loyola University Chicago School of Law, Master of International Law with International Relations and Bachelor of law from Tumaini University Makumira. Attended the Postgraduate Diploma in Legal practice from the law school of Tanzania and currently a graduate at The Law School of Zanzibar. 

In-Country Advisor (Marshall Islands)

READ BIO

Grace Magruder is a policy advisor and attorney with a focus on U.S. engagement in the Pacific Islands. She joined LWOB in Fall 2024 and currently works as an In-Country Advisor to the Republic of the Marshall Islands Office of National Security, based in Majuro.

Previously, Grace served as an Advisor to the U.S. Department of Interior’s Office of Insular and International Affairs where she was part of the team responsible for renegotiating the Compacts of Free Association governing the United States’ relationship with the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, and Palau.

Grace also practiced immigration law for several years with the Garfield Law Group, a boutique firm based in Hawai‘i and Washington, D.C., where she managed a wide range of matters including adoption, asylum, consular processing, naturalization, and family- and employment-based visa applications.

She holds a B.S. in Political Science from the University of Florida. As an undergraduate, she interned with U.S. State Department’s Australia, New Zealand, and Pacific Desk, contributing to interagency coordination on the Guam/CNMI visa waiver policy.

After graduation, she served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Cape Verde and Togo.

Grace earned her J.D. from the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, with a certificate in international law and a concentration in Pacific Islands legal systems and territorial law.

She is admitted to practice law in both Maryland and Hawaii.

Victim Service Coordinator (T-TIP)

READ BIO

Lulu Makwale is the Victim Service Coordinator for the Lawyers Without Boarders Tanzania Trafficking in Persons Investigation, Prosecution and Victim Support Project (T-TIP). Lulu coordinates with victim referral services in Tanzania Mainland and Zanzibar and works closely with an extensive network of victim service providers, the Anti-Human Trafficking Child Protection Task Force (AHTCP-TF) and other relevant providers, including government agencies, international organizations, and local non-governmental agencies. Lulu’s multi-agency support helps the victim/witness through the investigations, pre-trial, trial, and sentencing phases. Her work with survivors of TIP is instrumental in mitigating the possibility of re-traumatization survivors often experience during this process. Lulu’s collaboration with anti-trafficking organizations also provides the task force and service providers with evidence-based data that can assist organizations with the development of victim friendly spaces and case related assessments. 

Prior to this Lulu worked as a Project Manager at Kiota Women Health and Development Organization (KIWOHEDE). Her role focused on coordination, facilitation, work plan development, designing and monitoring protection projects. Lulu is also a dedicated and focused Project Coordinator with more than seven years of experience working with victims and survivors of human trafficking, child labor and gender-based violence. She is flexible, detail-oriented and an adaptive team player with extensive experience in stakeholder engagement, project life cycle management, safeguarding, monitoring and evaluation and financial management. 

Senior Project Officer

READ BIO

Christopher Mayhew joined Lawyers Without Borders in October 2024. He previously worked at the International Foundation for Electoral Systems and the American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative. He was also a Peace Corps Volunteer in Zambia. He holds an M.A. from the Institute for Development Studies at the University of Sussex and a B.A. from Goucher College.  

In-Country Program Manager (Kenya)

READ BIO

Lilian Orieko is Lawyers Without Borders’ In-Country Program Manager in Kenya, where she focuses on initiatives to combat transnational organized crimes and implements cutting-edge legal technologies and capacity-building programs within the criminal justice sector. She has in the recent past run programs to counter wildlife trafficking, human trafficking, terrorism, child online sexual exploitation, and sexual and gender-based violence.

Lilian’s career began in the corporate legal sector, where she undertook commercial litigation, securities documentation, and legal compliance in various law firms and at the National Bank of Kenya. She later transitioned to governance, advocacy, and human rights and managed significant programs at The CRADLE – The Children Foundation, Law Society of Kenya and the Canadian Bar Association – which focused on strategic partnerships and collaborative efforts to drive landmark legal reforms within East Africa. From 2016-2018, she worked with the United States Department of Justice Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training at the US Embassy in Nairobi to successfully deliver projects on counterterrorism and countering violent extremism and earned the US Assistant Attorney General’s Exceptional Service Award.

Lilian holds a Master of Laws in Rule of Law for Development from Loyola University Chicago, a Diploma from the National Institute for Trial Advocacy, a Post Graduate Diploma in Law from the Kenya School of Law, and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Nairobi.

Scholar in Residence

READ BIO

Madina Qasimi is an Afghan former diplomat, and human rights lawyer, recognized for her extensive leadership roles both within Afghanistan and at the Afghan Embassy in Washington, DC. In 2019, she was acknowledged by the Women’s Foreign Policy Group as a significant female leader influencing global foreign policy, as noted in the "Guide to Women Leaders in International Affairs 2019." Qasimi earned her Bachelor’s degree in Law and Political Science from Kabul University and a Master’s degree in Law and International Legal Studies, with specializations in International Human Rights Law and Gender and Law, from the American University Washington College of Law, USA. 

In October 2021, Qasimi joined Lawyers Without Borders as a Scholar in Residence, unable to return to Afghanistan due to security concerns. She leads Afghanistan-related projects, offering invaluable legal and humanitarian insights based on her extensive experience and connections both domestically and internationally. Qasimi actively contributes to the Afghanistan Rule of Law Project, Afghan Lawyer Career Opportunity Program (ALCOP) and Afghan Justice Mentorship Program. Her role is pivotal in developing program strategies, expanding external partnerships, providing career counseling, analyzing program data, and conducting training sessions for Afghan legal professionals. 

Project Lead and Senior Subject Matter Expert for Space Strategy and Policy

READ BIO

Ali Ramadhan, LL.B/LL.M, is an international lawyer specializing in strategic and policy design. With over 15 years of experience, he has crafted strategies, policies and legislation for countries across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Ali played a pivotal role in the political and legal transitions of Iraq after 2003 and Tunisia after 2010, contributing to enacting new legislation, changing laws, and abolishing outdated ones. Throughout his career, Ali has worked closely with MENA governments, legislators, local and international civil society groups to drive legal and policy reforms. 

A native Arabic speaker, Ali has held senior roles, including over seven years as Senior Staff Attorney for the MENA region at the American Bar Association in Washington, D.C., General Counsel at the American University of Iraq and Senior Legal Advisor for Human Rights International in Florida. 

Currently, Ali serves as a Project Lead and Senior Subject Matter Expert for Space Strategy and Policy with Lawyers Without Borders (LWOB). A Fulbright scholar, he holds a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) and a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) from Iraq, as well as a Master of Laws in Comparative Law (LL.M.) from the University of Miami School of Law in Florida, United States.

Assistant Attorney
(T-TIP)

READ BIO

Mr. Emanuel D. Saghan is an Assistant Attorney with Lawyers Without Borders, where he provides critical legal support and expertise on Tanzania's legal system. His responsibilities include conducting in-depth legal research, advising on legal matters related to Lawyers Without Borders programs, preparing and reviewing project materials, managing logistics, fostering partnerships, and maintaining professional relationships with domestic stakeholders in Tanzania. 

Currently, Mr. Saghan is involved in the Tanzania Trafficking in Persons Investigations, Prosecutions, and Victim Support Project (T-TIP), a program funded by the U.S. Department of State that focuses on combating human trafficking and supporting victims. He also works on the Women in Policing Program, funded by Thomson Reuters, which collaborates with Tanzania Women in Policing to combat trafficking and advance the rule of law. 

Previously, Mr. Saghan contributed to the success of Laweyers Without Borders' Anti-Wildlife Crimes Project (2019–2020) and the Anti-Trafficking in Persons (TIPTAN) Project (2021–2022). 

As a practicing lawyer in Tanzania, Mr. Saghan holds a Bachelor of Laws from Mzumbe University, a Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Practice, and is currently pursuing a Master of Laws at the University of Dar es Salaam. His expertise, combined with his dedication to justice and the rule of law, continues to make a significant impact on the fight against human trafficking and other pressing legal challenges. 

Program Manager and
Technical Specialist

READ BIO

Xue Wang, J.D./M.A., is a Program Manager and Technical Specialist. Xue is experienced in applying her legal expertise in human trafficking and related issues, designing and managing legal educational programs, and deploying tech solutions to facilitate effective international rule of law programming. At Lawyers Without Borders, Xue has implemented and managed multiple projects to counter terrorism, human trafficking, gender-based violence, child labor, and forced labor, and to promote migrant workers’ rights in multiple countries including Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania, Liberia, Paraguay, Thailand, Jordan, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. Xue has developed and led the development of training curriculum on human trafficking and related labor and sexual exploitation issues, facilitated and implemented training and capacity-building programs for criminal justice stakeholders, and drafted and sensitized policy documents and legislative analysis.

Prior to her work at Lawyers Without Borders, Xue gained legal experience from Tableau Software (owned by Salesforce), Mori Hamada & Matsumoto’s Bangkok office (Chandler MHM), and the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS). Before her legal career, Xue worked as the Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Manager at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and a database analyst for the Georgetown University McDonough School of Business, providing cutting-edge IT and project management solutions to both organizations. Xue has a J.D. magna cum laude from the Georgetown University Law Center, an M.A. in Communication, Culture and Technology from Georgetown University, and a Bachelor of Management (Hons) in Culture Industry Management from Shandong University, China. Xue is admitted to practice law in the District of Columbia and New York.