Staff

Michael Burns
Associate Dean of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Michael Burns is the Associate Dean of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. In 2020, he joined the Northwestern Pritzker School of Law staff as Director, Office of Admissions & Financial Aid. Prior to his move back to Chicago, he served as Assistant Dean and Director of Admissions at Northern Illinois University College of Law. He also served on the administration at DePaul University College of Law for more than 15 years. From 2003 to 2018 he served in various administrative positions, including assistant dean for enrollment management/ director of law admissions and associate dean for student affairs. From 1994 to 1996, Burns served as a legal writing instructor and assistant dean for law career services at DePaul Law. Burns also worked as assistant dean for admission at Chicago-Kent College of Law from 1996 to 2003. While at Chicago-Kent, he also was appointed to the positions of director of academic support, director of the Prelaw Undergraduate Scholars Program, adjunct professor and associate general counsel for the Illinois Institute of Technology. He is a 1992 graduate of DePaul University College of Law, where he was a member of the DePaul Law Review and served as evening vice president of the Student Bar Association. 

Samantha Kwok-Ting Woo
Director of Diversity, Inclusion & Outreach
Samantha Kwok-Ting Woo is the Director of Diversity, Inclusion & Outreach. In that role, Samantha advises individual students and student affinity organizations, develops programs and trainings aimed at promoting an inclusive environment and fostering a sense of belonging, and supports other Northwestern Pritzker School of Law departments and external partners in connection with strategic initiatives related to diversity, inclusion, and community building. Prior to joining the Northwestern Pritzker Law staff in 2023, Samantha worked over a decade as an associate, then partner, at Jones Day in the Firm’s labor and employment practice group. She is a 2012 graduate of Northwestern Law, where she was a member of the Northwestern Law Review, Asian Pacific American Law Students Association, and Diversity Coalition. Samantha is active in both the legal and DEI communities, including in the Asian American Bar Association of Greater Chicago, National Employment Law Counsel, and Chicago Committee on Minorities in Large Law Firms. Since 2018, she also has served as a member of the Advisory Board of the Northwestern Law Bluhm Legal Clinic. 

Matthew Hawkins
Program Assistant
Matthew Hawkins is the Program Assistant for The Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. Their role primarily consists of advising Northwestern Law’s 17 affinity student organizations on logistical matters and programming. However, they also assist with The Office of DE&I initiatives, as well as serve as a general resource for all students. They hold a BA from Columbia College Chicago and an MFA from Florida Atlantic University.