About Us

Who We Are

Marjorie B. Moss, Director, Social Work Advocacy Program | email

Marjorie B. Moss joined the Bluhm Legal Clinic in 2005 to spearhead the Juvenile Defender Resource Institute under the guidance of the Children and Family Justice Center (CFJC). The Juvenile Defender Resource Institute provided litigation support for Illinois’ juvenile defenders. In September 2012, Marjorie became the CFJC’s social work supervisor, working closely with youth involved in the juvenile and criminal legal system to ensure that their educational, medical, social, and emotional needs were met while simultaneously supporting both clinic faculty and students. Before long, Marjorie began supporting other clinical programs beyond the CFJC.

Social work services have become integral and essential to the Clinic’s interdisciplinary, holistic representation model. At the end of 2022, the Social Work Advocacy Program (SWAP) was established under Marjorie’s leadership of Marjorie to meet the clinic’s goal of holistic representation.

Before joining the Clinic, Marjorie served at the Defender Association of Philadelphia and at the National Juvenile Defender Center, advocating for youth involved in the juvenile and criminal legal system. She received dual degrees from Loyola University of Chicago in Social Work (MSW) and Law (JD) in 2001. Marjorie is also currently secretary of the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center Advisory Board.

Heather Saunders, Assistant Director, Social Work Advocacy Program | email

Heather Saunders joined the Bluhm Legal Clinic in 2024, following nine years working in a community-based, holistic legal services organization on Chicago’s West Side. She supported youth and young adults moving through the criminal court system as they pursued paths of employment, education, and independent living. Heather is dedicated to creative problem-solving with individuals who have been negatively affected by the court system as they seek to improve the quality of their lives.

Heather received her MSW from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 2010 and became a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in 2023. Heather is committed to staying up to date on best practices when working with court-involved individuals.