2018-2019 Executive Board
Laura Older, ’20 | Co-President
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Laura leapt into law school with an eye for civil rights litigation after two years consulting digital marketing for non-profit arts organizations at Capacity Interactive. She worked at the ACLU of Florida her 1L summer and will be working at Planned Parenthood in NYC in January and Cozen O’Connor in Philadelphia next summer. She proudly earned her degree in theatre and communications from The Florida State University (go Noles!) Born and raised in Orlando, Laura loves obsessively listening to musicals and petting her cats Kate McKitten and Rachel Meow-dow. At HLS, she is also the Executive Technical Editor and Webmaster for the Journal of Law and Gender.
Heather Pickerell, ’20 | Co-President
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Born and raised in Hong Kong, Heather moved to the US when she was 18 and graduated from Harvard College with a degree in Social Studies, with a focus on the Ethics and Constitutionality of War. She worked for two years at Booz Allen Hamilton, where she served on the board of the firm’s LGBT employee forum. At Harvard, she is involved with Harvard Defenders, the American Constitutional Society, and the Civil Rights-Civil Liberties Law Journal. Outside of the 02130, Heather loves reading, watching movies, and hiking, and she is shameless about her love for spin. She misses her family back in Hong Kong and Taiwan and is constantly craving good Chinese food. Heather hopes to pursue a career in civil rights impact litigation.
Danielle H., ’19 | Treasurer
Pronouns: she/her/hers/they/them/theirs
Danielle was born in New York, studied political science and public policy in college, and decided to go to law school because of the work they had done with the criminal legal system in New York City. Their interests are in criminal legal reform, and they’re planning to be a public defender. Though they are as frightened of math as any other lawyer, they are excited to play a role in creating a wonderful LGBTQ+ community through Lambda.
Anna Nathanson, ’20 | Political Co-Chair
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Originally from New Jersey, Anna graduated from the University of Chicago with a BA in Gender and Sexuality Studies. At HLS, she is involved with the Prison Legal Assistance Project and is the President of the HLS National Lawyers Guild. She enjoys reading novels, obsessing over pugs, drinking tea, and walking around cities.
Jared Odessky, ’20 | Campus Advocacy Co-Chair
Pronouns: he/him/his
Originally from South Florida, Jared graduated from Columbia in 2015. He stayed in New York City to work as a legislative aide in the New York State Senate focused on labor and LGBTQ policy and then as a union organizer. At Harvard, he is involved in the Board of Student Advisors, Labor and Employment Action Project (LEAP), the Harvard Graduate Students Union (HGSU-UAW), and the OnLabor blog.
Sejal Singh, ’20 | Campus Advocacy Co-Chair
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Sejal is focused on the intersections of civil rights law, feminist advocacy, and economic justice. Before HLS, Sejal was a Policy Coordinator for Know Your IX, a Legislative Aide in the New York State Senate, and a Campaigns Manager for the LGBTQ team at the Center for American Progress. Today, she’s a columnist for Feministing and contributes to OnLabor. Come talk to her about LGBTQ campus advocacy, Cambridge’s best coffeeshops, or Susan Sontag.
Allison Schwartz, ’20 | Community Service Chair
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Allison grew up in New Hampshire and graduated from Tufts University with degrees in International Relations and Arabic. Before law school, Allison worked as a paralegal. At HLS, Allison is a member of the Prison Legal Assistance Project and the Civil Rights-Civil Liberties Law Review. She enjoys board games and ice skating.
Youzhihang Deng, ’20 | Professional Co-Chair
Pronouns: he/him/his
Originally from Chengdu, China, Youzhihang studied Economics and Political Science at Columbia and graduated in 2017. At HLS, he is also involved with Harvard Defenders, VIS International Commercial Arbitration Moot Court, and the Journal on Legislation. Youzhihang wishes to become a trial & appellate litigator. He enjoys Go, board games, and karaoke.
William McClure, ’20 | Professional Co-Chair
Pronouns: he/him/his
Originally from San Antonio, Texas, William graduated from Wake Forest University in 2012. After college, he worked in telecom on both the east and west coasts. In his limited free time, he enjoys traveling, pretending to be outdoorsy, and all things old.
Sandy De La Tejera, ’20 | Social Chair
Pronouns: she/her/hers/they/them/theirs
Sandy was born and raised in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas, along the Southern border with Mexico. They stayed in Texas through undergraduate, where they studied Philosophy at UT. They came straight through to HLS with the intent of practicing in public interest and litigation. At HLS, they are on the boards of Lambda and the Reparatory Justice Initiative, both mirroring a larger commitment to social justice. Full-time dog mom, part-time dog walker. Sandy is excited to foster a welcoming space– talk to them about any of your socializing needs (or if you just need to pet a puppy!)
Drew Heckman, ’20 | Social Chair
Pronouns: he/him/his
Drew is from Omaha, NE. He is into rollerblading, emo music, videogames, and fighting alongside others for justice. He is a joint-degree candidate with Harvard Kennedy School of Government (MPP). He has a scar on his left arm from a Ke$ha concert. “Talk to me about your vision for a radical future, and a radically inclusive Lambda!”
Dan Aaron, ’20 | Pan-Harvard Chair
Pronouns: he/him/his
Dan is from Newton, MA. He studied at Brown University, where he majored in chemistry and math. As a dual degree student with the Boston University School of Medicine, he likes to examine the intersection of health, medicine, and law. He is co-president of the Harvard Health Law Society and a member of the Journal on Legislation. He currently does research on opioids, obesity, and the role of the judiciary in health. For Lambda, he works to plan events that bring together Harvard’s LGBTQI community. He loves board games and volleyball.
Charlene Lerner, ’20 | Pan-Harvard Chair
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Charlene is from New York. For Lambda, Charlene oversees the annual Pan-Harvard LGBTQ Conference and works on initiatives to build community across the University. Prior to HLS, Charlene spent two years as an Investment Banking Analyst in the Technology, Media & Telecommunications group at Goldman Sachs. Charlene received her BA from the University of Michigan where she studied Philosophy. Charlene loves running, music, and travel.
2018-2019 Representative Council
Mia Gettenberg, ’21 | 1L Representative
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Mia is from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and graduated from the University of Florida with a degree in philosophy and criminology in 2018. She came to HLS interested in learning about educational policy, LGBTQ advocacy, and civil rights law. In her free time, she loves playing guitar, trying new restaurants, and exploring the city. Tell her your best food and coffee recommendations or share your favorite Spotify playlist.
Eve Howe, ’21 | 1L Representative
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Eve is from Montpelier, Virginia, and graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2012, where she studied Mechanical Engineering and Physics. After graduation, she served in the United States Navy for five years, followed by a year as the event manager at Casa Ruby, a non-profit in Washington, DC focused on providing housing and other social services for LGBTQ youth. At HLS, she is involved with the International Refugee Assistance Project, Sex Worker Advocacy Network, Journal of Law & Gender, Recording Artists Project, and Journal of Sports and Entertainment Law. Eve loves video games, running, and is passionate about improving LGBTQ representation in the media.
Matt Shields, ’21 | 1L Representative
Pronouns: he/him/his
Originally from Los Angeles, Matt graduated from Columbia in 2010, where he majored in philosophy. Prior to Harvard, he founded Zeit Films, where he produced visual media that explores the intersections of race, class, gender, and sexuality. He left entertainment in 2018 to work as an SEO Law Fellow at WilmerHale. At Harvard, he is involved in the Public Service Leaders Program, the Black Law Students Association (BLSA), the Prison Legal Assistance Project, and the Sex Workers Advocacy Network (SWAN).