STANFORD, CA, has announced that Shannon Al-Wakeel will serve as the new executive director of the John and Terry Levin Center for Public Service and Public Interest Law. This center is dedicated to supporting students who are pursuing legal careers that prioritize the public good, while also engaging in research and programming to enhance the public interest legal community and increase access to justice.
Al-Wakeel joins SLS after successfully leading the Center for Public Interest Advocacy and Collaboration at Northeastern Law School for three years. During her tenure, she facilitated interdisciplinary research, student opportunities, and events to advance the institution’s public interest mission.
“I’m thrilled to be part of the Levin Center and Stanford Law School’s essential work in strengthening public interest culture, education, and practice,” said Al-Wakeel. “Public service and values related to the public interest are not confined to specific settings; they can energize a wide range of legal pursuits. I eagerly anticipate collaborating with the exceptional SLS community, pioneers of legal education, to amplify the impact of our profession as a force for the greater good.”
Al-Wakeel’s professional journey has been marked by a commitment to systemic policy advocacy, direct legal representation, nonprofit leadership, and nonprofit formation. She founded the Muslim Justice League (MJL), a Boston-based nonprofit dedicated to defending rights threatened in the name of national security.
“Shannon brings substantial experience in nonprofit management and law school center operations, a notable record of public interest work in immigrant and refugee rights, a thoughtful perspective, and an unwavering dedication to students,” stated Associate Dean for Public Service and Public Interest Law Anna Wang, who held the position of executive director at the Levin Center for almost 15 years. “Shannon’s addition to the Levin Center team and the SLS community will be truly valuable.”
Before her involvement with the Muslim Justice League, Al-Wakeel focused on immigrant rights at municipal, state, and federal levels as a Kaufman Public Interest Fellow with the Immigrants Protection Project at the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute. She also served as the state policy director of the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition.
Al-Wakeel earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a focus on printmaking from the University of Pennsylvania in collaboration with the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. She also holds a law degree with honors from Harvard Law School. As a member of the Massachusetts Bar, she has contributed to organizations such as the New England Muslim Bar Association and the ACLU of Massachusetts. Currently, she serves on the Board of Directors of Defending Rights and Dissent, an organization committed to safeguarding the right to political expression and strengthening participatory democracy.
About the John and Terry Levin Center for Public Service and Public Interest Law
The John and Terry Levin Center for Public Service and Public Interest Law at Stanford Law School is dedicated to integrating public service into every law student’s experience through courses, research, pro bono projects, public lectures, funding programs, and career development. The center also undertakes programming and research to bolster the public interest legal community and expand access to justice.
About Stanford Law School
Stanford Law School is a distinguished institution for legal scholarship and education. Its alumni hold influential roles in law, politics, business, and high technology. Faculty members contribute to legal scholarship, testify before Congress, and provide expert analysis to the nation’s media. Stanford Law School offers comprehensive interdisciplinary training, hands-on experience, a global perspective, and a focus on public service, driving transformative change in legal education.