Leadership
Director
Anita Ritchie is a veteran of creating innovative branding and marketing strategies for multinational consumer brands at global ad agencies. Anita has also worked in publishing at the award-winning daily newspaper The South China Morning Post in Hong Kong and was a Founding Partner/General Manager of one of China’s first joint-venture publishing companies, which launched City Weekend, quoted by Time Out Magazine, "As one of China's first major English-language lifestyle media outlets that paved the way for other media outlets in China looking to connect English-speaking residents with the cities they live in."
Residing in Boston after 16 years as an expat in Asia and Europe, Anita brings her valuable global business and culture insights to consult for clients seeking to have meaningful relationships with diverse groups of stakeholders. | LinkedIn | anita@lwow.org
Chief Innovation Officer
James Peters directs product development strategies and manages regulatory compliance related to new legal services offerings as the Vice President of New Market Initiatives for LegalZoom. James received a B.A. in Political Science and International Relations from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and holds a J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School and an M.B.A. from the University of California, Los Angeles. He is a member of the State Bar of California and is a solicitor in England and Wales. | Linkedin
Legal Technology Officer
Having first participated in LawWithoutWalls as a student in 2016, Felix signed on to LWOW as a volunteer, assisting in tech and legal design. Six years later, Felix is the backbone of LWOW Sprint, instrumental in the design and execution of events that bring participants together in-person as well as virtually from across five continents. Felix is also LWOW’s seriously talented resident DJ, a hobby he relishes and that LWOW benefits from. Outside of LWOW, Felix was an Associate at Eversheds Sutherland in the Commercial (Technology) team from 2020-2025. Currently, he is a Legal Counsel working on the frontlines of artificial intelligence at Faculty. He also serves as a Board Member of BVL, a social mobility charity which runs projects to help students from state schools explore the UK legal system. | LinkedIn
LawWithoutWalls Program Coordinator
A native of New Jersey, Ashlynn is the Program Coordinator for LawWithoutWalls at the University of Miami Law School. She studied Criminal Justice and Forensic Science at the University of Delaware where she gained professional experience working with the University of Delaware Police Department, all the while participating as an active member of the university dance team. After school, Ashlynn worked as a home health aide in New Jersey before relocating to Florida to pursue her passion for dance. In June 2024, she realized her goal of becoming a Miami Dolphins Cheerleader. Ashlynn now balances her career as a Program Coordinator during the day with her role as an NFL Cheerleader in the evenings. | LinkedIn
2026 Spring Student Helper
Ariana Silva is a senior at Dartmouth College majoring in Film & Media Studies, with plans to pursue law school and a particular interest in entertainment and criminal law. She has interned with the Finborough Theatre in London and the Dartmouth College Office of Communications, where she produced multimedia content. Ariana is President of Dartmouth’s chapter of The Women’s Network and serves on the editorial staff of the Dartmouth Law Journal. A writer and educator, she has taught drama at Take One Acting Studio and received the Alexander Laing Memorial Writing Award for her original screenplay. Ariana is passionate about storytelling, advocacy, and empowering underrepresented voices. | LinkedIn
Videographer & Event Coordinator 2023-Present
Veronica Hulbert is a recent graduate of the University of Vermont, where she studied Community-Centered Design with minors in Mandarin and Film & Television Studies, focusing on documentary storytelling. She is launching a freelance videography and photography business and currently works as a Creative Event Coordinator at REInvent.world. Passionate about the intersection of storytelling, strategic design, and systems thinking, Veronica is a fourth-year intern with LawWithoutWalls, where she leads videography and photography, creating dynamic content that captures the energy of LWOW’s global experiences. Her work promotes LWOW’s mission and showcases the impact of each event. | LinkedIn
Ambassador & Volunteer 2017-Present
Natalia is pursuing a BSc in International Development with Economics at the University of Bath, set to graduate in 2025. As part of her placement year, she worked in the President’s Cabinet at the European Economic and Social Committee in Brussels and is currently gaining experience in accounting at Recurrent Energy in London. Bilingual in Spanish and English, with intermediate French, Natalia is passionate about sustainability, democracy, and global development. She has participated in COP26 and the One Young World Academy, and has completed internships with NatWest Group, RSGI, and the International Bar Association. She also teaches Spanish at the University of Bath. | LinkedIn
2024 Research Assistant
Dhruvi is a Double Masters student in Lawyering and Legal Consulting at IE Law School in Madrid, Spain. During her undergraduate years at IE, she was a fundamental part of IE Debate Club, the Cheerleading team and co-founded IE's own Model UN Conference. She is extremely passionate about Legaltech and Legal Design. Outside of academics, she is a culinary enthusiast and an event planner. As a student in Spain who hails from India, she speaks multiple languages among which are English, Spanish and Hindi. Dhruvi joined LWOW as a Student Hacker in Sprint 2023 and is enthusiastic about her position as a Research Assistant at Sprint 2024. | LinkedIn
Sprint Student Intern 2024-2025
George is a History student at Newcastle University, where he is an active member of the Law Society and serves as treasurer of the university’s largest student club. He has a strong interest in ethics and philosophy, having studied major thinkers such as Sartre, Mill, and Kant. A dedicated athlete, George has competed in rugby, soccer, and basketball for many years, including at the university level and on tour in South Africa. He has supported LawWithoutWalls at Pop-Ups hosted by Dentons and DLA Piper, as well as the 2024 Sprint at IE University in Madrid and the 2025 Sprint at the University of Buckingham. Currently, George is working and traveling in the United States. | LinkedIn
Sprint Student Intern 2022-Present
Bella Hulbert is a second-year undergrad at McGill University, double majoring in Economics and International Development. Raised across Asia and several other countries, she brings a global perspective and a strong interest in the intersection of people, policies, and institutions.
Currently, Bella is an Integrated Management Student Fellow (IMSF) at McGill’s Desautels Faculty of Management, where she researches how open-access science impacts authority and accessibility in underserved communities. Bella also serves as Director of Operations for PennyDrops, a financial literacy nonprofit, where she leads outreach across chapters and drives data-informed decision-making. Previously, she interned with the Massachusetts State Senate, researching legislation and attending committee hearings. | LinkedIn
Sprint Student Intern 2022-2025
Sean Dealy studies at the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University. He is a financial literacy advocate and in 2021 co-founded the nonprofit FLOW, which stands for Financial Literacy Outreach Workshop, a program that educates K through 12 students in underserved communities on the topic of financial literacy and investing. The program includes mentoring as well as a future plan to help fund starter investment portfolios for these students. His interests outside of school include drawing, film, history, physics, and improvisational theater. | LinkedIn
Sprint Student Intern 2024-2025
Jack is a second-year History student at the University of Leeds, UK, pursuing a BA (Hons). Alongside academics, Jack is a karate black belt and serves as secretary of the University's Karate Society, where he plays a key role in recruiting new members and ensuring compliance with regulations. Beyond his academic and athletic commitments, Jack is the producer and host of the popular student radio podcast Casa de Waffle and works as a freelance editor for a business leadership podcast. His interests in technology and law have led him to a placement with NatWest’s Outsourcing, Technology, and IP Legal team, where he is gaining hands-on experience in these fields. Jack has been actively involved with LawWithoutWalls (LWOW), attending the 2024 Madrid Sprint as a student ambassador and volunteering at LWOW PopUps in London. | LinkedIn
Founder
Professor, University of Miami School of Law
Program Chair, Harvard Law School Executive Education and Visiting Professor, Harvard Law School
Michele DeStefano is a legal educator, author, and innovation strategist who teaches across global universities and executive education programs. Recognized by the ABA as a Legal Rebel and by the Financial Times Innovative Lawyers as one of the top 20 Market Shapers in the practice and business of law in the past 20 years, Michele is a professor at the University of Miami and a visiting professor at Harvard Law School. She teaches both established and aspiring legal professionals how to lead in a complex, rapidly evolving marketplace. Michele designs and leads learning experiences with general counsel, law firm leaders, and rising legal talent to develop the mindsets and skills needed to drive change through collaboration, creativity, and stakeholder-centricity. She is the founder of LawWithoutWalls, a global experiential initiative that unites diverse stakeholders to tackle real-world busines-of-law challenges and change how lawyers collaborate, learn, and lead. Michele has authored three books on leadership, client-centricity, and teamwork, including her most recent, Leader Upheaval: A Guide to Client-Centricity, Culture Creation, and Collaboration. Beyond the classroom, Michele frequently delivers keynotes and facilitates design-thinking workshops for professional service providers worldwide helping them strengthen leadership, spark innovation, build client-centered cultures, and influence change across their organizations. Michele earned a B.A. magna cum laude from Dartmouth College and a J.D. degree magna cum laude from Harvard Law School. LinkedIn | Read more | md@law.miami.edu