Friend –

We're reaching out today to share the exciting news that we have found our next executive director!

Mike Lee is a born and raised Philadelphian who founded Philadelphia Lawyers for Social Equity (PLSE), a nonprofit legal aid firm that helped Pennsylvanians expunge their criminal records (a program that would later become a model for Pennsylvania's Clean Slate law) and worked to expand access to the governor's pardon powers. He will start as executive director for the ACLU of Pennsylvania on January 16, 2024. We are so excited about this development and wanted to share a bit more about Mike.

Mike graduated from George Washington University, where he studied communications. Mike was part of the inaugural class at the Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law in 2006 and was a co-founder of an ACLU chapter there. Mike was a regular legal observer, including during the G20 protests in Pittsburgh in 2009. In his early years practicing law, he specialized in criminal defense and had a number of clients who had been prosecuted during the Occupy protests. During this time, Mike co-founded PLSE.

Mike left PLSE to join the Philadelphia district attorney's office as the director of government affairs. In that role, Mike connected grassroots movements, elected officials, and community organizations to transform what the public wants from a prosecutor and public safety. He also took on reforming the city's criminal legal system as the supervisor of adult diversion. Mike worked to eliminate court costs and fees in diversion programs and to find pre-plea opportunities for treatment for those struggling with substance use disorder, although that work was interrupted by the pandemic. Most recently, Mike served as the chief of staff, focused on maintaining staff well-being and high morale. He also prioritized improving the quality of work-life balance within the office, all while navigating the challenges of reforming a government agency from within.

Mike has been a longtime ACLU member. He served on the Philadelphia Chapter board and one of his mentors is his predecessor, Reggie Shuford.

Mike says that he is humbled to assume this position, with great appreciation for all the work that's come before him. He looks forward to meeting ACLU-PA members as we work together to advance our priorities in 2024 and beyond.

All of us at ACLU-PA want to offer Mike a warm welcome to the team.

Onward!

ACLU of Pennsylvania