Founder and Director, Reproductive Rights Law Initiative
Judge Ben C. Green Professor of Law, School of Law
bjh11@case.edu
Jessie Hill, JD (she/her), is the Director of the Reproductive Rights Law Initiative, Associate Dean for Research and Faculty Development, and Judge Ben C. Green Professor of Law. Hill has been writing Â鶹ӳ» and advocating for reproductive rights for over two decades. Hill and the team are currently litigating numerous challenges to abortion restrictions in Ohio, and she has been invited to speak on reproductive rights law to various national groups, including the National Abortion Federation, the Society for Maternal Fetal Medicine, and the American Society for Reproductive Medicine.
Hill joined the CWRU faculty in 2003 after practicing First Amendment and civil rights law with the firm of Berkman, Gordon, Murray & DeVan in Cleveland. Before entering private practice, Hill worked at the Reproductive Freedom Project of the national ACLU office in New York, litigating challenges to state-law restrictions on reproductive rights. She also served as law clerk to the Honorable Karen Nelson Moore of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. She received her JD, magna cum laude, from Harvard University and her AB, magna cum laude, from Brown University. Her articles have been published in the Michigan Law Review, Duke Law Journal, Georgetown Law Journal and Texas Law Review, among others. She has also appeared in numerous local and national press outlets, including CNN, the New York Times, Ms. Magazine and NPR.
Staff Attorney/Lecturer
Becca Kendis, JD, MSSA (she/her) assumed the role of Staff Attorney/Lecturer after spending three years as the RRLI’s Reproductive Rights Fellow. In addition to her work as a member of the RRLI team, Becca has held numerous roles over the past decade at organizations fighting for social justice and serving marginalized populations, including at CWRU’s Human Trafficking Clinic, the ACLU of Ohio, Milestones Autism Resources and NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio. Becca’s interdisciplinary background ignited her passion for inter-professional collaboration and approaching advocacy through a creative and holistic lens, which she brings to her work with the RRLI. She holds a JD degree and a Master of Social Science Administration, both from Case Â鶹ӳ», as well as a Bachelor of Arts in Social Change and Activism from the University of Michigan.
Staff Attorney/Lecturer
Maggie Scotece, JD (she/they) joined the RRLI as a Staff Attorney/Lecturer from the Abortion Fund of Ohio, where she was Interim Executive Director and launched the organization’s first Legal Access Program to address legal barriers and the criminalization of abortion seekers. Maggie has extensive litigation experience, having served as an attorney with Disability Rights Ohio, as well as the Environmental Division of the Office of the Ohio Attorney General, and a litigation intern with the Human Services Division of the Alaska Department of Law. In addition to her reproductive rights background, Maggie also brings a deep connection to disability justice, including as a founding member of the Ohio Supported Decision Making Network. She earned a JD degree from The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law and her Bachelor of Arts in International Studies and Italian Studies from Miami University.
Department Assistant
axc1723@case.edu
Aleeta Cowan (she/her) joined the RRLI as an Administrative Assistant in Jan. 2025. She began her legal journey as an intern at The Henry Law Firm in 2023 and later joined the firm full-time after graduating summa cum laude from John Carroll University with a BA in Political Science. Aleeta is currently preparing to attend law school to further her legal expertise. Her passion for justice and strong work ethic guide her in both academic and professional pursuits.
Program Manager
nxj239@case.edu
Natalie Jemiola (she/they) joined the RRLI as a Program Manager in April 2025. She has spent over fifteen years working in libraries and academic institutions, engaging in community outreach, information management, and program development and facilitation. Their passion for equity work began during college culminating in a B.A. in Women’s and Gender Studies from Cleveland State University followed by two service years in AmeriCorps. A 2017-2018 American Library Association Spectrum Scholar, Natalie founded and co-chaired the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee at Westlake Porter Public Library and is a former member of the Ohio Library Council’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee.
Legal Fellow
kjc150@case.edu
Katie Corwin, JD (she/her) is a Legal Fellow at the RRLI. Katie graduated from CUNY School of Law in 2024. While in law school, she did extensive reproductive justice work. Katie interned with the Center for Reproductive Rights and the National Abortion Federation. She also served as a Student Attorney for CUNY Law’s Human Rights and Gender Justice Clinic. Finally, Katie published an article in CUNY’s Law Review, Telehealth in