Samira Nazem

Samira Nazem works to make the justice system accessible for everyone, including people without lawyers, people with disabilities, and people with limited English proficiency. 

She works closely with judicial officers, court administrators, and other justice stakeholders in areas including process design and improvement, communications and outreach strategies, delivery of self-help services, and related court reform efforts. Nazem also leads the Eviction Diversion Initiative, an $11 million grant program that supports state and local courts in designing and implementing eviction diversion programs. 

Prior to joining NCSC, she worked to expand access to self-help, legal aid, and pro bono resources as the associate director of programs and advocacy at The Chicago Bar Foundation and in the access to justice division of the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts. She began her legal career as a legal aid attorney and pro bono program manager. 

She received a bachelor's degree from Yale University and a juris doctor from the University of Chicago Law School.