Board of Directors — Officers

Susan P. Koniak, President

Susan P. Koniak is the President and founder of Sarah’s Place. For most of her professional career, Susan was a professor of law at Boston University. A co-author of a leading legal textbook and many articles, Susan has been profiled in the Wall St. Journal, Corporate Board Member’s 100 Best Corporate Lawyers Edition 2003, and the American Lawyer Magazine. She testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee of the United States Congress on lawyer involvement in the Enron collapse and similar corporate scandals and before the House Judiciary Committee on abuse by class action lawyers.

Susan was born with a neurological condition that was not professionally diagnosed until she was 50 years old. At 45 the methods Susan had devised to compensate (manage in a world not structured for her brain) began to become less available to her. Five years later, the medical community recognized the problem. Susan’s response was to found Sarah’s Place.

Steven Jensen, Secretary

For 23 years, Steve Baughman Jensen was a trial lawyer representing individuals and families whose bodies and property were poisoned by chemical dumping and other corporate indifference. Today, Steve works as a writer and racial equity advocate. In his Substack and working book manuscript, HealingWhiteHistory.Substack.com, Steve reckons with the white supremacy of his ancestors, and moves toward racial repair today. Steve and his wife Rebecca, together for 40 years, live in Dallas with two dogs. They enjoy watching TV together, traveling, and playing with their three grandchildren. Steve’s friendship with Susan Koniak over decades has been one of his life’s treasures.

David A. Dana, Treasurer

David is a leading scholar in the fields of environmental law, property, land use, and professional responsibility. He is the Kirkland & Ellis Professor of Law at Northwestern University School of Law and the director there of the Program on Sustainability and Food and Animal Law. He also holds a courtesy appointment as Professor of Real Estate Law at the Kellogg School of Management. Before becoming a professor, he was a litigator in both the private (Wilmer, Cutler & Pickering) and public (U.S. Department of Justice) sectors. He taught at Boston University before joining Northwestern, and has been a visiting professor at Harvard and Virginia as well as several foreign universities. His current scholarly work focuses on a range of topics, including environmental and health risks posed by emerging technologies, climate change adaptation, the foreclosure crisis, and attorney fees and fee alternatives.

Howard S. Liptzin

Howard S. Liptzin, a senior marketing consultant with a focus on the sustainable packaging sector, also boasts notable expertise as a photographer. He is based in Como, Italy. His eclectic professional journey commenced subsequent to earning his Juris Doctor degree from the Northwestern School of Law in 1979. Liptzin then worked as a licensed private investigator in both San Francisco and New York City. Liptzin made a decisive move in 1992, relocating his family to Italy to start a new professional career in computer graphic design. He remains committed to advancing the objectives of Sarah’s Place, ensuring the organization’s mission will be fulfilled with focus and integrity.

Jack W. Londen

Jack W. Londen is a partner in the law firm of Morrison & Foerster in San Francisco. Mr. Londen’s litigation practice has involved securities, patent, and antitrust cases and other complex commercial cases in federal and state courts. He has led major pro bono cases on education and other public policy issues. He has also served in a leadership capacity for various public service organizations, including as Co-Chair of the National Lawyers’ Committee on Civil Rights Under Law and as a founder of Lawyers for One America. Mr. Londen has received awards for his public interest work from various organizations, including the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, and the National Center for Youth Law.