Former Liman Fellow Lisa Daugaard ’95 Named 2019 MacArthur Fellow

Criminal Justice reformer Lisa Daugaard ’95 has been named a 2019 MacArthur Fellow for her work developing an alternative standard to drug law enforcement that improves policing, outcomes for individuals suspected of law violations, and public safety.

A former public defender, Daugaard is skilled at seeing beyond individuals to the systemic problems that inhibit change. She is a primary architect of the Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) program in King County (Seattle, Washington), a program that replaces punitive policing policies with public health and harm reduction services that address the underlying causes leading to participation in the drug trade. 

The MacArthur Fellowship is a $625,000, no-strings-attached award to “extraordinarily talented and creative individuals as an investment in their potential,” according to the MacArthur Foundation.

“As our nation struggles with what comes after the era of mass incarceration, some of the alternatives being offered are too shallow to hold the weight of public expectations and individual needs,” said Daugaard. “Though over-criminalization did tremendous harm, it's not enough just to stop that — we must actually create ways to respond well to deeply felt needs for safety, order and health. Our small team, working with partners around the country, is feeling our way toward better answers that have the potential to endure, heal, and foster reconciliation.”

Following her graduation from Yale Law School, Daugaard was a Liman Fellow at the The Arthur Liman Center for Public Interest Law from 1998-99.

Watch a video of Daugaard talking about her work and read more about her here.