RYLEE SOMMERS-FLANAGAN

Founder and Executive Director

Before founding Upper Seven Law, Rylee Sommers-Flanagan served as Montana Governor Steve Bullock's deputy chief legal counsel, not only defeating the Trump campaign in election-related litigation, but winning two other cases against the administration over the course of a few short months.  Rylee also worked as a fellow for the nationally renowned class action firm, Cohen Milstein, and as the Supreme Court Assistance Project Fellow for the Public Citizen Litigation Group.  Before that, she clerked for the Honorable Sidney R. Thomas, Chief Judge of the Ninth Circuit, and for Judge Ellen Segal Huvelle and Judge Thomas Hogan, of the U.S. District Court of the District of Columbia.  

Rylee graduated from Stanford Law School, where she served as president of the Stanford student chapter of the American Constitution Society.  She graduated magna cum laude from Emory University.  There, she founded Emory's Day On, a service day in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King.  She also has a creative writing degree from the University of St. Andrews.  Rylee is a fifth generation Montanan who grew up in Missoula and spent summers on the family's working ranch in Absarokee.

Publications: Rylee is the author of The Legal Story of Guantánamo North, 19 U. Pa. J. Const. L. 1169 (2017), and Our False Promise of Justice, Democracy Journal (Spring 2020).

Molly Danahy

Litigation Director

Before joining Upper Seven as Litigation Director, Molly was Senior Legal Counsel for Litigation at the Campaign Legal Center, litigating voting rights, redistricting, and campaign finance cases at both the trial and appellate level, including in the United States Supreme Court. During her time at CLC, Molly served as counsel of record in over two dozen cases.  

Molly was born and raised in Moscow, Idaho, and grew up spending her summers swimming in Priest Lake and her winters skiing and snowboarding in McCall. After leaving for college at 17, she lived in several different places, including Los Angeles, Denver, D.C., Boise, and most recently Baltimore. Molly’s heart has always been in the west, however, and she is thrilled to finally be back home, closer to family and the wild places she loves.  

Molly graduated from Georgetown Law and received her undergraduate degree at the University of Southern California.  After graduating from law school she clerked for the Honorable Judge B. Lynn Winmill at the United States District Court for the District of Idaho. In the spring of 2024, Molly co-taught the Election Law Practicum at Georgetown Law.

Publications: Molly is the co-author of Distortion in the Census: America’s Oldest Gerrymander?, 49 U. Mem. L. Rev. 1065 (2019). 

Bar admissions: Molly is admitted to practice in Montana, New York, the District of Columbia, Maryland.

Jamie Wattnem

Operations Director

Jamie Wattnem is a dynamic financial expert with a business degree from Montana State University and experience in government accounting, start-ups, and nonprofits. She is a master of business systems and thrives in roles that demand versatility. 

Through her work as an accountant with the State of Montana, Jamie honed her expertise in financial management, budgeting, and compliance. Her tenure in this role laid the groundwork for a keen understanding of financial intricacies in the public sector. In late 2020, Jamie began to work as a consultant, guiding diverse nonprofits to enhance their accounting and business processes. Jamie is a trusted advisor who excels in analyzing intricate financial systems and delivering tailored solutions.

Jamie’s Montana roots also run deep. Her great-great uncle, Forrest Anderson, served as Montana's Governor during a transformative era, overseeing Montana’s pivotal Constitutional Convention in the 1970s. Jamie's profound connection to Montana's heritage fuels her passion for Upper Seven’s mission: holding the powerful accountable and safeguarding the rights of ordinary citizens. She brings a personal commitment to this cause and is an essential support to our dedicated attorneys.

Dimitrios Tsolakidis

Staff Attorney

A native of Athens, Greece, Dimitrios moved to the United States when he was sixteen. After graduating from the University of Montana with a degree in Philosophy and Classics, he served in the Justice for Montanans AmeriCorps program and worked for the Montana Legal Services Association.

Dimitrios earned his J.D. with academic honors in 2021 from the University of Montana School of Law. During law school, he served as the teaching assistant for Civil Procedure and was elected co-Editor-in-Chief of the Montana Law Review. He was also a core member of the University of Montana National Lawyers Guild and a clinical intern for the Honorable Dana L. Christensen, United States District Court Judge for the District of Montana. Upon graduation, Dimitrios received the John P. Archer Service and Excellence in Law School award.

Dimitrios joined Upper Seven Law after practicing law at a regional civil defense firm. Prior to private practice, he clerked for the Honorable Beth Baker on the Montana Supreme Court.

Mikaela Koski

Fellow

Mikaela Koski grew up in Columbus, Montana. She attended the University of Montana, earning degrees with high honors in both political science and history. After graduating, she returned home to Stillwater County and worked as the reporter at a small newspaper, primarily covering local schools and government. 

In 2022, Mikaela graduated magna cum laude from Penn State Law. While in law school, she served as president of the Penn State Law chapter of the American Constitution Society, as an articles editor for the Penn State Law Review, and as a research assistant. She also participated in the Center for Immigrants’ Rights Clinic and the Civil Rights Appellate Clinic.

Mikaela joined Upper Seven Law after clerking for the Honorable Dirk Sandefur on the Montana Supreme Court.

Lydia dal nogare

Fellow

Lydia is a Justice Catalyst Fellow and recent graduate of the University of Wisconsin Law School. While in law school, she worked in the Legal Assistance for Incarcerated People Clinic, advocating for post-conviction relief on behalf of incarcerated clients. Upon graduation, she received the Friends of the Frank J. Remington Center Endowment Award for her clinical work and dedication to public interest law. Lydia also competed in moot court, volunteered with two pro bono clinics, and served as an intern and research assistant for the State Democracy Research Initiative. The summer before her final year, she interned at Upper Seven Law.

Before attending law school, Lydia earned her bachelor’s degree in political science and history from the University of Minnesota. She then completed an AmeriCorps service year with the Civic Engagement Commission in New York City, worked in communications for Missoula Public Health, and contributed to political campaigns as an organizer and researcher. 

From the Flathead Valley, Lydia is thrilled to return to Montana and join Upper Seven Law. Outside of work, she enjoys skiing, running, hiking, and exploring farmers’ markets

Leo Schuman

Learning Program Manager

Leo Schuman was born and raised in Billings, Montana. He later graduated from the University of Portland and then the Lewis & Clark Law School, where he served as the first openly gay person elected to the board of the Law Student Division of the American Bar Association. During his legal career he also served on the boards of the National LGBTQ+ Bar Association and the Oregon Freedom to Marry Project.

Pursuing his early passion for software and web development, in 1997 Leo transitioned his career towards the software industry. Over his 25 years in this industry he designed, developed, and delivered over 40 live and online software developer training courses for companies including Adobe, Couchbase, Datastax, Macromedia, and Allaire.

Following he and his husband’s return home to Montana in 2020, Leo is happy now to be creating learning programs for Upper Seven Law, including the Montana Constitution Roadshow.

Benji Glanz

Impact Associate

Benji Glanz grew up in Needham, Massachusetts, before heading to Brown University for college. He wrote his senior capstone on solitary confinement in the federal court system and graduated in 2023 with degrees in economics and international and public affairs. During his college summers, he worked at a start-up incubator in Tel Aviv and a think tank in Washington, D.C.

Benji is very excited to join Upper Seven Law and begin exploring Montana. After Upper Seven, he plans to attend law school and work in public interest law.

Ryan McCracken

Executive Assistant

Ryan comes to Montana from Richmond, Virginia, where he was born and raised. He graduated from William and Mary before spending a year teaching English in Slovakia, working as a legal assistant at the Public Defender’s office in Chesterfield, Virginia, and then making his way west.

Bill Jarosz

Board Chair

Bill Jarosz is a Founding Partner of Cartesian Capital Group, a global investment management firm headquartered in New York.  He started Cartesian’s office in Shanghai, China.  He also serves as Executive Director of Satellos Bioscience, a biotechnology firm focusing on novel treatments for skeletal muscle regeneration.  Bill grew up in Bozeman, Montana, and graduated from University of Montana.  He subsequently graduated from the Fletcher School at Tufts University with an M.A. in Law and Diplomacy and from Harvard Law School with a J.D., magna cum laude.  Before founding Cartesian, Bill practiced law in New York at Debevoise & Plimpton.

Bill is an avid outdoorsman who is grateful for the opportunities that Montana has provided.  He seeks to protect and preserve the sense of community that he believes lies at the root of the Montana way of life and is honored to be part of the Upper Seven Law team.

Rachel CaRroll Rivas

Treasurer

Rachel Carroll Rivas is the Deputy Director of Research, Reporting and Analysis at the Southern Poverty Law Center.  For more than twenty years, Rachel has worked to expose anti-democratic far-right forces and to organize communities in response to hate activity.  Her work has supported and empowered rural community organizing and research across the United States. Rachel’s work countering white nationalism and the anti-government militia movement has been featured extensively in major news media outlets.

Before joining SPLC, Rachel was Co-Director of the Montana Human Rights Network.  Rachel’s collegiate studies took place at North Dakota State, University of Montana, Illinois State, and Utah State University. 

Rachel was raised in Central Montana by parents who were public servants and who instilled in her the value of community engagement and the public good. 

Kari hong

Board Member

Kari Hong has been with the Florence Project since June 2021. Kari has represented nearly 200 individuals before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, dozens of people before the Board of Immigration Appeals, and more than 50 people in state and federal criminal court appeals. The Ninth Circuit has issued decisions on more than 100 of her cases, including nearly 30 published decisions.

Before joining the Florence Project, Kari was a tenured law professor at Boston College Law School where she specialized in immigration law, criminal law, and founded the Ninth Circuit Appellate Program, a clinic in which law students argued cases to the Ninth Circuit.  Kari’s commentary and scholarship has appeared in national publications including the Washington Post, New York Times, and CNN.  She has spoken at numerous trainings and conferences on matters relating to asylum, immigration consequences of criminal convictions, and appellate advocacy. Before teaching, Kari was a solo practitioner specializing in immigration and criminal appeals, with offices in California and Oregon.  Kari is a graduate of Columbia Law School and Swarthmore College and clerked for Judge Jeremy Fogel (Northern District of California) and Judge Sidney Thomas (Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals).

Jason Smith

Board Member

Jason Smith is enrolled with the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes and a descendant of the Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes.  For eight years, Jason served as Governor Steve Bullock’s Director of Indian Affairs.  In that role, Jason acted as a liaison and advocate for tribes in Montana.  Jason has sweeping experience developing relationships and between state and tribal governments, developing policy, and supporting tribal economic development.  Before his work with the Governor, he served as Chairman Assistant to the Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes, and worked as Program Manager for the State Tribal Economic Development Commission in the Montana Department of Commerce.  He graduated from Salish Kootenai College with a business degree.

Jason is a proud member of his tribe and enjoys working to make a difference in the Big Sky State. He values his time with friends and family across the state. He loves to listen to people stories and experiences in Montana and finds we have more in common than we do difference. He strives to strengthen relationships and build new ones.

Deborah Griffin

Board Member

All of her adult life, Deborah has been active in non-profit work, serving as the board chair for Hambidge Center for the Arts, La Gonave Haiti Partnership, Serenbe Institute for the Arts, and South Fulton Arts. She also served on the Oglethorpe University Board of Trustees and is currently serving as a council member on the Good Neighbor Agreement, the only agreement that exists between a hard rock mining company and a citizen's environmental group.

A staunch advocate for civil and human rights, Deborah has worked to see that others have access to funding and services whether in the arts, social services, or voting rights. 

After graduating from Smith College School for Social Work, Deborah worked at Jewish Family Services in Atlanta working with individuals, children, and families as a clinical social worker. Following agency work, she had a private practice for over 20 years as a psychotherapist working with adults and couples.

A native of Atlanta, Georgia, Deborah has owned property in Nye, Montana, for 24 years, and after being here for summers, is now at her home in Nye full-time. When she is not consumed with her volunteer work, she enjoys her life in the Beartooth Mountains with her dog, Charles Otis.