Neda M. Shaheen is a consultant at Crowell & Moring International, where she supports a diverse range of clients with counsel on international trade and investment matters, public health and digital trade initiatives, as well as in crafting impactful public-private partnerships. Neda is an attorney and an LL.M. candidate in national security law with a certificate in international trade at Georgetown University, where she was selected as a 2021 National Security Scholar.
Neda was previously the Policy and Programs Lead at Women of Color Advancing Peace, Security, and Conflict Transformation, where she co-founded the South West Asia and North Africa Working Group, advocating for women of color across the field of peace and security and elevating women on the ground and in global diaspora communities. She is the Team DC co-lead of the Arab America Foundation and previously served as the National Director of Arab American Engagement on the Biden for President Campaign. Neda moved to Washington, D.C., for a fellowship at the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, where she worked on the legal and policy teams representing asylum-seekers and refugees, political prisoners, and other human rights defenders. Previously, Neda worked for the U.N. Security Council in New York, where she conducted legal compliance of state counterterrorism measures under international human rights law.
Neda earned her J.D. and a certificate in international and comparative law from DePaul University College of Law in Chicago, Illinois, after completing her B.A. studies in English and studio art from The Ohio State University. During law school, Neda was very active in DePaul’s International Human Rights Law Institute, where she conducted field research on the implementation of international human rights law treaties for reports to the U.N. Treaty Body Committees. She also served as a J.D. AmeriCorps and as a pro bono assistant for the South Texas Pro Bono Asylum Representation Project, supporting torture survivors in pro se asylum proceedings.
Neda speaks fluent Arabic.
Recognition
- 2021 US National Security and Foreign Affairs Leadership List, Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and Diversity in National Security Network (DINSN)
- 40 Under 40, Middle East Policy Council (2021)
- 30 Under 30, Arab America Foundation (2021)
- Building Bridges Award, Arab American Bar Association of Illinois (2021)
- DNC Presidential Fellow (2020)
Affiliations
Professional Activities and Memberships
- LL.M. Peer Reviewer, Georgetown National Security Law and Policy Journal
- Governance Committee, National Arab American Bar Association
- Team DC Co-Lead, Arab America Foundation
- Member, Foreign Policy For America NextGen Initiative
Speeches & Presentations
Publications
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"The Intersection of Climate Change and Immigration: A Humane Approach to Climate Displacement," Policy Papers by Women of Color, 4th Edition
(May 1, 2021).
Author: Neda M. Shaheen.
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"The Lasting Trauma of the Muslim Ban," Inkstick
(February 3, 2021).
Author: Neda M. Shaheen.
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"The Long-Term Effects of the Muslim Ban on Women & Girls," Amplifying SWANA Women and Girl's Voices: Survey Results and Analysis, Women of Color Advancing Peace & Security
(January 2021).
Authors: Neda M. Shaheen & Layla Abi-Falah.
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"Priority Issues for Women of Color in the First 100 Days of the Biden Administration," Women of Color Advancing Peace & Security
(December 2020).
Editor: Neda M. Shaheen.
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"Policy Papers by Women of Color," Women of Color Advancing Peace & Security, 3rd Edition
(December 2020).
Editor: Neda M. Shaheen.
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"The Western Spring," Global Dashboard
(June 22, 2020).
Authors: Neda M. Shaheen and Nikita Shukla.
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"Voices of the Peace Corps COVID-19 Evacuees," Women of Color Advancing Peace & Security
(May 2020).
Editor: Neda M. Shaheen.
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"Discriminatory Nationality Laws Must Be Eliminated In Order To Eradicate Statelessness," DePaul Journal for Social Justice, Volume 11, Issue 2, Article 4
(Summer 2018).
Author: Neda M. Shaheen.
Media Mentions