Sophie Ordway

Policy Fellow - Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity

Sophie is a Data & Policy Fellow for the Youth Policy Lab. She holds a MSW with a focus on Policy and Program Evaluation from the University of Michigan and a BA in English and Women’s Studies from Marist College. Prior to joining YPL, Sophie was a r...

Policy Fellowship

Through the Policy Fellowship program, YPL works with partners to place early-career policy professionals in full time roles with state and local agencies in Michigan. The Fellows provide technical assistance and strategic support to achieve specif...

2025 YPL fellow cohort: Dimitri, Sophie, Megan, Pita, and Sam

In the News

Program to create housing options for the formerly incarcerated

Apr 11, 2025 The Spartan Newsroom

LANSING – “It was a one bedroom, moldy basement apartment,” said LaWanda Hollister, referring to one of the first places she rented when released after 34 years in prison. Hollister, now a Washtenaw County resident, is the coordinator of Nation Outsi...

LaWanda Hollister, coordinator for Nation Outside Women’s Chapter and volunteer organizer for the American Friends Service Committee. Credit: Courtesy photo

Counsel at First Appearance (CAFA) Evaluation

May 2025 - October 2026

Brian Jacob, Triana Kazaleh Sirdenis, Sophie Ordway

YPL has partnered with the Juvenile Justice Clinic (JJC) at the U-M Law School to evaluate their Counsel at First Appearance pilot in select Michigan counties. Through this evaluation, we are assessing the outcomes of providing legal representation to juvenile defendants facing felony charges at their first time in court. Findings from this evaluation are expected to support efforts to scale CAFA for juveniles statewide.

In a courthouse, female lawyer next to a teen boy at a table with a judge in the background