Liz Harding Chao, JD, MPA (she/they) graduated with a Juris Doctorate, Summa Cum Laude, from the Georgia State University College of Law in December 2025. She is a First Generation American who immigrated to the United States as a young adult. She is an aspiring attorney and is currently waiting for the results of the February 2026 bar exam. Liz also holds a Master of Public Administration from the University of Washington, Seattle, where she lived for 6 years before moving to Atlanta.

They are the founder of Southern Legal Center for Youth (SLCY), the first and only legal aid organization in Georgia to focus on young people aged 12 to 24 years old. Since 2024, SLCY has provided free civil legal services to over 175 youth and young adults in Georgia, many of whom are at risk of or experiencing homelessness. The organization is also home to a first-of-its-kind Gender-Affirming Legal Care™ for Youth program, which Liz and her team created to provide trauma-informed and gender-affirming legal services that increase access to justice for trans and gender-expansive young people in the South. Through this program, SLCY served over 50 trans and gender-expansive young people its first year, mostly with gender-affirming legal name changes. SLCY’s innovative work with trans youth has been featured by WABE, Georgia’s outpost of NPR, and the Georgia Recorder.

Prior to attending law school, Liz was a researcher focused on youth homelessness issues. She is a published author and has presented at conferences around the United States on youth justice and related solutions to homelessness such as Direct Cash Transfers and flexible funds. An article that she co-authored with her mentor from the National Homelessness Law Center was published in the Maine Law Review Volume 77, No. 2. The article, entitled Exploring Due Process Rights and Litigation Strategies for Homeless Youth Under Federal Law argues that youth experiencing homelessness have a property right in shelter and housing programs and are entitled to due process when terminated from these services. In 2025, Liz’s access to justice work was recognized by the Georgia Bar Association when she was awarded the Mike Monahan Law School Excellence in Access to Justice Award.

Awards:

• Alex Patafio Fearless Advocate Peer Award, Fall 2024: voted by her peers for her client work in the Health Law Legal Services Partnership (HeLP) Clinic at GSU Law

• GSU College of Law 2025 student honoree on the Association of American Law School’s Pro Bono Honor Roll: for completing over 600 hours of pro bono service during her time in law school

• 2025 Mike Monahan Law Student Excellence in Access to Justice Award: awarded by the Georgia Bar Association for her demonstrated commitment to increasing access to justice in Georgia