About the Speakers: Donor-Advised Funds: A Regulator's Perspective

James Sheehan is the Chief of the New York Attorney General's Charities Bureau, which oversees compliance and regulation of the nation's largest Charities sector. Prior to this role, he was the New York City Human Resources Administration's first Chief Integrity Officer, overseeing audit, investigations, and data analysis for the nation's largest social services agency. From 2007 to 2011, he was New York's first Medicaid Inspector General, overseeing the country's first mandatory compliance program, and New York's leading role in health care data analytics. Prior to his New York public service roles, Mr. Sheehan was an Assistant and Associate US Attorney in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, where he developed a nationally recognized program working with whistleblowers under the False Claims Act. He is a graduate of Swarthmore College and Harvard Law School.

Emily Stern is Co-Chief of the Enforcement Section of the New York State Office of the Attorney General, Charities Bureau.  At the Charities Bureau, Emily oversees many of the bureau’s enforcement efforts in the areas of governance and compliance and leads investigation and litigation involving allegations of fraudulent conduct, the diversion of charitable assets, breaches of fiduciary duties and other malfeasance and nonfeasance.  Emily has also led Charities Bureau initiatives designed to enhance awareness, improve training and increase legal compliance in the not-for-profit sector.  Emily joined the New York Attorney General’s office following two decades in private practice with the firms Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP, Proskauer Rose LLP and Solomon, Zauderer, Ellenhorn, Frischer & Sharp. Her practice focused on civil and white-collar criminal litigation. Emily clerked for the Honorable Sidney H. Stein on the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. She has served on the Judiciary Committee of the Association of the Bar of the City New York since 2015.  Emily is an honors graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Law School, where she was an Articles Editor on the Wisconsin Law Review.  Before becoming a lawyer, Emily was a performing artist and she holds a B.F.A. from New York University Tisch School of the Arts.

Steve Shiffman is an Assistant Attorney General in the Enforcement Section of the Charities Bureau, which he joined in 2012.   Prior to coming to the Attorney General’s Office, Steve was a litigation partner at Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP, which he joined in 1997, when it was known as Rosenman & Colin.  Prior to that, Steve was associated with Arnold & Porter and, from 1991 to 1992, clerked for the Honorable Michael H. Dolinger, a United States Magistrate Judge in the Southern District of New York.  Steve graduated with honors from the New York University School of Law, where he was a Notes & Comments Editor of the Law Review, in 1991.  Steve received his undergraduate degree from Vassar College in 1985 and, after graduating, taught English in Japan before returning to the U.S. to go to law school.

As producer of the Chronicle’s monthly webinar series, Margie Fleming Glennon develops the topics and identifies speakers for each session. She also serves as editor of the Resource Center, a collection of practical tools and how-to guides on philanthropy.com. Before joining the Chronicle, she worked in nonprofit communications for many years, most recently as communications director for the nonprofit Share Our Strength.