Yulise Reaves Waters, Esq. is Deputy Director of the Lone Star Justice Alliance. She oversees the program and team development, partnerships management, and community engagement aspects of the Transformative Justice model in the Second Chance Community Improvement Program (SCCIP—pronounced “skip”) in Dallas County and in the Rehabilitative Interventions and Supports for Emerging Adults Program (R.I.S.E.) in Williamson County. Previously, Waters was a Dallas Assistant City Attorney where she co-founded SCCIP - the first-ever specialty court for young adults in the State of Texas - which was awarded the 2018 National Association of Drug Court Professionals’ Equity and Inclusion Award for “excellence and leadership in demonstrating and promoting cultural proficiency in treatment court services.” Waters holds B.A. degrees in English (magna cum laude) and Spanish (magna cum laude), a B.B.A. in Organizational Behavior and Business Policy (magna cum laude), and a Juris Doctorate, all from Southern Methodist University, where she is a member of the Inaugural Emerging Leader Board at the Dedman School of Law. Waters holds memberships in the Juvenile Law, Criminal Justice, and Collaborative Law Sections, and is a member of the Leadership Dallas Class of 2020. Nationally, her commentaries on race and justice have been featured on syndicated radio and in major U.S. city newspapers. Waters is the recipient of numerous honors including the 2020 SMU Dedman School of Law Distinguished Alumni Emerging Leader Award, Dallas Business Journal “40 Under 40,” Prairie View A&M University Ministers Conference Outstanding Leader Award, Texas Muslim Women’s Foundation Peace Champion Award, DFW Millennial-to-Watch, Texas State Fair Juanita J. Craft Catalyst Award Honorable Mention, and the SMU Black Alumni’s History Maker Award.