Professor Mahadev also serves as the project director for the Illinois Coalition for the Fair Sentencing of Children, overseeing policy and litigation strategy with respect to advocating for fair sentencing laws for children convicted of serious crimes. Prior to joining the CFJC, Professor Mahadev was a litigation associate at a Chicago-based law firm and an assistant defender with the Office of the State Appellate Defender, First Judicial District, where she represented indigent clients convicted of criminal offenses on appeal, and argued before the Illinois Appellate Court and Illinois Supreme Court.