Wesam Shahed

Wesam Shahed is a first-generation Palestinian-American from Chicago, Illinois. He serves as an Policy Advisor - Assistant State’s Attorney at the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office (CCSAO). Wesam has also been internationally recognized in the Arab American Foundation’s “30 Under 30.” Wesam recently gave a TEDx Talk on criminal justice reform titled "Does Justice Always Require a Conviction?" discussing what alternative prosecution methods need to be focused on. Wesam is the Finance Director for the first Muslim and Palestinian American to be elected by the Democratic Party into Illinois’s House Legislature in 2023. Wesam earned his B.A. in Pre-Law: Business Management from Loyola University Chicago and his Juris Doctor (J.D.) from Michigan State University College of Law.

Wesam holds executive leadership positions for the Arab Professional Business Association, American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the Arab American Bar Association, the Muslim Civic Coalition, and the AB Korkor Mental Health Foundation.