Public Law Center is a dedicated team of legal professionals that has provided pro-bono legal services to low-income residents of Orange County since 1981, providing legal assistance and coordinating the pro-bono services of over 1,500 attorneys throughout Orange County.

Attorneys

Monica Bedia, Staff Attorney

Monica Bedia

Practice Area: Consumer Law

Monica is a Staff Attorney in the Consumer Law Unit where she assists clients in a wide range of consumer related issues and issues affecting the elder community. She also assists in the various clinics run by the Consumer Law Unit. Prior to joining PLC, Monica worked at a boutique bankruptcy law firm in Los Angeles. Monica graduated with her B.A. in English from the University of Southern California and earned her J.D. from Loyola Law School.

Jonathan D. Bremen, Staff Attorney

Jonathan Bremen

Practice Area: Impact Litigation

Jonathan Bremen is an Impact Litigation Staff Attorney, where he conducts large-scale litigation and public policy advocacy on behalf of low-income residents in Orange County. Prior to joining the Public Law Center, Jonathan served as a law clerk to the Honorable Maren E. Nelson in the Complex Civil Program at the Los Angeles County Superior Court, and as an annual staff attorney in the Criminal Central Staff at the Supreme Court of California. He earned his law degree from Loyola Law School, Los Angeles. Before becoming an attorney, Jonathan enjoyed a career as a tenured music professor at Los Angeles Southwest College. Having led study abroad programs in Spain, Jonathan is enamored with Spanish language and culture. He also loves spending time outdoors with his family.

Kevin Camino, Senior Staff Attorney

Kevin Camino

Practice Area: Family Law Unit

Kevin is a senior staff attorney in the Family Law Unit. Kevin works both within the office, as well as at several pro-bono clinics across Orange County to provide advice and representation to clients with a variety of Family Law Issues. His diverse career spans a number of fields including family law, personal injury, and criminal defense. During law school, Kevin worked with the Spokane County Public Defender to represent at-risk children in juvenile court. Kevin earned his degree in psychology at Colorado State University, and his J.D. at Gonzaga University School of Law.

Monica Eav Glicken, Executive Director and General Counsel

Monica Glicken

Monica Eav Glicken is the Executive Director and General Counsel of PLC. Monica served as the Directing Attorney of PLC’s Immigration Unit from 2018 to 2022 and is a State Bar-certified Immigration Law expert. After graduating magna cum laude in Literature from Harvard University, Monica served as a Fulbright Fellow in the Philippines and a Corps Member and Service Team Leader with City Year Greater Philadelphia, an non-profit organization focused on youth education and development. Monica then graduated cum laude from Harvard Law School and clerked for the Honorable Anita B. Brody of the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Monica began her career in Immigration Law as an Attorney Advisor at the Immigration Court in Chicago, Illinois. A decade-long tenure in private practice followed in both Chicago and Seal Beach, California. Prior to joining PLC, Monica served as a Counseling Attorney and Adjunct Lecturer in UC Irvine School of Law’s Immigration Rights Clinic. As the child of immigrants from Cambodia and the Philippines, Monica is a long-time advocate for those who must fight to be heard, working tirelessly to promote greater access to justice and community empowerment, particularly for the most vulnerable.

William Espinosa, Staff Attorney

Practice Area: Family Law

Will works in the PLC’s Family Law Unit. His focus at PLC is on providing legal representation to low-income respondents in custody cases involving The Hague Abduction Convention. Prior to joining PLC as a Staff Attorney, Will volunteered with the the PLC family law and immigration law units. Will has also received certification as a Domestic Violence Advocate Counselor from the Women’s Transitional Living Center. Will graduated from the University of San Diego with a Public Interest Law concentration and has a B.A. from California State University, Long Beach.

Marcos Gonzales, Staff Attorney

Marcos Gonzales

Practice Area: Housing and Homelessness Prevention Unit

Marcos serves as a Staff Attorney in the Housing and Homelessness Prevention Unit at the Public Law Center.  His role involves assisting tenants with housing matters.  Prior to joining, Marcos gained experience from the City of Santa Barbara’s Rental Housing Mediation Program assisting in rental housing disputes and offering education on Landlord-Tenant rights.  He also gained experience at various law firms, handling cases involving civil litigation, code enforcement, and property law.

Suzanne Iazzetta, Directing Attorney

Suzanne Iazzetta

Practice Area: Consumer Law Unit

Suzanne Iazzetta is the Supervising Attorney for the Consumer Law Unit. Suzanne comes to Public Law Center from the east coast, where she has been practicing since 2005. Suzanne is licensed to practice law in New York, New Jersey, North Carolina, and California, and previously clerked for Judge Katharine S. Hayden of the United States District Court, District of New Jersey. Suzanne practiced civil litigation and bankruptcy at Lowenstein Sandler PC in New Jersey for many years. While at Lowenstein Sandler, Suzanne was granted a fellowship to work at Legal Services of New Jersey at the Newark, NJ office. While at LSNJ, Suzanne worked in the housing unit, assisting low-income clients obtain section 8 vouchers and defending voucher holders against HUD’s attempts to terminate the vouchers. Suzanne continued that pro bono work when she returned to Lowenstein, and was given a pro-bono attorney award every year that she remained at Lowenstein Sandler. She continually volunteered her services to assist people who needed legal help but could not afford traditional legal help.

Some of the areas of law that Suzanne has worked on in her career are consumer law, bankruptcy (business and personal), housing/eviction matters, foreclosure defense, and FDCPA, FCRA, TCPA, and UDAAP claims, and debt collection defense. Suzanne also spent time as a staff attorney for a chapter 7 bankruptcy trustee in New Jersey, and has had her own solo practice for the last ten years.

Working as a supervising attorney at Public Law Center represents a life-long dream for Suzanne, as it was always her intention to provide legal services for people in need and to lead a staff of like-minded people who are dedicated to making the world a better place, one act of kindness at a time.

Brigid Joyce, Associate General Counsel and Supervising Attorney

Brigid Joyce

Practice Area: Community Organizations Legal Assistance Project

Brigid Joyce has been practicing law for twenty years. She worked as an Associate from 2002 through 2011 in the areas of environmental law and general civil litigation and as a Partner from 2011 through 2014, where she continued working on environmental matters and gained additional experience in the areas of employment, business and transactional law. In 2015, Ms. Joyce accepted a position at the law firm O’Melveny and Myers, LLP as the Assistant Managing Attorney of the firm, wherein she oversaw the firm’s Calendar and Court Services Departments. In 2018, Ms. Joyce moved back to private practice, forming Joyce Law, P.C., with a focus on transactional and business law. Ms. Joyce also served as an Adjunct Professor at Whittier Law School from 2012 through 2015, teaching three courses in legal writing.

Brigid Joyce graduated summa cum laude from Whittier Law School in May 2002 where she attended on a full academic scholarship. She was a member of Whittier Law Review and a Contracts I and II Teaching Assistant. While in law school, Ms. Joyce externed at the California Court of Appeals for the Fourth District for Justice William W. Bedsworth, where she drafted court opinions on both civil and criminal appeals. Ms. Joyce graduated with honors from the University of San Diego in 1998, with a Bachelor of Arts in English and a minor in Economics, where she attended on a full athletic tennis scholarship.

Ms. Joyce currently lives in Torrance, California with her husband, nine year old son, and new puppy Chip Oreo. She enjoys spending time with her family, going to the beach, traveling and reading. She is also an avid tennis player and is a member of a number of USTA league teams.

Angela Mestre, Pro Bono Coordinator

Angela is the Pro Bono Coordinator at the Public Law Center. Through volunteer recruitment and management, she inspires volunteers to help our clients find access to justice.

Angela received her B.A. in Psychology from Chapman University, and her J.D. from Whittier Law School, which is where her public service interest began. While in law school, she helped to found the Children’s Rights Clinic at Whittier Law School, worked as a law clerk here at the Public Law Center, and volunteered at the Share Our Selves legal clinic to provide legal assistance to indigent residents of Orange County. After law school, Angela worked as a criminal defense attorney and appellate attorney, where the appellate cases taken were from California Appellate Project who assisted in finding attorneys for those that could not afford one. She later headed the bankruptcy department at a Bankruptcy and Consumer Rights law firm, before starting her own Bankruptcy practice. Aside from working as an attorney, Angela has also taught various law courses as both a paralegal instructor and law school professor. Angela has always made it a point to volunteer throughout her legal career, including assisting the Public Law Center’s Bankruptcy and Guardianship clinics as a volunteer attorney, and accepting pro bono Bankruptcy cases from both the Public Law Center and the Veteran’s Legal Institute.

Adam Morton, Staff Attorney

Adam Morton

Practice Area: Housing and Homelessness Prevention Unit

Adam is a Registered Legal Aid Attorney with the Housing and Homelessness Prevention Unit at PLC. Before joining PLC, Adam worked as a staff attorney with Lakeshore Legal Aid in Michigan representing tenants facing eviction. Adam was also the head of Lakeshore’s Housing Workgroup, where he began organizing public outreach efforts to tenants in Detroit. Adam earned his B.A. from the University of Michigan and his J.D. from Wayne State Law School in Detroit, Michigan.

Trang P. Nguyen, Staff Attorney

Trang Nguyen

Practice Area: Housing and Homelessness Prevention Unit

Trang is a Staff Attorney in the Housing and Homelessness Prevention Unit and works on the Mobilehome Advocacy Team to handle a diverse caseload on behalf of mobilehome owners, including unlawful detainer, harassment, fair housing, and disability rights. She received a bachelor’s degree from UCLA in English Literature and a law degree from Trinity Law School. During law school, Trang worked at the Trinity Law School Bankruptcy Clinic to assist Village of Hope (Tustin, CA) residents with their Chapter 7 bankruptcy filings while serving as Treasurer for Trinity Law School’s International Law Society. While in law school, she also interned for an NGO in Cambodia, researching food safety regulations – including the availability and affordability of safe food, agricultural products, and drinking water for the local people – and presenting her findings and suggested solutions to the NGO’s director and staff.

Ayami Nieves, Co-Supervising Attorney

Ayami Nieves

Practice Area: Family Law Unit

Ayami works in the PLC’s Family Law Unit. A large part of her work is devoted to four legal clinics: Domestic Violence Assistance Program (DVAP), Guardianship, La Habra’s Family Resource Center, and the Melinda Hoag Smith Center for Healthy Living. During law school, Ayami worked in Whittier Law School’s Children’s Rights Clinic, gaining experience on guardianships, limited conservatorships, and immigration cases. After law school, Ayami was a volunteer and fellow with the Legal Aid Society of Orange County. A Santa Ana native, Ayami received her JD degree in from Whittier Law School and a BA from the UC San Diego.

Precious Odum, Co-Supervising Attorney

Precious Odum

Practice Area: Immigration Unit

Precious is a Co-Supervising Attorney in the Immigration Unit where she works with human trafficking victims in providing them immigration relief. During law school, Precious interned with the Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking (Cast) and the Human Trafficking Unit at the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office. In addition, she volunteered in the Street Law Clinic where she provided “Know Your Rights” classes to troubled youth in the Los Angeles Community. Precious earned her B.A. from UC Riverside and J.D. from Southwestern Law School.

Iraida L. Oliva, Senior Staff Attorney

Iraida L. Oliva

Practice Area:  Housing and Homelessness Prevention Unit

Iraida is a Staff Attorney for the Housing and Homelessness Prevention Unit at Public Law Center where she represents tenants in housing-related matters and administrative hearings.

Before joining Public Law Center, Iraida practiced family law for 15 years in the County of Orange and surrounding counties. Iraida attended the University of California, Irvine and earned a B.A. in Political Science and a B.A. in Spanish Literature. She graduated from the University of San Francisco School of Law. While in law school, she interned at the San Francisco Public Defender’s Office, the Federal Defenders of San Diego and was part of the first class to participate in the Keta Taylor Colby Death Penalty Project in Jackson, Mississippi.

During her professional career, she has represented members of the low-income and Spanish speaking community. She is a current member of the OC Hispanic Bar Association and is bilingual.

Morgan Cienfuegos Padgett, Staff Attorney

Morgan Padgett

Practice Area: Consumer Law Unit

Morgan is a staff attorney in the Consumer Law Unit, where she works closely with older adults who have faced hardships such as financial abuse and home equity scams. Additionally, she focuses on consumer cases including identify theft, student loans, bankruptcy and debt collection defense. She also supports the Consumer Law Unit’s Federal Pro Se Clinic and the Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Clinic. Morgan earned her J.D. from Western State College of Law and her B.A. in English Literature from Cal State Long Beach.

Emily Phillips, Staff Attorney

Emily Phillips

Practice Area: Housing and Homelessness Prevention Unit.

Emily Phillips is a Staff Attorney in the Housing and Homelessness Prevention Unit, where she provides direct legal services to low-income tenants. Previously, Emily served as a Legal Fellow, working with the Housing and Homelessness Prevention Unit and the Family Law Unit to assist survivors of domestic violence with a variety of housing issues. While in law school, Emily earned a number of awards for her commitment to public service and pro bono work. She volunteered with PLC, Inner City Law Center, the Children’s Law Center of California, Central California Legal Services, and the Elder Law and Disability Rights Center. She also helped coordinate the Expungement Clinic at Community Legal Aid SoCal and the Domestic Violence Assistance Program (DVAP) clinic at PLC. Emily served as an advanced clinical student both in the UCI Law Domestic Violence Clinic, where she represented survivors of domestic violence in evidentiary hearings to obtain restraining orders, and in the UCI Law Veterans Appellate Litigation Clinic, where she helped veterans appeal their denial of disability benefits.

Prior to law school, Emily worked in the nonprofit sector for nine years in executive leadership, fundraising, and special events. Emily received her B.A. from Occidental College and her J.D. from the UC Irvine School of Law. She is certified as a Domestic Violence Counselor through WTLC and holds a Certificate in Nonprofit Management from the University of Washington.

Evan Phoenix, Staff Attorney

Evan Phoenix

Practice Area: Tax Law

Evan Phoenix is a Staff Attorney and Director of the Federal Tax Clinic at Public Law Center (PLC). Prior to joining PLC, Evan directed his project as the ABA Section of Taxation’s 2019-2021 Brunswick Public Service Tax Fellow at Bet Tzedek Legal Services in Los Angeles. Evan’s project entailed providing tax law education; advocacy regarding systemic tax issues; and direct representation of low and moderate-income taxpayers in administrative cases before the Internal Revenue Service and the California Franchise Tax Board, as well as federal litigation before the United States Tax Court. The project focused on expanding the Tax Clinic to include military taxpayers and reduce barriers for Limited English Proficiency taxpayers. Also, Evan served as the Manager of the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program with Koreatown Youth & Community Center (KYCC), training and supervising 250 IRS-certified volunteers. He returned to KYCC after completing his fellowship at Bet Tzedek to serve as the Interim Managing Attorney of the Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic. Evan earned his Juris Doctor degree, cum laude, from Saint Thomas University College of Law, and his LL.M. in Taxation degree from the University of Florida Levin College of Law.

Hannah Poploskie, Staff Attorney

Hannah Poploskie

Practice Area: Housing and Homelessness Prevention Unit

Hannah serves as a Staff Attorney in the Housing and Homelessness Prevention Unit. She received a bachelor’s degree in political science-public service from UC Davis and a law degree from Chapman University. While in law school she was on the Student Bar Association for three years, serving as vice-President her 3L year. During law school she interned at Legal Services of Northern California and Loyola Law School’s Project for the Innocent before volunteering with Public Law Center during her 3L year.

Josie Roberto, Co-Supervising Attorney

Josie Roberto

Practice Area: Immigration Unit

Josie is a Co-Supervising Attorney of the Immigration Unit, where she assists low-income immigrants in filing for various forms of immigration relief, with a focus on assisting victims of domestic violence, serious crimes and human trafficking, unaccompanied minors, and immigrants who wish to apply for citizenship. Prior to joining PLC as a Staff Attorney, Josie practiced Elder Abuse litigation. During law school, Josie interned at PLC, the American Civil Liberties Union, and the Law Firm of Higbee & Associates. Josie was also a clinical student at the Loyola Immigrant Justice Clinic for two years. Josie earned her J.D. from Loyola Law School and her B.A. from Cal State Fullerton.

Brandon Rubin, Staff Attorney

Practice Area: Health Unit

Brandon is a staff attorney in Public Law Center’s Health Law Unit where he assists clients in a variety of health-related legal matters. Prior to joining PLC, Brandon worked in criminal defense and completed a judicial clerkship with the LA Superior Court Regional Research Unit. Brandon earned his J.D. from UC Irvine School of Law and a B.S. in Economics from George Mason University.

Anthony Santana, Staff Attorney

Anthony Santana

Practice Area: Housing and Homelessness Prevention Unit

Anthony is a Staff Attorney in the Housing and Homelessness Prevention Unit. Before joining PLC, Anthony worked in Ohio as an attorney with Legal Aid Society of Columbus and Southeastern Ohio Legal Services, where he represented tenants in housing-related matters and various legal and administrative proceedings. Anthony earned his B.A. from the University of California, Riverside in Psychology and his J.D. from The Ohio State University’s Moritz College of Law.

 Allyssa M.G. Scheyer, Staff Attorney

Allyssa Scheyer

Practice Area: Immigration Unit

Allyssa Scheyer works as a staff attorney in the Immigration Unit and is committed to serving the needs, and protecting the rights, of immigrant populations, who are often underrepresented politically. In law school, Allyssa worked at Loyola Law School’s Immigrant Justice Clinic and ran University of California Irvine, School of Law’s Clean Slate Expungement Clinic at Community Legal Aid of SoCal in Santa Ana, CA. In her last year of law school, Allyssa participated in UCI’s Appellate Litigation Clinic, where she successfully argued an immigration appeals case in front of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in Pasadena, CA. Prior to working at PLC, Allyssa worked at Immigrant Defenders Law Center, where she represented immigrant youth under the age of 21 in removal proceedings.

Violeta S. Schultz, Staff Attorney

Violeta Schultz

Practice Area: Community Organizations Legal Assistance Project

Violeta Schultz is a Staff Attorney for the Community Organizations Legal Assistance Project. She received her law degree from the University of Guadalajara, and International Business and Economics Law master’s degree (LLM) from the University of Southern California (USC). At USC she was the LLM representative for the Women’s Law Association, member of the Business Society and to the Latinx Chicanx Center for Advocacy and Student Affairs (La CASA). She also founded the USC International Professionals and LLMs Association.

Before joining Public Law Center, Violeta worked at the Orange County Superior Court’s Self-Help Center for over eight years. During her time in the Court, Violeta’s professional Spanish quickly earned her a critical role with the monolingual Spanish speaking community. After her time in the Court, Violeta was a trial attorney for two years in the private sector. She believes that everyone deserves equal access to knowledge and justice regardless of their language, race, and economic means.

The second oldest sibling of six, her favorite pastime is traveling to Guadalajara and spending time with her family. She also enjoys doing yoga and hiking.

Manohar Sukumar, Supervising Attorney

Manohar Sukumar

Practice Area: Health Law Unit

Manohar is the Supervising Attorney for the Health Unit at PLC. Before PLC, he worked more than four years as a Staff Attorney at the Health Consumer Action Center of Legal Aid Society of Orange County. There, Manohar worked on a Blue Shield Foundation grant project to make policy recommendations to the Orange County Health Care Agency regarding the Low Income Health Project (Medical Services Initiative). He also conducted outreach to educate community stakeholders about the Affordable Care Act. At PLC, Manohar continues to do consumer advocacy on health care benefits eligibility and service-related issues for indigent clients, and also works extensively with AIDS patients and with medical-legal partnerships (MLPs) through various hospitals. He holds an undergraduate degree from UCLA, a Master of Public Health in Community Health Education from Cal State Long Beach, and a law degree from Lewis & Clark Law School.

Tyler Press Sutherland, Director of Legal Services

Tyler Press Sutherland

Tyler is PLC’s Director of Legal Services. She most recently worked at Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles’s as the Director of Racial Justice and Equity since May of 2021. Prior to that, she worked at LAFLA as an Equal Justice Works Fellow and staff attorney for eight years in the areas of benefits and holistic services for veterans (which included consumer law, housing law, employment law, and more). Her litigation successes include a victory in a 2020 case before the California Superior Court, Ortega v. Johnson, through which she helped ensure that victims of electronic theft of their food benefits were able to get their benefits restored after reporting the theft. Tyler is also the Vice Chair on the Board of Directors of Puente Learning Center. She received her Bachelor of Arts from Harvard College and her Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law Center. Personally, she comes from a background growing up in diverse communities and brings a deep personal commitment to serving low-income communities and pursuing race equity-focused systemic changes in the law.

Diamond B. Tran, Staff Attorney

Diamond B. Tran

Practice Area: Family Law Unit

Diamond Tran works in PLC’s Family Law unit.  She staffs the De Facto Parent Pro Bono Program at the Lamoreaux Justice Center. Diamond returned to PLC in 2020 to start up this new program serving foster parents, relatives, caregivers and prospective adoptive parents who seek legal assistance with a dependency case in the OC Juvenile Court.  She also works with litigants at several other PLC clinics, primarily helping victims of domestic violence obtain restraining orders and assisting caregivers in guardianship proceedings.

Prior to rejoining PLC, Diamond’s practice also focused on matters directly affecting children, such as guardianships and limited conservatorships. She previously served as PLC’s Interim Pro Bono Director and COLAP Lead Attorney, and held staff attorney positions at Legal Aid Foundation of Santa Barbara County; Legal Advocates for Children & Youth (LACY); and the San Jose City Attorney’s Office.  Diamond was an Adjunct Professor at the UC Irvine School of Law and an Instructor for Cal State Fullerton’s Nonprofit Management program.  She also served as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for abused and neglected children and as Vice President of the Vietnamese American Bar Association of Southern California.  Diamond earned her degrees from UC Berkeley (1996) and UC Hastings College of the Law (1999).

Lydia Tse, Senior Staff Attorney

Lydia Tse

Practice Area: Consumer Law Unit

Lydia is a Staff Attorney in the Consumer Law Unit where she focuses on debt collection defense, bankruptcy, and other consumer law related matters. She also staffs the Federal Pro Se and Bankruptcy self-help clinics where those without an attorney can seek legal assistance. Prior to joining the Public Law Center, Lydia was a dedicated volunteer at the Bankruptcy clinic and was awarded the William J. Lasarow Award. Before her career change to the legal field, Lydia was a software engineer. Lydia earned her B.S. from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and her J.D. from Chapman University School of Law.

Ryan Ueda, Supervising Attorney

Ueda, Ryan

Practice Area: Operation Veterans Re-Entry

Ryan is a supervising attorney assisting veterans with civil legal issues in the Veterans Unit. During law school, Ryan volunteered with PLC in the Bankruptcy Clinic. Prior to joining PLC, Ryan worked as a Civil Rights Fellow in the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing. Ryan has undergraduate degrees from the UC Irvine and Cal State LA, and is a graduate of the UC Irvine School of Law.

Gina Verraster, Staff Attorney

Verraster, Gina

Practice Area: Operation Veterans Re-Entry

Gina is a Staff Attorney for Operation Veterans Re-Entry at Public Law Center where she assists veterans with civil legal issues. During law school, Gina interned at the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence (now Giffords Law Center) and the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee with the office of Senator Feinstein. Prior to joining Public Law Center, Gina practiced employment law representing teachers. Gina received a B.A. from UC Berkeley and her J.D. from UC Davis School of Law.

Richard Walker, Directing Attorney

Walker,Richard

Practice Area: Housing and Homelessness Prevention Unit

Richard works in the Public Law Center’s Housing and Homelessness Prevention Unit and works with PLC’s Consumer Unit on mobilehome issues. Richard represents low-income tenants in eviction defense cases, provides legal assistance to mobilehome owners, advocates on behalf of homeless and low-income individuals for improved housing policies and assistance in local municipalities, and provides legal assistance in a variety of other housing issues. Richard also works with local pro bono attorneys on impact cases addressing a wide range of issues including land use, affordable housing, habitability, discrimination, and other housing-related matters. Before law school, Richard was a junior high math teacher. Richard graduated from J. Reuben Clark Law School and has a B.A. from Utah State University.

Joanna Wong, Supervising Attorney

Joanna Wong

Practice Area: Family Law Unit

As the Supervising Attorney for the Family Law unit, Joanna Wong provides direct legal services to low-income clients; runs the Unit’s four legal clinics; and oversees all work performed by the Unit on divorce, paternity, custody, restraining order, support, and guardianship matters. After completing her undergraduate degree at UCLA, Joanna studied law at Chapman University, where she received a number of awards for her work at the Bette and Wylie Aitken Family Violence Clinic. Later, she received certification as a Domestic Violence Victim Advocate through WTLC. Prior to joining Public Law Center, Joanna worked in private practice and at Legal Aid Society of Orange County, where she trained, supervised, and created policies and instruction manuals for the volunteers who staffed the office’s intake department each semester.

Maggie Woodruff, Staff Attorney

Maggie Woodruff

Practice Area: Housing and Homelessness Prevention Unit

Maggie Woodruff is an attorney with the Housing and Homelessness Prevention Unit’s Eviction Defense Clinic. Prior to joining PLC, Maggie worked with the Law Office of Carol A. Sobel on civil rights litigation and homelessness citation clinics. In law school, Maggie gained experience with the Environmental Protection Agency Region 5 office in Chicago, and the Elder Law & Disability Rights Center in Santa Ana. They also were a member of the National Lawyers Guild, OutLaw, and the Journal of International, Transnational, and Comparative Law. Maggie earned their JD from University of California, Irvine, their BA in Anthropology from Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, and their MA in Anthropology from University of California, Irvine.

Maggie is also a PhD candidate in the Anthropology Department of UC Irvine, guided by their committee members Justin B. Richland, Swethaa Ballakrishnen, and Eve Darian-Smith. Their research seeks to understand how encounters with unhoused people become a part of the bureaucracy, dispossession, and discourse around public space in Southern California. Other research interests include legal education, access to justice, and gender in sports. A member of the Law and Society Association, Maggie has presented research internationally and locally. In their free time Maggie enjoys making music and exploring outdoors.

Administration

Nicolet Tran Alegado, Administrative Assistant and Intake Specialist

Nicolet Tran Alegado

Practice Area: Health Unit

Nicolet Alegado, also known as Nicci, is the Administrative Assistant and Intake Specialist with the Health Unit. She has over a decade of various administrative experience and five years in the non-profit sector. She was first drawn to Public Law Center by its mission to provide legal equity and accessibility to low-income communities. During the pandemic, Nicci was on the SafeDineOC team, which oversaw the $10M County of Orange Health Care Agency COVID-19 Restaurant Grant Program. This program, funded by the CARES Act, disbursed grants to eligible restaurants in Orange County. Through this opportunity, she discovered her professional purpose and passion for serving marginalized clients. In her leisure time, she enjoys mentoring at-risk foster youths, volunteering on the Embracing Hope Steering Committee with Saddleback Church, and being a godmother to six godchildren and an auntie.

Leslie Blanco, Office Manager

Leslie Blanco

Leslie was born and raised in Orange County, and graduated from Segerstrom High School. Prior to joining Public Law Center, she worked for over 7 years in customer service and as an administrative assistant. She finds satisfaction in helping others when in need and is excited to contribute to PLC’s mission.

V Bergey, Special Projects Coordinator

V Bergey serves as the Special Projects Coordinator for the Public Law Center. They received a bachelor’s degree in digital communications with a specialization in media design and production from the University of Baltimore. They found their interest in law after working socially towards LGBTQIA+ equality. V has worked with representatives in Orange County, like congresswoman Katie Porter, to help advocate for lower income residents and minorities. Their passion for law stems from helping others in need and aiding those who cannot fight for themselves.

Beatriz Bermudez, Paralegal

Beatrice Bermudez

Practice Area: Immigration Unit

Beatriz is a Paralegal with the Immigration Unit. She was born and raised in Los Angeles County and graduated from UC Riverside with a Bachelor’s in Political Science, International Relations.  Before joining Public Law Center, she worked for an immigration non-profit in the San Francisco Bay area and volunteered at the East Bay Sanctuary Covenant. Beatriz is fluent in Spanish and has experience interpreting  for individuals at USCIS interviews, removal defense, drafting declarations, preparing adjustment of status applications, naturalizations applications, and more.

Jeff Bolton, Chief Financial Officer

Jeff Bolton

Jeff is the Chief Financial Officer for Public Law Center. He is a CPA with 17 years of experience in public accounting, with a particular emphasis in nonprofit accounting. He grew up in Tucker, GA, just outside Atlanta. He is a graduate of Georgia State University with a major in Accounting. Prior to PLC he spent 17 years working at Redwitz accounting firm in Irvine – spending 9 years in the Audit Department and 8 years in the CFO Services Department, working primarily with nonprofit organizations. Jeff and his wife of 23 years, Elizabeth, have 2 children and live in Orange County. Jeff and his family enjoy hiking, going to the beach and spending time with their many (Jeff says “way too many”) pets.

Francesca Cappellini, Social Worker

Francesca Cappellini

Practice Area: Housing and Homelessness Prevention Unit

My name is Francesca or Franchie, I’m a recent graduate from Boston College School of Social Work with a Masters in Social Work (MSW) emphasis in bilingual mental health services for children, youth, and families. I have experience working at Boston Public Schools and a Community Health Clinic providing mental health services, education, and support to individuals and families, most of which have experienced trauma and or abuse. Much of my experience has been working with bilingual or monolingual Spanish speaking communities in the intersection of mental health, education, immigration, and housing. Prior to receiving my MSW, I volunteered 3 years with Jesuit Volunteer Corps, two years in Santiago, Chile at Jesuit Refugee Services working with migrants, and one year in Berkeley, California at East Bay Community Law Center in the Housing Unit defending tenants rights.

Jazmina Castillo, Project Coordinator

Jazmina Castillo

Practice Area: Health Law Unit

Jazmina works in the Health Law Unit at PLC focusing on its Medical-Legal Partnerships and AIDS Legal Assistance Project. She is in charge of the Unit’s project administration, information collection, data management and coordination of legal services related to health. In addition to providing direct support to clients addressing those social determinants of health, Jazmina interface with community-based non-profit organizations, government agencies and other providers of services to those living with HIV/AIDS in order to keep abreast of community needs; contributing to the success of our AIDS Legal Assistance Project, and making the Medical-Legal Partnership model possible.

Prior to joining PLC, Jazmina worked as a Research Assistant at the “University of California Los Angeles”, in the UCLA Survey Research Center, where she specialized in interviewing clients for multicultural HIV/AIDS Projects. Her experience also includes serving as Bookkeeper at “Women Organizing Resources Knowledge and Services” (W.O.R.K.S.), an affordable housing and community development nonprofit organization in Los Angeles, and as a Childcare Coordinator and Social Advocate at “House of Ruth”, a Shelter for Homeless Women and Children in Los Angeles. Jazmina earned her Degree in Psychology at the National University of Colombia, School of Human Sciences. She also holds certifications in Business Administration and Law.

Selena Castro, Administrative Assistant/Intake Specialist

Selena Castro

Practice Area: Family Law

Selena is the Administrative Assistant and Intake Specialist for the Family Law Unit. Prior to joining Public Law Center, Selena held an internship as an AmeriCorps member in the JusticeCorps program in the Hayward Hall of Justice Self-Help Center. She also completed an internship with the Hayward Social Security Administration Office. Selena’s introduction to Family Law was her internship with JusticeCorps where she assisted self-represented litigants by providing legal information and preparing forms. Selena is passionate about helping low-income communities and ensuring that poverty is not a barrier for justice. She recently received certification as a Domestic Violence Victim Advocate through WTLC.

She graduated from California State University East-Bay with a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice Administration with a Justice and Enforcement Option in 2018.

Cecilia Chavez, Paralegal

Cecilia Chavez

Practice Area: Housing and Homelessness Prevention Unit

Cecilia Chavez is a paralegal with the Housing and Homelessness Prevention Unit . Cecilia graduated with a bachelor’s degree in criminology law and Society and Psychology and Social Behavior from the University of California Irvine. She obtained her ABA approved Paralegal Certificate from Santa Ana College. Cecilia worked at Community Legal Aid SoCal where she gained knowledge in consumer law, housing, family law and estate planning. Her favorite part of her job is being able to assist clients with their matters and giving back to the community.

Regina Cordero, Paralegal

Regina Cordero

Practice Area: Operation Veterans ReEntry

Regina Cordero is a Paralegal with the Operation Veterans Re-Entry Unit. Regina is a Veteran who served nine years in the Army Reserves. Her MOS was a 42A- Human Resources Specialist where she compiled deployment packets and other confidential documents for her fellow soldiers. She is a mother of four and believes in commitment and loyalty as she celebrates twelve years of marriage. Regina has been a volunteer administrative assistant at her church, Turning Point Fellowship, for the last thirteen years where she helps coordinate outreaches for the surrounding communities in the city of Santa Ana, CA. Regina graduated with her associate degree in Paralegal Studies from Fremont University. She desires to help veterans and their families find hope and joy along their journey of Re-Enty with the support of PLC Operation Veterans Re-Entry Unit.

Jocelyn Cornelio, Paralegal

Jocelyn Cornelio

Practice Area: Operation Veterans ReEntry and Federal Tax Clinic

Jocelyn is PLC’s Paralegal for the Federal Tax Clinic and the Operation Veterans ReEntry Unit. She works with low-income individuals who are having federal tax issues and veterans who need assistance with housing, discharge, and other related matters. Prior to this, Jocelyn was PLC’s Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) Project Coordinator and worked with survivors of crime by helping to ensure they receive holistic legal services at PLC. Jocelyn graduated from California State University, Long Beach with a Bachelor’s in Linguistics. As an undergrad she was part of JusticeCorps where she interned at the Long Beach Courthouse Self-Help Center. She assisted with dissolution, paternity, and unlawful detainer proceedings. Prior to joining PLC, she was an AmeriCorps member through Public Allies Los Angeles. This program gave her the opportunity to work within legal services at the Central American Resource Center (CARECEN) in Los Angeles, CA. Throughout her time at CARECEN, she gained knowledge about immigration law, particularly while working on U-Visa and VAWA cases.

Kevin Eav, Volunteer and Donor Data Specialist

Kevin Eav

Kevin Eav is a Volunteer and Donor Data Specialist. He is a graduate of the University of California, Irvine with a major in Japanese Language and Literature. His previous experience includes several years as a clerk at a boutique immigration law firm in Chicago, Illinois. He grew up in Colorado and has lived in Southern California for several years. Through his interests in popular culture he has worked with a number of cultural outreach volunteer-based nonprofits and brings that experience with him to his donor and volunteer data specialist role at the Public Law Center.

Sonia Farias, Intake Specialist

Sonia Farias

Practice Area: Immigration Unit

Sonia is the intake specialist for the immigration unit. She grew up in Denver, Colorado. She is the first generation from her family to attend college. She is finishing her bachelor’s degree in criminal justice at Metropolitan state university of Denver. She has worked in the legal field for 5 years.  She is passionate by helping the community and advocating for them to making sure they are helped. She loves spending time with her husband and her cute pug Nova! Sonia is the intake specialist for the immigration unit. She grew up in Denver, Colorado. She is the first generation from her family to attend college. She is finishing her bachelor’s degree in criminal justice at Metropolitan state university of Denver. She has worked in the legal field for 5 years. She is passionate by helping the community and advocating for them to making sure they are helped. She loves spending time with her husband and her cute pug Nova!

Elsie Flores, Administrative Assistant

I grew up and have lived in Orange County all my life and most of my career has involved providing services that give back to the community, which is something I do with gratitude/pride. My experience includes experience in administration and working with the community for almost 10 years. I am now working in Public Law Center as an administrative assistant with the Housing and Homelessness Prevention Unit. I am passionate about what I do, and for that reason I plan on pursuing law school.

Evelyn Fuentes, Lead Paralegal

Evelyn Fuentes

Practice Area: Family Law Unit

A resident of Orange County, Evelyn was born in the City of Orange, but was raised primarily in Mexico and Los Angeles County. She graduated from Saddleback High School. Currently, she attends Santa Ana College. In December 2004, Evelyn began volunteering at PLC through the Service Learning Center at Santa Ana College. Evelyn was awarded the Presidential Award in May 2005 and also received a grant for contributing over a hundred hours of community service.

Jessica Haynes, Grants and Communications Manager

Jessica Haynes

Jessica Haynes is the Grants and Communications Manager. In this role, Jessica leads on project management and reporting for grants, including implementing grants management systems and working closely with unit heads to onboard new funding opportunities. She also leads on communications including social media, enewsletters, media opportunities, and other organizational communications to support PLC’s work. Prior to joining PLC, Jessica worked in the nonprofit sector for 10 years, primarily in youth programming at international development organizations. Jessica recently received her Master in Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership from Carleton University, and graduated with her Bachelor of Arts in Media, Information, and Technoculture from Western University.

Stephanie Hernandez, Senior Paralegal

Stephanie Hernandez

Practice Area: Consumer Law Unit

Stephanie works in the Consumer Unit, which is responsible for providing legal assistance to Orange County’s low income community with a wide variety of issues such as bankruptcy, debt collection defense, wage garnishment, and creditor harassment. She graduated from the University of California, Santa Cruz with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Politics. Stephanie has over 6 years of experience in providing low cost tutoring services to low income individuals.

Laura Huerta, Office Manager

Laura Huerta

Laura Huerta is a former Legal Immigration Service Assistant with over nine years of experience. Helping people secure stability in the United States for a better future has been her most rewarding work to date. Laura is enthusiastic about volunteering and is inspired to contribute to a cause for the benefit of the greater good. In her free time, Laura’s enjoys hiking, gardening, baking, and crafting. Her favorite time is spent with her two best friends, her husband and her daughter.”

Grace Landa, Executive Assistant

Grace Landa

Grace has been with PLC since May 2013, and serves as the executive assistant to the Executive Director and the Director of Legal Services. A seasoned professional with over 20  years increasingly complex administrative experience in several different industries including legal, medical and homebuilding, she is able to tailor her skills to best meet the ever changing needs of her position at PLC. A long time Orange County resident, Grace is grateful to have the opportunity to work with a team so committed to serving  the most vulnerable of Orange County residents. Grace and her husband live in South Orange County, enjoying most of her free time with family and friends, traveling, and  spending time with her two rescue dogs: Lucy and Dezi.

Erika Magallanes, Case Assistant

Erika Magallanes

Practice Area: Housing and Homelessness Prevention Unit

Erika is the Case Assistant for the Mobilehome Project in the Housing and Homelessness Prevention Unit. She was born and raised in Orange County. Erika graduated from Saddleback High School and received a Seal of Biliteracy on her high school diploma. She also received a certificate for Medical Billing and Coding from Taller San Jose. Erika hopes to continue her education and helping low income individuals.

Raphael Munoz, Paralegal

Raphael Munoz

Practice Area: Housing and Homelessness Prevention Unit

Raphael is an Administrative Assistant in the Housing and Homeless Prevention Unit. While studying at the University of Chester, he volunteered at the Carr Bridge Community Center helping families and individuals find the right resources to get them back on their feet. Now graduated with a BSc in Criminology, he wants to be a part of the PLC team that strives to fight the injustices people experience.

Yirat Nieves, Legal Assistant

Yirat Nieves

Practice Area: Immigration Unit

Yirat is a Legal Assistant in the Immigration Unit and assists in providing legal assistance to Orange County’s low income residents. She attended Tufts University in Massachusetts and graduated with bachelor’s degrees in Spanish and Community Health and a minor in Latino Studies. Before joining PLC’s staff, Yirat volunteered with PLC as a Spanish language interpreter primarily assisting at PLC’s Courthouse Guardianship Clinic, at several Immigration Unit Clinics, and with Pro Bono Attorney/Client meetings.

Jesse Rivera, Human Resources Manager

Jesse Rivera

Jesse is the Human Resources Manager at the Public Law Center. His broad areas of expertise include HR Compliance, Recruitment, Compensation, Employee Relations, Performance Management, Training & Development, and HR Administration. Jesse is a professional speaker and some of his speaking engagements have included the Cypress Chamber of Commerce and the Palos Verdes Peninsula Chamber of Commerce. Giving back to the community is important to Jesse as he serves on the Board of Directors for a local domestic violence shelter, for Su Casa – Ending Domestic Violence, and he is also a Member of the Signal Hill Rotary Club. In his spare time, Jesse enjoys reading, traveling, and visiting art museums.

Sheila S. Robles, EJW Fellow

Sheila Robles

Sheila S. Robles is a post-bar Equal Justice Attorney Fellow, working with the Family Law and Immigration Units at PLC. She earned a Full Tuition Scholarship from the President’s Scholars Program at Golden Gate University – School of Law and was an early graduate of her class. She received a nomination from her professors for the Paul S. Jordan Award for graduating students who exemplify service and community contribution to the school, its faculty, and students. During her time in San Francisco, Sheila worked with various communities, including veterans, indigent immigrant families, and coaching young students in inner city summer programs.

Sheila received a Bachelor of Arts from CSU, Long Beach as an English Education major. This is where she began playing Ultimate Frisbee and is now in the 10th year of her athletic career. She played in the inaugural season of the Women’s semi-professional level in Los Angeles and has been selected to represent Team Mexico in the upcoming 2023 World Beach Ultimate Championship, on a mixed gender team. She fights for gender equity and diversity representation in her sport and is committed to equity in her blossoming legal career.

Anabel Rosas, Administrative Assistant/Intake Specialist

Anabel Rosas

Practice Area: Health Unit

Anabel is the Administrative Assistant and Intake Specialist in the Health Law Unit. Even before she became the Administrative Assistant and Intake Specialist at PLC, Anabel volunteered with the Immigration Unit at PLC. Anabel is fluent in Spanish, and she has experience working with minors and parents of Special Education. Anabel previously worked in Tustin District Unified as a Para Educator SPED and assisted in the office. Anabel has 10 plus years working in the education field.

Liliana Rosas, Lead Paralegal

Liliana Rosas

Practice Area: Immigration Unit

Liliana is a Senior Paralegal for the Immigration Unit. Even before she completed her Paralegal certificate, Liliana volunteered with the Immigration Unit at PLC. Liliana is fluent in Spanish and she has experience interviewing and working with minors, especially those who have experienced trauma. Liliana has experience assisting in drafting petitions for special immigrant juvenile status, adjustments of status applications, asylum applications, requests for employment authorizations, requests for fee waivers, naturalization applications and more.

Christian Ross, HR/Accounting Coordinator

Christian Ross is a HR/Accounting Coordinator for PLC. He is passionate about social justice, especially in corporate social responsibility. Before joining PLC he has worked in translation and strategy roles for executives, as well as human resources. He is passionate about growing businesses with his business educational background. He holds a Bachelor’s of Japanese from California State University Long Beach, a Master of Business Administration from Southern New Hampshire University, and is undertaking his doctoral program in Business Administration at Columbia Southern University where he hopes to graduate in 2027. During his education Christian has enjoyed living abroad in Japan for two years, mastering Spanish by high school, with dreams to one day attend language academy to learn many more ways of communicating. In his free time, he likes creative writing and reading.

Dominique Ruiz, Paralegal

Dominique Ruiz

Practice Area: Housing and Homelessness Prevention Unit

Dominique is a paralegal in the Housing and Homelessness Prevention Unit, which provide legal services to low-income tenants in Orange County. She is an advocate for homelessness and volunteers and donates to homeless shelters and domestic violence shelters. Prior to working with PLC she worked in insurance and has experience with clients that are in emotional distress. She also worked at Wright, Finlay & Zak, LLP dealing with real estate, business, bankruptcy, and financial services. Dominique is fluent in Spanish and hopes to continue her education in Law School.

April Feary Schley, Director of Donor Development and Events

April Feary Schley

April brings more than 10 years of extensive experience in special event and volunteer management, fundraising, and donor relations to the Public Law Center. She has planned hundreds of events for a wide variety of organizations including the Nixon Presidential Library & Museum, Disneyland, the U.S. Army, and the Muscular Dystrophy Association. April received a Bachelor’s Degree from Pepperdine University. She primarily focuses her time on the annual Volunteers for Justice Dinner, working closely with the Silent Auction committee.

Arshil Sulayman, Paralegal

Sulayman, Arshil

Practice Area: Housing and Homelessness Prevention Unit

Arshil serves as a Paralegal in the Housing and Homelessness Prevention Unit. Prior to joining PLC, he had worked extensively with low-income communities, underprivileged children, and the homeless population through organizations such as UNICEF at UC Irvine. Through these experiences, he gained not only a deeper familiarity and compassion for these communities, but also the practical knowledge and education to defend and advocate for those who may not have the ability to do so.

Arshil graduated from the University of California, Irvine, with a bachelor’s degree in Philosophy, Specialized in Law and Society. He went on to complete the Paralegal Certification Program, also at UC Irvine.

Mellanie Tran, Paralegal

Mellanie Tran

Practice Area: Housing & Homelessness Prevention Unit

Mellanie is a Paralegal in the Housing and Homelessness Prevention Unit, which provides legal services to low-income tenants in Orange County. Prior to joining PLC, Mellanie worked with the JusticeCorps program to assist self-represented litigants in the Superior Court in Los Angeles County. Mellanie graduated from California State University, Long Beach in 2019 with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science. In 2023, Mellanie also completed the Paralegal Certificate and Associates Degree program at Santa Ana College.

Katrina Villaluz, Development Assistant

Katrina Villaluz

Katrina is a development assistant. She is a graduate of California State University, Fullerton with a major in Communications. Prior to joining PLC, she helped fundraise and plan events for nonprofit organizations that serve underprivileged youth, young adults with developmental disabilities, and individuals who are in need of mental health services. She is grateful to be part of a team that is dedicated in serving low-income residents in Orange County.