Staff

Andrew has spent his entire legal career representing low-income clients. Prior to joining Inner City Law Center, Andrew practiced as an eviction defense attorney at Greater Bakersfield Legal Assistance, as part of their Shriver unit. Before that, he was a legal aid attorney in Massachusetts, where he represented tenants facing eviction and homeowners facing wrongful foreclosure. Andrew received his law degree from Boston University in 2014.

Jeff joined Inner City Law Center as a Tenant Defense fellow in September 2022. He is a graduate of Southwestern Law school, where he received his J.D. with a concentration in Public Interest and served as the president of the Homelessness Prevention Law Project, the co-chair of the Public Interest Law Committee, the vice president of the Student Bar Association, and the treasurer of the Southwestern chapter of the National Lawyers Guild. Previously, Jeff interned at the Los Angeles LGBT Center’s Homeless Youth Project, the Federal Defender’s office in the Eastern District of California, and the Alternate Public Defender’s office. He also participated in Southwestern Law’s Eviction Defense Clinic in the spring of 2022. Prior to law school, Jeff received a BFA in acting from California State University, Fullerton.

Haley joined Inner City Law Center as a Housing Justice Fellow on the Tenant Defense Project in August, 2021. While in law school at Southwestern in Los Angeles, Haley was a board member on the homelessness prevention law project student association, which sparked her interest in pursing a legal career defending tenants from eviction. As a student, Haley worked in family law, immigration, and employment law. She holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Brandman University and a Juris Doctorate from Southwestern, where she focused on public interest law. In her free time, Haley enjoys walking around Los Angeles with her two terrier rescues, Vin Scully and Ruth Barker Ginsburg.

Despite being a California native, Emily Wolf received her first law degree across the pond at City, University of London. She then returned to her home state and received an LLM from UCLA. After swearing into the bar in 2022, Emily worked as a Public Defender in Orange County and an eviction defense attorney at Public Counsel. Building relationships with clients and learning about their experiences has been the highlight of Emily’s career. She is excited to step into this new role with the Tenant Power Toolkit and aims to prioritize tenant empowerment and promote increased access to the courts.

For the last two decades, Eden integrated her/their focus on community organizing —at the intersection of political education and intergenerational healing through cultural work— with legal advocacy —from know your rights trainings to community-led legal defense strategies in abolition, immigration, and anti-displacement movement efforts. After graduating from UC Santa Cruz in 2004, Eden worked across grassroots community organizations in Oakland, CA, training youth leaders and building solidarity amongst impacted communities grounded in anti-imperialist principles. From 2011-2016, Eden attended UCLA and spent considerable time and effort organizing to build power across local grassroots and national coalitional movements, earning both their/her MA in Urban Planning with a focus on community economic development and her/their JD as part of the Critical Race Studies Program and the Epstein Program in Public Interest Law and Policy. Clerking at Public Counsel’s Homelessness Prevention Law Project during the summer of 2015 led Eden to work at the Eviction Defense Center in Oakland, CA in 2016 and build out the Youth Anti-Displacement Cohort during the height of COVID-19. Eden is grateful and excited to return to their/her birthplace to collaborate on imagining and building out a world of loving justice and joyful liberation one chant, case, gathering, and relationship at a time.

Dana Harbaugh is a Registered Legal Aid Attorney with the Tenant Defense Project. She joined ICLC after moving from Chicago in 2024 where she was a Supervising Attorney with the Early Resolution Program at the Center for Disability & Elder Law (CDEL). In that role, Dana helped shape Chicago’s first eviction diversion program, creating a model for similar programs around the country. Dana represented clients in eviction and consumer debt matters and spearheaded public policy efforts. Prior to her role at CDEL, Dana worked for Legal Aid Society of Metropolitan Family Services as a Staff Attorney in the Health, Housing, and Economic Stability Practice Group and Director of Pro Bono and at Legal Aid Chicago as an Americorps VISTA Attorney. She received her B.A. in Philosophy from the University of Illinois and J.D. from Colorado Law School in Boulder.

Erica joined Inner City Law Center in May 2018 as a paralegal trainee on the Homelessness Prevention team. Prior to joining Inner City Law Center, Erica was a legal assistant at the Los Angeles Center for Law and Justice, where she supported the Immigration and VOCA team. She graduated from California State University, Long Beach in 2015 with a B.A. in Political Science and a minor in Criminal Justice. During her senior year at CSULB, Erica became a JusticeCorps member and volunteered at the Norwalk Courthouse self-help center, where she educated and helped self-represented litigants with family law and unlawful detainer cases. Erica is originally from East Los Angeles and is very passionate about helping vulnerable individuals and advocating for their rights. Erica’s goal is to attend law school and hopes to someday open a non-profit to help people in her community.

Neri joined Inner City Law Center as a paralegal in the Tenant Defense Project in April 2021. He attended UCLA where he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology. He worked in the education field as a consultant for first generation prospective college students and then as a substitute teacher in lower income communities. He observed a lack of social equity during his time in education and decided to obtain training in the legal field in an effort to make a difference. He obtained his paralegal certificate with distinction from UCLA Extension and hopes to take everything he learned to provide social justice and equity to individuals who are more often than not marginalized.

Fernanda joined Inner City Law Center as an administrative clerk in the Tenant Defense Project in August 2021. She graduated from UC Santa Barbara with B.A. in Political Science with a concentration in International Relations and a minor in Italian. She is passionate about advocating for marginalized and underrepresented communities. Prior to Inner City Law Center, she worked at Downtown Women’s Center as a services coordinator where she connected unhoused women with the services needed and provided crisis support. Fernanda wants to attend law school to continue to help people that need it the most.

Jaqueline is a first-generation law school graduate and proud daughter of immigrants. She was born and raised in the San Gabriel Valley. She holds a master’s degree in History from California State University Los Angeles and her J.D. from Southwestern Law School. While in law school, she was a board member of the Latino/a Law Students Association, the Student Bar Association, and was a fellow for the Judge Harry Pregerson Public Service Fellowship. In 2021, she had the opportunity to work on the Policy Team at Inner City as a summer law clerk. This experience taught her the important connection between policy work and direct services. During her last semester of law school, she had the privilege of being a clinical student in the newly formed Eviction Defense Clinic in conjunction with Inner City, where she dived into learning about housing law and worked with clients. She is excited to return to Inner City as a TDP Fellow and looks forward to continue growing her passion for housing justice.

Thomas joined Inner City Law Center as a paralegal in the Tenant Defense Project in May 2024. He was born and raised in Claremont, California. He attended Rice University in Houston, Texas where he earned his Bachelor’s degree in English and Biochemistry. After graduating, Thomas became a 10th grade English teacher at a charter school system that served Houston’s underserved communities. After two years teaching, Thomas entered the world of business immigration – helping employers, their noncitizen employees, and family members apply for and receive life- transforming benefits, including work visas, work permits, permanent residency, and citizenship. However, Thomas has always remembered his time as a teacher, and now returns to a role that more actively promotes social justice and equity in the Los Angeles community he calls home.

Andrea Gutierrez joined Inner City Law Center in June 2018 as a Paralegal Trainee on their CBEST Hearings Team helping people who have been denied or are at risk of losing their benefits. Prior to joining Inner City Law Center, Andrea worked at BASTA, Inc. as a Community Affairs Coordinator for six years where she assisted low-income tenants facing eviction and asserting their tenants’ rights, specializing in Los Angeles Rent Stabilization Ordinance. Andrea was born and raised in South LA which has inspired her to do more for her community in order to assist others and help people assert their rights.

Eduardo, who also goes by Eddie, graduated from CSU Channel Islands with a B.S. in Biology, and a minor in Political Science. Eduardo developed a passion for helping disadvantaged communities while working with low-income first-generation students at his university through the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP). In his work with California Rural Legal Assistance (CRLA), he supported rural communities with information and resources for education, labor, and housing rights. Additionally, Eduardo is a fellow of the Legal Education Access Pipeline (LEAP), he advocates for environmental, LGBTQ, disability, and educational issues, and he hopes to one day become the first person in his family to become an attorney and continue to support and serve marginalized groups.

Previously serving as the Director of Development at The LeaderShop, Amerald leveraged her experience in project management and fundraising to drive impactful initiatives. With a background as a Case Manager at the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles, she developed a deep understanding of legal processes and support for individuals facing housing instability. Her strong foundation in community organizing and policy analysis will enhance efforts to empower marginalized communities. Amerald’s heart for advocacy provokes her long-term goal of pursuing a Juris Doctorate to further amplify her impact in this vital work.

Katherine Reyes joined ICLC as a Housing Navigator in January 2023. Prior to joining, Katherine was working as a Case Manager for The Salvation Army, where she helped clients experiencing chronic homelessness obtain permanent housing and stabilization. She also assisted with prevention and diversion in cases where individuals were at risk of being evicted or losing their homes. Other non-housing related tasks included helping clients work towards mental and substance abuse needs using trauma informed and harm reduction approaches.

Katherine’s interest in ICLC stems from her passion for the law and helping the most vulnerable. In the year of 2020, she was a part of the yearlong Munger Tolles and Olson Law fellows’ program where she received extensive knowledge and guidance from mentor attorneys on how to navigate legal procedures and commence the law school process. In 2021, she received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Political Science from California State University, Northridge. Her goal is to continue her education by going to law school. She first wishes to grow in her role and plans to eventually take on the vow of becoming an attorney to represent and continue to help those in need.

Lili Herrera began her work in direct services over 20 years. Lili is experienced in working with high risk, system impacted and unhoused communities. In 2017, Lili started working with men and women coming home from long term incarceration within a shelter based program, her dedication and passion has led her to assist in developing programs and services, enhancing resources and program service delivery. In 2004, Lili received the Los Angeles Police Department – Central Division – Volunteer of the Year award for her contribution to LAPD’s Juvenile Impact program, a first offender diversion prevention and intervention program. Lili facilitated a gender specific psycho-educational weekly support groups to formerly incarcerated women at Homeboy Industries. Ms. Herrera is published in the areas of violence prevention. She Co-Authored the following Peace Over Violence publications: Gangs & Domestic Violence Nexus – Los Angeles City Attorney Office Training Manual; In Touch With Teens: A Relationship Violence Prevention Curriculum, 2nd Ed. (2008); Be Strong: From The Inside Out, An Asset-Based Health Promotion & Violence Prevention Curriculum (2010). Ms. Herrera also contributed to the publication, Exposure to Partner, Family and Community Violence: Gang-Affiliated Latina Women and Risk of Unintended Pregnancy Journal of Urban Health – Bulleting of The New York Academy of Medicine, Volume 83 Number 1 (January/ February 2006). The inspiration and the driving force behind her work are her three sons, grandsons and granddaughter.

Kevin Arauz grew up in the San Gabriel Valley and Inland Empire. He holds a BA in Political Science from UC Berkeley. Kevin previously worked in the affordable housing field for several years. His engagement with tenant-focused community work in Los Angeles has deepened a sense of connection to his neighborhood and impressed upon him the ability of working-class Angelenos to defend their homes and navigate a complicated, challenging system with courage and generosity.

In his free time, Kevin enjoys birding, especially along the Los Angeles River and in the San Gabriel Mountain foothills. His favorite bird is the hooded merganser, a regular winter-time visitor that can spotted in the LA river.

Giulia Bencivenga joined Inner City Law Center in November 2023 as the Project Coordinator for the Tenant Defense Project. Prior to joining ICLC, Giulia’s passion for housing justice led her to work at the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority as a Performance Management Analyst, where they supported the Interim Housing team. In their free time, Giulia enjoys writing poetry, reading critical theory, hosting literary readings, and hiking around Los Angeles with their pit bull.

Alexsandra joined the Inner City Law Center in April of 2023 as an Administrative Clerk with the Tenant Defense Project. Alexsandra’s previous experience in the hospitality and service industries have strengthened her ability to communicate and build relationships with the public which have greatly prepared her for this role. Alexsandra is a recent California State University of Fullerton graduate with a B.S. in Criminal Justice, and she is very excited to be kicking off her career path. Throughout the course of her education, Alexsandra focused her research on finding injustices and inequalities within our criminal justice system and possible solutions and alternatives to this broken system. Alexsandra also sees the importance in community building and advocacy and strongly believes that housing should be a right, which is what brought her to the Inner City Law Center. While Alexsandra is just getting started, she is hopeful to develop a happy career in the public service sector helping to strengthen the Los Angeles community and plans to continue her advocacy work for injustices everywhere.

Prior to Inner City Law Center, Lisa worked as a Case Manager at the Latino Resource Organization, where she helped clients who were at risk of eviction with rental assistance. Other tasks she assisted with were intakes and eligibility screenings for the organization. Lisa holds a B.A in Political Science from Cal Poly Pomona. She is currently pursuing her master’s degree in public administration from Cal State Long Beach.

Marybell joined Inner City Law Center in 2022. Prior to joining ICLC, she was an office administrator for a subcontracting business in Inglewood, and a community advocate for South Central tenants’ union after graduating from USC with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. Her role as an administrator was to assist with the organization of public housing project’s documents for general contractor clients. Her involvement with Tenants Union built her awareness with housing issues in Los Angeles, which inspired her to join the Tenant Defense project to help low income/POC communities facing housing insecurity to access their right for legal representation. She aspires to study law and represent those who are vulnerable to predatory practices. Marybell grew up in South Los Angeles and currently resides in Koreatown. In her spare time, Marybell enjoys baking, hiking, and spending time with her family.

Jessica received her M.S in Assistive Technology and Human Services at CSUN in 2023 where she also received her BA in Interdisciplinary studies and minor in Psychology. Jessica has a demonstrated history of working in the mental health care, education and human services industries. Before joining ICLC, Jessica served as a Social worker/Family Service Specialist to aide underprivileged children, families and adults with disabilities. Jessica’s history also involved collaborating with interdisciplinary and administration teams to promote and protect resident rights. With her extensive history in evaluating eligibility, obtaining psychosocial histories, and officiating care plan meetings for future intake forms, Jessica is equipped and looks forward to supporting tenants receive the adequate resources and support they need to excel. She aspires to gain as much experience in the legal field to support individuals in achieving a higher quality of life in regards to their housing situations.

Brenda is joining Inner City Law Center after having most recently served as Operations Manager for New Age Global Trucking, Tesla’s top carrier in Los Angeles during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this role, she played a pivotal part in the company’s growth, leading and developing teams that ensured seamless logistics operations. Prior to that, Brenda worked as a dedicated teacher’s aide for Special Education students at Ánimo Jackie Robinson Charter High School, where she provided vital academic and emotional support, fostering a nurturing environment for students to thrive. In her spare time, she enjoys staying active by going to the gym and doing other outdoor activities. Brenda is looking forward to the opportunity to support ICLC’s mission of ensuring affordable and habitable housing to individuals residing in Los Angeles.

Dahlia was born and raised in Los Angeles and is passionate about helping vulnerable individuals. Before starting her work in the non-profit sector, she worked in promotions and marketing for iHeartRadio and game day marketing for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Prior to Inner City Law Center, she was a Legal Assistant at Los Angeles Center for Law and Justice for three years. She graduated from California State University, Northridge with a  B.A. in Broadcast Journalism and minor in Spanish Language. She wants to continue helping her community to have access to legal services and for them to know they are not alone. Dahlia loves sports, going on walks, coffee shops, hanging out with friends and traveling.

Derrick is a 2023 graduate of UC Law San Francisco (formerly UC Hastings) and joined ICLC’s Tenant Defense Project as a Housing Justice Fellow. During law school, Derrick externed at the Legal Assistance to the Elderly in the bay area assisting individuals and families going through the eviction process. He spent his 1L summer at the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles assisting individuals gain access to SSI and SSDI benefits. In his 2L summer, Derrick worked at the Los Angeles County Public Defenders Office assisting in indigent criminal defense. Derrick holds a BA in Philosophy from UC Berkeley and a JD from UC Law San Francisco.

Isa joined Inner City Law Center as a Housing Justice Fellow in 2023. In law school, she represented tenants facing eviction and brought affirmative cases against landlords as a member of the Harvard Legal Aid Bureau. She supported local tenant organizing by leading Project No One Leaves, a cross-university student group that canvasses buildings to inform tenants of their rights and connect them to local organizers. She also represented clients in criminal hearings with the Harvard Defenders and was a member of the Harvard Black Law Students Association. During her law school summers, Isa was a Movement Law Intern at the Detroit Justice Center and a law clerk at the Legal Aid Society of Hawai’i. Prior to going to law school, Isa worked in California’s family court system assisting self-represented litigants, and before that focused on environmental justice work. She holds a J.D. from Harvard Law School and a B.S. and M.S. in Earth Systems from Stanford University.

Herbert Martinez joined Inner City Law Center as a Fellow in September 2023. Hebert received his B.S. in Biology and a minor in Environmental Science from the College of William and Mary in 2016 and a J.D. from Southwestern Law School in 2023. While in law school, he participated in Southwestern’s Community Lawyering Clinic where he helped CSUN students navigate legal issues ranging from housing to immigration. He also externed at various public interest entities such as the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles and Housing Rights Center. He is committed to a career in public service and representing those who would not have access to legal services.

Jenna Karvunidis is a 2023 graduate of Southwestern Law School where she was President of the Environmental Law Society and Co-President of the Women’s Law Association. She is a founding board member of the Overarching Reproductive Law Project that has had success in changing the State Bar of California’s rules of professional conduct to protect attorneys who work in reproductive rights. Her law review note was selected for publication in Volume 53 of the Southwestern Law Review. She and her husband Niko have three daughters and a naughty dog named Fritz.

Joseph (he/him) joined Inner City Law Center as a Community Partnership and Housing Justice Fellow in September 2023. Passionate about grassroots and community-based lawyering, Joseph spent his summers in law school working with attorneys and community organizers, first with Public Counsel’s Community Development Project, and then with the Los Angeles Center for Community Law and Action (LACCLA). Joseph holds a B.A. from Duke University and a J.D. from UCLA School of Law, with concentrations in Public Interest Law/Policy and Critical Race Studies.

Metta Girma is a Housing Justice Fellow at Inner City Law Center. While in law school, Metta tackled juvenile justice issues by participating in the Race & Justice Clinic and handled housing and family law cases through the Moderate Means Program. She interned at Columbia Legal Services’s Ending Mass Incarceration unit during her second summer. Metta has also interned at the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project and Legal Services NYC, assisting with asylum cases and later volunteering at the Texan border to work with unaccompanied minors. She completed a judicial externship during her third year for the Central District of California. In her free time, Metta likes to play tennis, dance and spend time at the beach. Metta holds a B.A. in Law, Societies, and Justice from the University of Washington. She also received her J.D. from the University of Washington and was a recipient of the Gates Public Service Law Scholarship.

Arnold J. Esqueda (he/him) is a recent J.D. graduate from Golden Gate University School of Law, where he earned a Litigation Certification and was an active member of the Moot Court Board. Arnold has a strong commitment to social justice, developed through his work at Centro Legal de la Raza and internships with the San Francisco District Attorney and Public Defender’s offices. His passion for housing justice and tenant advocacy led him to join Inner City Law Center as a Housing Justice Fellow. Arnold is dedicated to using his legal skills to protect the rights of vulnerable communities and combat housing instability in Los Angeles.

María joined Inner City Law Center in September 2024 as a Housing Justice fellow. María was inspired to assist underserved communities by pursuing a career in the legal field because her family experienced housing insecurity, immigration services fraud, and navigated the process of obtaining a U-Visa. They obtained a J.D. from Loyola Law School in 2023, and as a Public Interest Fellow formed part of the Genocide Justice Clinic, the Shriver Landlord/Tenant Clinic, and were a founding member of the Homeless Rights Law Society. As a 3L, María was featured in The Seventies: A Breakthrough Decade for LGBT Rights (Thomas F. Coleman ed., 2022), where they wrote a chapter titled “The Emergence of Nonbinary, Transgender, and Students of Color as LGBT Activists.” María also received the G. Clayton Fatheree IV Disability Rights Scholarship in Spring 2023 for their publication in the Loyola of Los Angeles Law Review titled “Overprotected but Unrepresented: An Argument for Mandatory Appointment of Counsel and Against Automatic General Conservatorships in California.” Prior to law school, María graduated from Cal Poly Pomona in 2016 with a B.A. in Gender, Ethnic, and Multicultural Studies.

Annie joined Inner City Law Center as a housing Justice fellow in September 2024. After working in environmental justice law, local campaigns and legislative offices in San Francisco during law school, she realized that stable housing is a crucial prerequisite to achieving justice in other spaces. At the legal aid of Sonoma county, Annie worked on a variety of eviction litigation cases that dealt with illegal lockouts, invalid notices, and warranty of habitability breaches. As an undergraduate, she studied sustainable food systems before moving to Basque Country to teach English full time. In her free time, you can find Annie doing her friends’ nails as an uncertified nail technician, or at her local flea market.

Emma Quinn joined Inner City Law Center as a Housing Justice Fellow in September 2024. While in law school, Emma deepened her commitment to housing justice and civil rights advocacy through clerkships at the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles, the Law Office of Carol A. Sobel, and Schonbrun Seplow Harris Hoffman & Zeldes, LLP. She also participated in Loyola Law School’s Civil Rights Litigation Practicum and Homeless Rights Advocacy Practicum. Through the latter, she had the opportunity to collaborate with the ACLU of Southern California’s Dignity for All Project, contributing to a white paper advocating for a constitutional amendment to establish housing as a fundamental human right in California. Additionally, Emma was a production editor on the Entertainment Law Review, and an active member of the Public Interest Law Foundation. Emma earned her J.D. from Loyola Law School, and her B.A. from Framingham State University in Massachusetts.

Zita Zeng joined Inner City Law Center as a Fellow in September 2024. Zita received her B.S. in Applied Math and a B.A. in Audio Music Engineering from University of Rochester, where she graduated in 2019. During her academic pursuits at Suffolk University Law School, she served as a judicial intern for the Honorable Judith G. Dein at the Federal District Court for the District of Massachusetts in 2022. Additionally, Zita contributed to the Suffolk University Health Law Clinic from 2023 – 2024, where she assisted parents in navigating the complexities of guardianship for their incapacitated adult children.

Pavan received his BA from San Francisco State University in 2019 and graduated from the University of Oregon School of Law in 2024. Being born and raised in Los Angeles, he went to law school with the mindset to obtain the skills needed to fight for underserved communities that he had seen growing up. During law school, he assisted in the creation of a law school journal called Advancing Discourses on Inequity and Society (A-DIS) which aims at enhancing minority voices in legal discourse. He also served as Vice President of the Student Bar Association, Co-Director of the Asian Pacific American Law Student Association, and Co-Director of the National Lawyers Guild. He also spent his summers interning with the Inner City Law Center and the Oregon Law Center which had approaches that focused on combating the problems that homelessness faced within those communities.

Emerging from a grass-root student activist praxis, Michala pursued law school as a Public Interest Scholar to organize for the legal empowerment of our most vulnerable communities. Throughout her law school tenure, Michala worked abroad in Japan as in-house counsel for a female-owned startup building infrastructure for Japanese female entrepreneurs and served on California’s Reparation Task Force conducting legal research in collaboration with the California Department of Justice. Michala also participated in her law school’s Youth Justice Education Clinic (YJEC) representing system-involved youth pursuant to the federal IDEA and California Education Code. Michala worked as a constitutional law research assistant critically analyzing the recent affirmative action case law and served as the inaugural Principal Articles Editor for the Loyola Interdisciplinary Journal of Public Interest Law (LIJPIL). Clerking in the housing department at the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office kindled Michala’s interest in continuing to work on housing policy post-graduation. Michala obtained her BA with a concentration in Black Studies at Soka University of America and her J.D. at Loyola Law School, Los Angeles. Michala joined Inner City Law Center in September 2024 as a Housing Justice Fellow.

Nathan (he/him) joined ICLC as a Housing Justice Fellow in 2024 after graduating from the University of California, Irvine School of Law. While in law school, he worked on environmental justice issues at the California Attorney General’s Office, Earthjustice, and the UCI Environmental Law Clinic. Nathan also worked pro bono, helping refugees with their humanitarian parole applications and working with communities in the fight for cleaner air. In his free time, he enjoys fishing and running with his dog, Zoe.

Jenai Alford is a 2023 graduate of Southwestern Law School where she participated in Black Law Students Association, Women’s Law Association, the Community Lawyering Clinic, and Overarching Reproductive Law Project to help protect attorney’s who work in reproductive rights. Through her work in law school, Jenai developed a need to change and protect others less fortunate. Jenai also has a cat, Murder Mittens.

Adriana Perera (she/her) joined Inner City Law as a Housing Justice Fellow. She graduated from UCI Law in 2024 as a public service scholar and received her B.A. in Psychology from UCI. During law school, Adriana focused on serving vulnerable populations through the Workers, Law, and Organizing Clinic, as well as various pro bono projects in housing, employment, reentry, and immigration. Adriana spent her 1L summer as a special education legal advocate and her 2L summer as a law clerk for Public Law Center’s Community Organizations Project.

Jimi (he/him) joined Inner City Law Center (ICLC) as a Housing Justice Fellow in September 2024. At law school, Jimi represented clients in a hearing against the United States in front of the Inter American Commission on Human Rights, worked with unionized laborers in a variety of industries across Los Angeles as a clinical student for UNITE-HERE Local 11, worked on several unionization campaigns as a legal intern at Bush Gottlieb, and was a founding member and chair for the UCLA chapter of the People’s Parity Project. Jimi was also a legal intern at ICLC during his first summer at law school. Jimi is passionate about client-centered, grassroots lawyering that empowers the working class, and views housing rights as fundamental to the fight for worker power. Jimi holds a J.D. from UCLA School of Law and a B.S. from West Point. Jimi and his wife Ida have a cat, Bobby McGee, and a dwarf lionhead rabbit, Iggy Hop.

Roxana Martinez Lopez was raised in a low-income Indigenous Oaxacan community in Koreatown, Los Angeles, where her experiences shaped her commitment to advocating for marginalized communities and her understanding of the challenges related to access to opportunity and legal resources. Roxana attended Southwestern Law School’s Part-Time Evening Program while managing a full-time job throughout her four years there. Before law school, she earned a B.A. in Political Science and Chicana/o Studies and a Minor in Labor and Workplace Studies from UCLA. Roxana’s professional journey includes labor union community organizing, immigration law, workers’ rights, and education. At Southwestern Law School, she remained committed to supporting low-income communities through various opportunities. Her work in Southwestern’s Eviction Defense Clinic sparked her desire to learn more about housing rights.

Meena Morar joined Inner City Law Center as a Housing Justice Fellow in September 2024 after graduating with their J.D. from UC Davis School of Law. While in law school, Meena served as a co-director for both the Lambda Law Students Association and Gender and Name Change Project with a passion to build queer community and promote radical trans joy. Meena has also interned at Legal Services of Northern California, East Bay Community Law Center, and Alameda County Public Defender’s Office in the Sacramento/Bay Area. At their core, Meena believes that community organizing and holistic care are the only ways to be a good advocate. Prior to law school, Meena received their B.A. in American Studies with a minor in Journalism from Georgetown University in 2021. In their free time, Meena loves to watch the sunset and get over invested in tv characters’ lives.

Bindhu Varghese joined Inner City Law Center in April 2021. Prior to this, Bindhu served as a legal consultant and corporate attorney for start-ups, most recently consulting for a virtual platform that supports women in their careers, motherhood, and political engagement. In addition, Bindhu has defended employers and insurance carriers in matters of workers’ compensation. She is committed to using her broad experience in administrative litigation to improve the lives of Los Angeles’ most marginalized and underserved population.

Believing in the power of community discourse to create change, Bindhu advocates for more inclusive communities as a Director on the Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council, and currently serves on the McGeorge School of Law Diversity Board. During her time in private practice, she did pro bono work for various non-profit organizations, including ICLC. Bindhu received her Bachelor’s degree in Legal Studies from University of California, Berkeley, and J.D. from McGeorge School of Law.

Laura Saiz is an attorney with Inner City Law Center’s Lawyers Preventing and Ending Homelessness Project. Prior to joining Inner City Law Center, Laura was an attorney for the New Jersey Office of the Public Dender in the adult criminal trial section where she handled a wide variety of felony-level cases from inception through trial/disposition. Upon moving back home to Los Angeles, (Laura hails from the Valley), she practiced in both criminal and civil litigation firms in the private sector.

Laura graduated from Vassar College where she received a bachelor’s degree in English and Philosophy. After college she served as an AmeriCorps member for two years aiding first generation, low-income students get into and graduate from college in Texas. She then attended the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law. While in law school she was an intern for the Innocence Project, a non-profit legal organization that seeks to exonerate those who have been wrongly convicted using DNA testing and the Legal Aid Society in their criminal defense project. Laura is extremely passionate about and dedicated to serving and zealously advocating for her clients and community.

A 2017 graduate of the University of Miami School of Law, Ariana first joined Inner City Law Center in 2018 as a staff attorney on the Homeless Veterans Project representing veterans before the Department of Veterans Affairs. In 2021, Ariana joined Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles on their Supporting Families team as a staff attorney representing clients in immigration and family law cases. Ariana re-joined ICLC as a supervising attorney on the Bringing Families Home team in May 2024.

Míchel Angela Martinez joined Inner City Law Center in June 2018 as the Project Coordinator with our Lawyers Preventing and Ending Homelessness Team. She is a longtime organizer and photographer born and raised in South Central Los Angeles. A first-generation college graduate, she has a Ph.D. in Politics and Photography from USC where she focused on the right to photograph and how to use images to fight police brutality. As a member of the National Lawyers Guild and National Police Accountability Project, she shows fellow organizers the “know your rights” ropes, and trains people in direct action and strategic campaign escalation. She comes to Inner City Law Center from USC where she taught courses in community organizing, international law, human rights, criminal justice, and constitutional law and policy, while also advocating on behalf of students experiencing racism and gender discrimination. Prior to that, she was a National Organizer for the National Lawyers Guild in New York, where she worked on issues as varied as prisons, poverty, war, environmental justice, capital punishment, torture, and workers’ rights. She puts her diversified toolbox to good use with a “by any means necessary” approach to social justice. A former collegiate triathlete, she now enjoys sports and the outdoors as a way to connect with friends, family, and her partner, a radical lawyer.

Shelsea (she/they) joined Inner City Law Center in July 2024 as a Project Coordinator. They graduated from UC Santa Barbara with a B.A. in Political Science and a minor in Feminist Studies. Following her undergraduate studies, Shelsea engaged in mass defense work as the Community and Membership Engagement Advocate for the National Lawyers Guild of Los Angeles (NLG-LA) where she managed the organization’s Legal Observer Program, which is a part of a comprehensive system of legal support designed to enable activists to express their political views without harassment or having their rights violated by the police. Shelsea strongly advocates for utilizing an intersectional approach in her social impact work to tackle systemic social issues effectively.

Indie is a Paralegal Trainee with the Disability Benefits Hearing Team at Inner City Law Center. Having graduated from Occidental College with a B.A. in Politics, Indie is passionate about serving and advocating for marginalized communities through the law. During her time at Oxy, she had the opportunity to apply this passion through internships at Bet Tzedek and Public Counsel. At Bet Tzedek, Indie worked with their Employment Rights Project where she helped individuals receive employment-related benefits of which they were initially denied.  As an intern in Public Counsel’s Guardianship Team, she assisted with the composition of various petitions to ensure the well-being of children in unsafe and unstable living situations. Indie plans to attend law school in the future, with the goal of pursuing public interest law.

Tarina is a paralegal with the Preventing and Ending Homelessness Project at the Inner City Law Center. Prior to joining ICLC, Tarina was a legal fellow with the Deported Veterans Advocacy Project of Veterans for Peace, assisting deported US Veterans and refugees in Tijuana, Mexico obtain access to housing/shelter, food and water as they awaited repatriation and asylum to the US. Throughout law school, she worked as a paralegal for civil rights attorney Glenn Katon, representing victims of police brutality and prisoner abuse in Federal Court; and as a summer law clerk with the Homeless Action Center (Berkeley, CA), Legal Services for Prisoners with Children (San Francisco, CA) and the Texas Civil Rights Project (Austin, TX). Tarina received her BA in Race & Class Studies from Antioch University Seattle, and JD from San Francisco Law School.

Kimberly is a Paralegal Trainee for the Preventing and Ending Homelessness Project at Inner City Law Center. She recently graduated from Dartmouth College with a major in Government Modified with Philosophy and a minor in Sociology with a concentration in Social Inequalities. Prior to joining ICLC, she interned at the Center for Gender and Refugee Studies where she assembled a country conditions toolkit for Fear-of-Return Claims based on violence against women in Mexico to be used as evidence in asylum cases. Additionally, she interned at UnCommon Law, a law firm that focuses on trauma-informed advocacy within California’s discretionary parole process. Born and raised in Boyle Heights, she is excited to help the team make meaningful impact in her community and gain further experience in public interest law. In her free time, she loves dancing, reading, and annoying her cat!

Craig is a Registered Legal Aid Attorney with the Preventing and Ending Homelessness Project. Craig describes himself as an adventurer and a bit of a vagabond. He recently moved here from Baltimore after moving from New Mexico. In both of those places for the past ten years, Craig was a public defender, mostly taking on the most serious criminal cases. He started his law career in New York City after getting his JD from the City University of New York Law School. In NYC, he practiced civil legal services – focused on benefits and housing for people living with mental disabilities – and civil rights, especially police misconduct, at the Urban Justice Center and the Community Service Society. From there, Craig went to the Bay Area for a few years, again doing civil legal services for people living with mental disabilities. Then on to New Mexico to work on systemic advocacy for the impoverished, especially health care and property rights before becoming a public defender.

Craig lives with his wife, Megan, a mitigation specialist/ investigator at the federal public defender’s capital habeas unit, and their dog, Felix, and cats, Scout and Jem.

Martin is currently a student at East Los Angeles College training to obtain his license in Respiratory Therapy. However, with experience working in community outreach and development, Martin also wished to continue pursuing his passion of working with low income communities and helping others. This is what drew Martin to Inner City Law Center when initially brought on as a temporary associate and his reason for eagerly accepting the opportunity to be a part of the Inner City Law Center team permanently. He hopes to continue his growth at ICLC and help provide greater resources to his community through his work.

Isaiah came from the Philippines where he worked in the fields of consular assistance, policy advocacy, and development project management. Isaiah was a Consular Officer of the embassies of New Zealand then Belgium in the Philippines, and was a Project Assistant of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and a local education non-profit. Migration turned from a career interest to a personal reality for Isaiah when he migrated to the US in 2023.

Prior to joining ICLC, Isaiah was an Assistant Manager of a multi-family residential property in Los Angeles which immersed Isaiah in the housing realities and challenges in LA. Isaiah joined ICLC as an Admin Clerk to support the PEHP team’s commitment towards housing justice and to help facilitate assistance to the most vulnerable. Isaiah holds a B.A. in Consular and Diplomatic Affairs from the De La Salle – College of Saint Benilde in Manila.

Cheryl is a staff attorney with ICLC’s Homeless Veterans Project. After earning her B.S. in Biopsychology from the University of Maryland, she worked as a clinical case manager for a homeless outreach organization in New York City. It was there that she was inspired to go to law school after receiving an unforgettable pep-talk from a client. She moved back to the Washington, DC area to study law at Howard University. She participated in the law school’s civil rights clinic and volunteered at free legal clinics throughout the Washington, DC area. With this newfound passion for advocacy, she spent several years working as an assistant public defender and a landlord-tenant attorney in the State of Maryland. In 2018, Cheryl relocated to California to be closer to her siblings. Prior to joining ICLC, she worked as a staff attorney with the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in San Francisco from 2018 to 2023.

Abbey joined Inner City Law Center’s Homeless Veterans Project in September of 2018 as an Equal Justice Works Fellow sponsored by Kirkland & Ellis, LLP and Raytheon. Her fellowship project is to develop a medical-legal partnership with the Center of Excellence clinic at the West Los Angeles VA Medical Center and join the primary care physicians, psychiatrists, psychologists, and social workers on the team there to provide holistic care to the clinic’s homeless patients. During law school, Abbey served as the Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles fellow with Inner City Law Center’s Homeless Veterans Project, where she assisted women veterans in their claims for VA benefits and discharge upgrades. She was also a student attorney in the Michigan Innocence Clinic and interned at Legal Services of South Central Michigan. She earned both her B.A. in Psychology and her J.D. from the University of Michigan.

Benjamin Phillips joined Inner City Law Center in 2021 as a Housing Justice Fellow in ICLC’s homeless veterans project. From 2020-2021, he clerked for Senior U.S. District Court Judge Roslyn O. Silver in Phoenix, Arizona. In law school, Benjamin interned with the United States Department of Justice, Public Counsel, and the Homeless Action Center. He served as a research assistant for Dean Erwin Chemerinsky. Prior to law school, Benjamin was an AmeriCorps member with City Year Los Angeles at UCLA Community School, teaching and mentoring ninth grade students. He also clerked for Mental Health Advocacy Systems and taught religious school at Wilshire Boulevard Temple. He earned his B.A. in English (Creative Writing) from the University of Southern California and his J.D. from the University of California, Berkeley.

Prior to joining Inner City Law Center, Charles worked as an Appellate Case Briefer for the Daily Journal Corporation. In 2019, he graduated from Loyola Law School where he participated in several clinical experiences. Charles was a certified law student at the Center for Juvenile Law and Policy and a member of the International Human Rights Clinic. Charles is a Los Angeles Native and grew up in the East San Gabriel Valley.

Dakota graduated from the University of Iowa College of Law in 2021 and recently joined ICLC as a Staff Attorney with the Homeless Veterans Project. During law school, Dakota served as an AmeriCorps intern with Iowa Legal Aid where she focused on housing and veterans’ issues. She also served as a law clerk at the Veterans Legal Institute where she worked on discharge upgrades and veterans’ benefits cases. She assisted on two veterans’ appeals to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims. Dakota was the Editor in Chief for the Journal of Gender, Race & Justice. After law school, Dakota was a law clerk for Hon. Thad J. Collins, Chief Judge of the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Iowa. She earned her B.A. in Political Science from the University of Redlands.

Elaine graduated the University of San Diego, School of Law in 2021 and recently joined ICLC as a Staff Attorney with the Homeless Veterans Project. During law school, in addition to her private sector clerkships, she externed for the United States Postal Service and was a research assistant for several professors. Her favorite experience, however, was her pro bono work at the San Diego Clean Slate Clinic, where she developed a love for representing the underserved. She helped her clients navigate through the expungement process and secure housing, education, and employment.

In her free time, she is heavily involved at the food bank, where she works closely with project coordinators to improve the organization’s internal processes and increase its impact on the community. During tax season, she also volunteers as part of the VITA program, ensuring low-income clients get the tax help they need.

Ruth is a Central American Latina who grew up in the Pico Union area of Los Angeles. Prior to joining the Homeless Veterans team, she graduated from the University of California, Merced where she obtained a B.A. in English Literature and a minor in Political Science. After graduating, she worked with CARECEN (Central American Resource Center) where she joined the Survivors of Violence team in helping a large low-income population obtain legal status. Her time at CARECEN allowed her to value work centered around the Los Angeles community and specifically with helping folks obtain as many resources as possible. She hopes to continue empathetically being an asset and a voice to those around her.

Sydney joined Inner City Law Center in August of 2021 as a paralegal on the Homeless Veterans Project. Prior to joining the team, Sydney graduated from UC Riverside where she obtained a B.A. in Psychology. During her time at UCR, Sydney worked for her campus’ wellness center as the President of External Affairs for Active Minds where she created and oversaw the implementation of campus-wide mental health programs. Additionally, Sydney worked as President’s Office Intern with the National Organization for Women in Washington D.C. where worked on campaigns to change policy for women nationwide. After her graduation, Sydney worked as a community organizer for Gente Organizada where she led and organized Pomona community members around campaigns focused on improving the conditions of Pomona, CA’s immigrant, low-income community. Through her time with Gente, Sydney saw the impact the law could have on the lives of historically disenfranchised communities. This inspired her to receive her A.S. in Paralegal Studies from Mt. San Antonio College. Sydney looks forward to continuing her work in uplifting, assisting, and advocating for marginalized communities.

Adela recently joined ICLC as the Project Coordinator for the Homeless Veterans Project. After careers in both the finance industry and as a fashion buyer, she learned about ICLC through a panel she listened in on during the pandemic where ICLC attorneys discussed housing as a human right and shared tremendous success stories. She is grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the vital services ICLC continues to provide, and to work alongside colleagues who are similarly motivated to fight for our community and fair representation for all.

Karen is a 2024 graduate of Southwestern Law School, graduating with a Public Interest Law concentration. She previously externed with ICLC’s Homeless Veterans team and participated in the Eviction Defense Clinic at Southwestern. Karen is dedicated to working with Angelenos in need and previously worked at the Central American Resource Center, assisting undocumented victims of crime and at Wage Justice Center, helping to combat wage theft in the construction industry. She is passionate about providing needed legal representation to help marginalized communities achieve the justice and equity they deserve and is excited to continue her advocacy with ICLC. Karen grew up in the Koreatown neighborhood of Los Angeles and in her free time enjoys going to the movies and baking.

Betty (she/her) joined Inner City Law Center in February 2023. Before this, she worked at the Social Security Administration (SSA), drafting disability hearing decisions for Administrative Law Judges. Prior to SSA, she worked with Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California, advocating for domestic violence survivors. In the Benefits Advocacy Team, Betty strives to combine her direct services experience and social security disability law knowledge to successfully help vulnerable community members obtain much needed benefits.

Betty’s time as an undergraduate at UCLA motivated her to become a lawyer. When she saw attacks on affirmative action, and immigrant rights, and learned more about sweatshop labor, and the exploitation of low-wage workers, Betty also saw how public interest attorneys were effectively advocating for low-income, limited English proficient, communities. During law school at UC Berkeley, Betty was a law clerk with Asian Pacific Islander Legal Outreach, assisting domestic violence survivors, and this experience provided a strong foundation for her later work at Advancing Justice.

Mike joined Inner City Law Center in January of 2021 as a Senior Staff Attorney with the Public Benefits Technical Assistance Team. Before coming to Inner City Law Center, Mike was a staff attorney at OneJustice where he provided technical assistance to domestic violence shelters, immigrant advocacy organizations, and rural social services providers looking to expand legal resources for their clients. He previously worked as a staff attorney in the Reno office of Nevada Legal Services focusing on re-entry issues and coordinating legal/medical partnerships. He has also worked with the Montana Department of Justice’s Office of Consumer Protection, and practiced consumer law with the Public Law Center in Orange County. Mike has a B.A. in political science from UC Irvine, and a J.D. from UC Davis School of Law where he focused on public interest law.

Lydia (they/them/elle) joined Inner City Law Center as a staff attorney on the Benefits team in 2024. Prior to ICLC, Lydia was an attorney at the Los Angeles Center for Community Law & Action for over two years, where they litigated affirmative habitability and harassment cases against abusive landlords and got to participate in defending incredible tenant organizers from eviction. They are dedicated to always growing towards rebellious, trauma-informed lawyering.

Lydia graduated from UCLA School of Law in 2021 with specializations in Critical Race Studies and Public Interest Law and Policy. Before becoming a member of the state bar, Lydia organized with the LA Tenants Union, interned with Eviction Defense Network, Disability Rights California, and Los Angeles Center for Community Law & Action, and was an early leading member of the “Tenant’s Law Association” at UCLA.

Abram joined Inner City Law Center as a Registered Legal Services Attorney.  Prior to joining ICLC, Abram was an assistant public defender for seven years in New York where he represented persons charged with misdemeanors and felonies in criminal court.  Additionally, he represented both petitioners and respondents in Article 6 and Article 8 petitions in family court.  Abram also worked as a Senior Attorney for Mental Hygiene Legal Service where he represented individuals facing Article 9 Retention Hearings, CPL 330.20 Re-commitment Hearings, Article 81 Guardianship Petitions, and Treatment over Objection applications.  Abram obtained a B.A. in Psychology from the State University of New York at Fredonia and a J.D. from Syracuse University College of law, where he was awarded the Orange Pro Bono and Community Service Award.  Abram is also licensed to practice law in New York and Massachusetts.

Kyle Gilliam joined Inner City Law Center as a Staff Attorney on the Public Benefits Hearings team in April 2022. He previously worked at Mental Health Advocacy Services, where he provided free legal services to patients of DHS facilities as part of a medical-legal partnership in matters involving fair housing and public benefits.

He received his B.A. in Political Science from Lewis & Clark College in Portland Oregon in 2013, and his J.D. from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law in 2017. He has previously interned with Inner City Law Center, Neighborhood Legal Services, the Los Angeles County Public Defender, and the Federal Public Defender.

Raphael (He/Him/El) is a paralegal in the Benefits Advocacy team. Prior to joining Inner City Law Center, Raphael worked as a paralegal at the Public Law Center in Orange County in the Housing Unit working on eviction cases, housing choice vouchers, habitability issues, and other housing matters. Raphael received a Bachelor’s of Science in Criminology from Chester University and wants to continue advocating for the local community. Outside of work, Raphael enjoys exploring fantasy and sci-fi genres.

Manuel comes to Inner City Law Center with a long history of proudly serving his community. Previously, he worked in local government, helping connect constituents with city services. He also has experience in benefits management, having been a Short-Term Disability Specialist, and in the education field, working as an Instructional Assistant at a local middle school. Manuel graduated from UCLA with a degree in History and is a proud Bruin. He is committed to making Los Angeles a more equitable city and fighting for housing justice.

Layla is a Paralegal Trainee on the Public Benefits Team at Inner City Law Center. After graduating from Berklee College of Music in Boston, Layla moved to Los Angeles and worked as a teacher at the Academy of Music for the Blind in Whittier, CA. Teaching at an organization dedicated to providing services for children with a disability that so often excludes them from spaces that sighted children take for granted was an experience that will forever shape Layla’s understanding of the importance of accessibility.

Having always been passionate about the systemic inequity within our criminal justice system, Layla’s next position was with the Independent Defender Program as a program coordinator, where she was responsible for assigning defense attorneys to all indigent defendants in Los Angeles County’s central district whom neither the Public Defender’s nor the Alternate Public Defender’s offices could represent due to conflict, as well are ensuring the independently contracted defense attorneys were providing their clients with representation that was as thoughtful and dedicated as the representation they provided their private clients.

Given her prior professional experience, Layla is thrilled to be working on the Public Benefits team at ICLC where representing those without the means to afford private counsel and providing services to those with disabilities collide, and to continue working towards a world in which a person’s quality of legal representation is not diminished by their lack of privilege.

Cina is a paralegal for the disability benefits team at Inner City Law Center. Prior to coming to ICLC, Cina worked as a paralegal in housing law at The Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles in 2023 where they worked on tenant anti-harassment and eviction cases. Cina has always had a passion for social justice, politics, and law and he briefly interned with Senator Alex Padilla in 2012 as well as the Los Angeles LGBT Center in 2015. Cina holds a B.A. in English Literature from The University of California, Los Angeles and is currently working toward law school.

Henry is a Project Coordinator with Inner City Law Center’s Benefits Hearings Team. He returned to Los Angeles after spending two years in Georgia working with the Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation in their Safe Families Offices, assisting clients experiencing intimate partner abuse in court matters related to protective order filings. Prior to this, he worked with survivors of IPA, hate crimes, and discrimination at the Los Angeles LBGT Center after a previous position focusing on underserved victims at the LA City’s Victim Assistance Program.

Ishvaku joins Inner City Law Center as an Equal Justice Works Fellow. Through his fellowship project, Ishvaku will work to advance economic justice in Los Angeles by advocating for unhoused individuals who lack identification through an in-person clinic, direct representation, policy advocacy, and impact litigation. Having grown up in Los Angeles County as the child of immigrants, Ishvaku’s commitment to economic justice stems from his family’s experience with economic insecurity. Ishvaku’s prior legal experience involves working for the ACLU of Southern California’s Economic Justice Team, Berkeley Law’s Policy Advocacy Clinic, and the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. While at the ACLU SoCal, Ishvaku worked on litigation involving how the rights to due process and equal protection under the California Constitution protect indigent persons against the imposition offines and fees. Ishvaku studied Political Science with a focus on international relations and political theory at the University of California, Berkeley, graduating with distinction. He later earned his J.D. from the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law, receiving a certificate of specialization in Public Interest and Social Justice.

Deborah joined Inner City Law Center in July 2019 as a Senior Staff Attorney in the slum housing litigation unit. A mid-westerner by birth but a Californian by choice, Deborah graduated magna cum laude from Indiana University School of Law. During law school, she volunteered with the Inmate Legal Services Clinic and served as research assistant to Professor Joseph Hoffman, a nationally recognized authority on the death penalty. Since law school, she successfully obtained political asylum for two refugees from Somalia and volunteers with LA Works. Prior to joining Inner City Law Center, Deborah represented aggrieved employees for more than a decade in discrimination, harassment, and whistleblower retaliation cases. Deborah is now proud to be part of the passionate team at ICLC.

Laura joined Inner City Law Center in September 2021 as a senior staff attorney in the slum housing litigation unit. Before joining Inner City Law Center, she worked at Greater Bakersfield Legal Assistance, where she focused on tenants’ rights and unlawful detainer defense. She began her legal career in Alaska, where she clerked for the Alaska Superior Court and the Alaska Court of Appeals, and then worked as a staff attorney for Alaska Legal Services Corporation. She received her B.A. from Grinnell College and her J.D. from the University of Iowa College of Law.

Alexandra Irons (she/her) joined ICLC as a senior staff attorney with the Affirmative Litigation team. Alexandra previously represented those who were injured due to the negligence of others as plaintiffs in personal injury lawsuits. She looks forward to using her skills acquired in another area of law to work with ICLC to serve the broader community struggling with housing-related challenges. Alexandra received her J.D. from Southwestern School of Law and her BA in Spanish from UCLA.

Jose Luis Surio joined Inner City Law Center in 2014 as a Tenant Organizer. He educates tenants about healthy housing through the Rent Escrow Account Program. As someone who grew up in similar conditions, Jose Luis can connect with our clients through those firsthand experiences. Jose is a mentor for Youth Mentoring Connections where he mentors high school students and volunteers. These experiences have empowered Jose Luis to educate others about how to live in safer housing and protect their rights as tenants.

Eric joined Inner City Law Center as a Tenant Organizer in June 2014. He became a certified Paralegal and joined the Affirmative Litigation unit in August 2015. Prior to working at ICLC, Eric interned with the Coalition for Economic Survival, where he first gained exposure to tenants’ rights and other housing issues. He later collaborated with psychologists at Cedars Sinai Medical Center on a project that helped the disenfranchised and Spanish-speaking, HIV-positive community in Los Angeles. Eric is originally from Brooklyn, New York and graduated from Occidental College in 2014 with a B.A. in History and a minor in Political Science.

Pedro joined Inner City Law Center as a Paralegal Trainee on the Litigation team. Prior to joining Inner City Law Center, Pedro worked as a housing case manager, working closely with LGBTQ+ and HIV/AIDS communities in Los Angeles. He’s assisted many undocumented black and brown folk access housing and resources throughout the city, including those at ICLC. Pedro graduated from San Francisco State University with a B.A in Sociology. He’s been a part of various non-profits in both the Bay Area and Southern California, focusing on work that uplifts and transforms marginalized communities of color. He grew up in South Central LA, and strongly believes that safe, affordable housing is a right and not a privilege. Pedro is excited to join the passionate team at Inner City Law Center, who are committed to defending the rights all tenants are entitled to.

Prior to Inner City Law Center, Amy worked for Titan Offices as the Front Desk Receptionist and as a Family Law Paralegal for Neighborhood Legal Services. Amy attended Cal State University, Northridge and majored in Social Welfare/Justice. Amy enjoys spreading awareness throughout her community and will always make sure to remind herself/others to feel the greatness in each day of life. Amy is excited to be part of Inner City Law Center where she can put all her passion and experience into action.

Ted is a NAPABA Law Foundation Community Law Fellow at Inner City Law Center’s Affirmative Litigation team. Having grown up as a low-income, undocumented youth in Koreatown, Los Angeles, Ted is committed to serving those who are most deeply affected and harmed by racial and economic injustice.

Throughout law school, Ted served the community as a clinical student at East Bay Community Law Center’s Consumer Justice Clinic and Consumer Justice Workshop.

In May 2021, Ted received his J.D. from UC Berkeley School of Law, where he won the Pro Bono Champion Award and the Honorable Mention for the Brian M. Sax Award for Excellence in Clinical Advocacy.

Darlene Flanders joined Inner City Law Center in August 2023 as a Senior Staff Attorney with the Bringing Families Home project. She was inspired to go to law school while working at a homeless drop-in center in Santa Monica. While in law school, she was co-director of the General Assistance Advocacy Project and after law school, she worked at the Homeless Advocacy Project in San Francisco, specializing in public benefits. At HAP, she focused on providing holistic services to help move people out of homelessness. She has worked in the private sector for several years and is excited to return to legal services and help people retain or gain housing.

Darlene graduated from UCLA with a degree in Economics/Business and received her JD from the University of California Law, San Francisco.

Howard is a native Angeleno who believes every community member should have access to good legal counsel. Howard began his career in public interest as a post-bar law clerk at the Orange County Public Defender’s Office. Prior to working at Inner City Law Center, Howard worked at Mental Health Advocacy Services (MHAS) for nearly 4 years as part of a Medical-Legal Community Partnership. At MHAS, he also helped launch a partnership with the Los Angeles Mental Health Court where he provided holistic self-help legal services to Mental Health Court litigants and their families. Howard received his B.A. from California State University, Fullerton, and his J.D. from Loyola Law School, Los Angeles.

Jhemari Quintana (she/her) is a Paralegal Trainee on the Bringing Families Home Project. Born and raised in Los Angeles, Jhemari is passionate about fighting for and empowering unhoused Angelenos through legal advocacy and grassroots, community organizing. Prior to joining Inner City Law Center, Jhemari was a Court Procedures and Docketing Clerk at Goodwin Procter LLP where she worked with the firm’s litigation department on major state and federal cases within the realm of technology IP and cannabis law and regulation. While in this position, Jhemari also actively sought and worked on pro bono cases, including those pertaining to the defense of undocumented Central American minors facing deportation and tracking changing reproductive health legislation in a post-Dobbs landscape. Jhemari graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles with a B.A. in English Literature and a Minor in History.

Shane is a Public Policy Advocate at Inner City Law Center. Shane previously worked as a Staff Attorney on Inner City Law Center’s Lawyers Preventing and Ending Homelessness Project (PEHP), where he represented indigent clients in eviction defense, public benefits hearings, criminal expungements, and traffic court. Prior to being a lawyer, Shane worked as a campaign staffer on federal congressional races. Additionally, Shane served as a Deputy Chief of Staff to a Michigan State Senator, where he worked on the expansion of citizens’ disability and housing rights. In law school, Shane interned for the United States Committee on the Judiciary and the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division, Criminal Section.

Shane received his Bachelors of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of Michigan-Dearborn and graduated Cum Laude from Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law.

Erin works closely with Chief Executive Officer, Adam Murray, and the Board of Directors and Advisors to coordinate logistics for special initiatives. She manages Inner City Law Center’s affiliate website www.Homeful.LA and the team it takes to make people in Los Angeles aware of how they can volunteer, advocate, or donate towards ending homelessness. Erin has a Juris Doctorate from The John Marshall Law School and a B.S. in Arts, Entertainment and Media Management from Columbia College Chicago. Erin is an experienced Operations Manager, Business Developer, Administrator, Leadership Coach and Small Business Consultant. She is also the founder of E3 Enterprises LLC and a nonprofit organization called The S Word Project.

Before joining Inner City Law Center, Jazmine represented corporate clients in a variety of complex civil litigation matters relating to state constitutional law, securities, bankruptcy, and SEC and DOJ investigations. Throughout her academic and professional careers, she has been deeply dedicated to representing the interests of marginalized communities. While in law school, she worked as a student advocate in the East Bay Community Law Clinic where she helped at-risk consumers successfully represent themselves in third-party debt collection suits. As part of her pro bono practice, she helped to secure asylum for refugees fleeing female genital mutilation. She received her Juris Doctor from the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law, where she served as Academic Advisor to the Law Students of African Descent and was a Boalt Hall Dean’s Fellow. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Spelman College. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, cooking and learning new languages.

Aldra joined Inner City Law Center as Grants Manager in April 2018. She began her career in the nonprofit sector in 2001 through the AmeriCorps VISTA program, working with Habitat for Humanity. Throughout her career, Aldra has focused her work on helping veterans and people experiencing homelessness access the resources they need to achieve stability. She is honored to continue serving low-income people by supporting the work of Inner City Law Center’s attorneys and paralegals in their fight to protect vulnerable Angelenos.

Jacqueline Burbank joined Inner City Law Center as Communications Manager in January of 2023. Jacqueline has an established record in the nonprofit arena, including time with AIDS Healthcare Foundation, the L.A. LGBT Center, and the National Foster Youth Institute. She brings with her over a decade of experience in advocacy-driven Marketing and Communications.

Jacqueline has held leadership roles on several statewide ballot initiative campaigns in California, from efforts to implement rent control (Prop 21 in 2020 and Prop 10 in 2018) to struggles for lower prescription drug pricing (Prop 21 in 2016). She has collaborated on projects with political heavyweight Senator Bernie Sanders, worked with prominent civil rights leaders Rev. Al Sharpton and Dr. Cornel West, and organized the first Housing Roundtable discussion at the Sanders Institute’s 2018 conference, “The Gathering”.

Jacqueline is a native Angeleno who earned her A.A. in Liberal Arts from Santa Monica Community College and is currently working on her B.A. in English as a part-time student at California State University Long Beach.

Jessica is a native Angeleno who was born and raised in Culver City. She attended San Diego State University where she obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Communication. During her senior year, she began an AmeriCorps term at a refugee resettlement agency. As an AmeriCorps member she oversaw 80+ active volunteers who helped newly arrived community members settle into their new lives. Once she completed her AmeriCorps term, she moved back to Los Angeles and was connected to Chrysalis. Jessica began her journey at Chrysalis by working at the front desk, and then promoted into the role of a Volunteer & Program Coordinator. After two years in the coordinator position, she promoted yet again, this time into the role of Volunteer & Program Manager where she spent three years. Throughout her career, Jessica has been guided by a desire to help level the playing field for all. Jessica was drawn to Inner City Law Center because of its focus on helping the most vulnerable in our community.

Dwayne Johnson (he/him/his) is a creative nonprofit professional passionate about leveraging DEI initiatives to create impactful community programs and events. He has experience planning high-profile events at California State University, Northridge, featuring speakers like Dr. Ibram Kendi, Kimberlé Crenshaw, and Angela Davis. At Chrysalis, he applied his DEI expertise in direct client services, enhancing support for under-resourced individuals. Combining his skills in videography with his nonprofit background, Dwayne helps organizations tell their stories and amplify their missions through powerful video content. Originally from Lancaster, CA, he holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Philosophy from California State University, Northridge, and looks forward to continuing his work serving the Skid Row Community after discovering ICLC during his time at Chrysalis.

Gloria is a Screener and Receptionist at Inner City Law Center and has been with the organization since 2006. Gloria appreciates learning from clients as well as helping them. Prior to joining Inner City Law Center, Gloria served as Office Clerk at Elco Lighting. Gloria has a variety of artistic skills including painting, decorating and dancing.

Roland serves as one of our receptionists/call screeners at Inner City Law Center, while also creating various logos, presentations, and other assorted graphic designs for our organization. Before joining Inner City Law Center, he was an English and Performing Arts teacher at the high school and collegiate level for more than ten years. Roland has prior experience in journalism as a reporter, editor, and graphic designer, as well as a broadcast engineer, producer, and voice actor for radio stations throughout Los Angeles. Roland earned his B.A. in Child Development from San José State University and is working towards his Master’s Degree in Education from Mount Saint Mary’s University.

Prior to joining Inner City Law Center in January 2022, Terry served as the Grant Systems Manager for Asian Americans Advancing Justice – LA. There he managed grant administration, program deliverable progress, and internal tracking systems for grants and reports. Terry also played a critical role in the legal department’s transition to LegalServer and the development department’s transition to Salesforce. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Physics from UCLA.

Oneida has an extensive background and experience with nearly 20 years as grants management professional in government and the nonprofit sectors, focusing on the areas of health, housing, veteran’s services, emergency management and homeland security, law enforcement and public safety. Prior to joining Inner City Law Center, Oneida served as the Development Management at QueensCare Health Centers, responsible for coordinating, managing and leading the proposal development and post award processes. Oneida received an MA in Justice Systems with a specialization in Human Rights and Discriminatory Processes from Universidad del Sagrado Corazon in Puerto Rico, and a BA in Criminal Justice from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh. In addition, Oneida obtained a Paralegal Studies Program Certificate from Florida International University’s Legal Studies Institute in Miami, and served over 10 years as a senior litigation paralegal at major law firms in Puerto Rico. Oneida is passionate about her work and being able to contribute to the overall wellbeing of individuals and families in underserved communities.

Lucy Fitzpatrick is the Project Coordinator for the CBEST program, for which Inner City Law Center provides technical assistance and training to partner agencies that are working towards enrolling eligible homeless individuals in federal disability benefits. She has many years of experience in this area, having done benefits advocacy work at Public Counsel, HALSA, and the Legal Aid Society of Milwaukee. In addition to practicing law, Lucy has been a classroom teacher at all levels from preschool through high school, and has had the opportunity to teach in California, Wisconsin, Mexico, and Cameroon.

Tia Ramos is the Operations Coordinator at Inner City Law Center. She has been working in operations in the nonprofit and social justice spaces since moving to Los Angeles in 2020. Prior to joining ICLC, Tia worked at Loyola Law School Social Justice Law Clinics in digital operations, providing digital system support, training, and grant assistance to attorneys, staff, and law students. She is very passionate about caring for her community in both her professional and personal life and was drawn to Inner City Law Center’s dedication to protecting and housing our neighbors. She received her BA from New York University Gallatin School of Individualized Study where she concentrated in poetry, linguistics, and French. In her free time, she loves to write poetry, see live music, and spend time with her cat, Stanley. Before her career in nonprofits, Tia worked in book publishing.

Philip was born and raised in Los Angeles. Philip has a background in working with a nonprofit organization that shares a similar mission to help the people experiencing homelessness and believe they should receive all the help needed. He is passionate about his IT skills to provide support for staff members to have no downtime that may impact the operation of their work. On his personal time, Philip likes going to the gym every day, hiking, basketball on the weekends, and video games.

Perfecto has been in the IT field for over three decades since after graduating from Cal State University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science.  He has worked as a Systems Administrator and Network Manager in various sectors such as travel, legal, higher education, entertainment, and non-profit.  He has designed, implemented and maintained many multi-site networks including overseeing the system security programs, policies, and compliance.  

Perfecto values the importance of non-profit work and ICLC’s mission. He believes in helping those who are in need and enjoys providing his knowledge to a bigger cause by creating and implementing technology solutions for our staff.

Prior to joining Inner City Law Center, Juan worked as an associate at In-N-Out and served as a finance manager for a club known as CASSA. Juan attended California State University Fullerton and graduated with a Bachelors in Liberal Studies. He is the first in his family to graduate from a university and also the eldest of five children. In his spare time, he enjoys going to movies and spending time with his family.

Gabriel is a Staff Accountant at Inner City Law Center. Gabriel was born and raised in Los Angeles County. Gabriel is passionate about addressing the needs and issues of individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds. They have worked for several mission-driven community resource centers throughout California. Gabriel holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Chicana/o Studies from the University of California, Davis.

Samantha is joining Inner City Law Center after working as a Program Leader at the non-profit Think Together, providing students and low-income families with essential care services. She attends California State Polytechnic University Pomona and is studying accounting. In her spare time, she loves to go to the gym and enjoy nature.

Toni joined Inner City Law Center as a Human Resources Generalist in August of 2023. Since 2018, she has been growing her experience in the Human Resources field through positions such as Recruiting Associate, Onboarding Coordinator, HR Coordinator, and Branch Liaison. Toni holds degrees from the University of California, Irvine in Political Science and Educational Sciences.