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.

After graduating from UCLA Law School in 1985, David worked as a prosecutor for the United States Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, in Washington, D.C. He then worked for the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office as a Deputy District Attotney and later as an Assistant United States Attotney in the Central District of California. After 13 years as a prosecutor, David moved to the private sector as a Senior Attorney for Southern California Edison Company handling civil litigation and regulatory matters before the California Public Utilities Commission. He was promoted to Director of Investigations in 2013 and retired from that position in 2022.

Alex joined Inner City Law Center in May 2020 as a Tenant Defense Fellow. While in law school, Alex interned with the Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office, the Council on American-Islamic Relations, and with the Affirmative Litigation Team at Inner City. She was also a member of National Moot Court and the Criminal Defense Clinic at her law school. Prior to law school, Alex worked as an AmeriCorps member with City Year Los Angeles. Alex received her B.A. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and earned her J.D. from the University of Minnesota Law School.

Arturo joined Inner City Law Center as a Housing Justice Fellow in July 2022. At Southwestern Law School, he served on the executive board of the Labor and Employment Law Association, where he emphasized his support for labor unions and employee-side legal representation. He also served as an intern at Inner City Law Center in 2019, and as a Peggy Browning Fellow at the Wage Justice Center in 2020. Currently, he is a board member on the Elysian Valley Riverside Neighborhood Council, where he advocates on behalf of his predominantly working-class neighbors by building support for expanded public transit routes and food access. He graduated with a BA from the University of California Riverside in Political Science with an emphasis in Law and Society in 2017, and with a JD from Southwestern Law School in 2021. Arturo likes to spend his free time going to both multiplex and independent movie theaters to catch the latest features on the best formats possible.

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.

Jeffrey joined Inner City Law Center as a Tenant Defense Project staff attorney in April 2022. Before joining ICLC he was a staff attorney at Eviction Defense Network. He is excited to work together to preserve affordable housing and mitigate the homelessness crisis. Prior to his career helping tenants stay in their homes, he was building homes; in his youth he worked as a carpenter in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Jeffrey received a B.A. in English from the University of Arkansas and a J.D. with Public Interest Law and Policy concentration from UCLA School of Law.

Matthew Nussbaum joined Inner City Law Center’s Preventing and Ending Homelessness Project this year after graduating from NYU Law School. During law school, he co-directed the Prison Teaching Project – a program offering classes on legal research methods to prisoners in Rikers, Taconic Correctional Facility, and Bedford Correctional Facility. He also participated in the school’s Immigrant Rights Clinic, where he worked to contest the deportation of a client, and the Racial Justice Clinic, where he prepared a client for their upcoming parole board hearing. During the summers, Matt interned at Staten Island Legal Services’ Housing Unit and the Public Defender’s Office of Alameda County.

Prior to law school, Matt worked as an assistant paralegal for Fragomen, a law firm specializing in business immigration, and was a member of the Glide Harm Reduction Clinic in San Francisco. Matt received his B.A. in Political Science from Stanford University, graduating in 2016.

Born and raised in Washington, DC, Sam first moved to Los Angeles to attend college at UCLA. After graduating, Sam stayed in the city and worked as a Page at NBC Universal and then as a reporter for the Los Angeles bureau of the Yomiuri Shimbun, Japan’s largest newspaper.

After working as a foreign correspondent in his own country for two years, Sam left Los Angeles to attend Harvard Law School. In law school, Sam served as the President of the Student Mental Health Association and represented clients in the housing and criminal defense clinics.

Sam is now working as a legal fellow in the Tenant Defense Project and is very happy to be back in his strange, adoptive city.

Scott joined Inner City Law Center as a Tenant Defense Fellow in May, 2020. During law school, Scott worked with New Yorkers experiencing homelessness as a member of REACH (Research, Education, and Advocacy to Combat Homelessness), served as a Research Assistant with the NYU Furman Center for Real Estate and Urban Policy, and was as an editor on the NYU Review of Law and Social Change. He spent his 1L summer with the Housing Unit of East Bay Community Law Center, and his 2L summer at the Western Center on Law and Poverty. Scott has a Bachelor’s Degree in English from UNC-Chapel Hill and a JD from NYU School of Law.

Héctor Candelario Peña Ramírez received his Juris Doctorate from the People’s College of Law in Downtown Los Angeles. Peña received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Chicana and Chicano Studies from the University of California Los Angeles, UCLA in 2009. From 2010 to 2011 he was the United Farm Workers Foundation Communications Fellow. He served previously for the Cesar E. Chavez Center for Chicana and Chicano Studies at UCLA as Project Director of the Media Melee in MacArthur Park Project: A digital Recreation of the 2007 Immigration Rights March and Rally.

Prior to entering law school, he also served as a Project Coordinator at the UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center, working on the Hate Speech in the Media Project under the guidance of Francisco Javier Iribarren, MSW, Psy.D. As an undergraduate Peña also served as Co-Editor-in-Chief for La Gente de Aztlán, UCLA’s Chicana/o Student Newsmagazine. He is currently the Vice-President of the Board of Directors at the People’s College of Law and a proud member of the National Lawyers Guild.

His activism and work have ranged from helping to improve living conditions for farm working families to playing a fundamental role in helping to develop an integrative methodology to quantify hate speech in commercial talk radio for the CSRC’s Hate Speech in the Media Project.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 as a temp support staff assistant* in September 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.

Peter joined Inner City Law Center as a Tenant Defense Fellow. After working in education, he went to law school to better address the systemic issues of legally-sanctioned extraction that harm students and families in poverty. In law school, he focused on housing and education, working through internships and clinics with the Tenant Defense Project at ICLC, the Education Equity team at ACLU SoCal, and the Lanterman Education Rights program. He also explored his interest in using technology and public records to support legal advocacy in the Community Lawyering in Education Clinic and the Covid Behind Bars Data Project and by serving as a managing editor of the Journal of Law and Technology. As an undergraduate, he studied Liberal Arts at St. John’s College, and he later earned an MA in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Mississippi and a JD from UCLA School of Law.

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.

Jincy joined ICLC in September 2022 as a Tenant Defense Project Legal Fellow. Jincy received her J.D. from UCLA School of Law with a specialization in Public Interest Law & Policy. While in law school, Jincy volunteered with tenant and worker’s rights clinics throughout Los Angeles and interned with the California Labor Commissioner, Los Angeles Center for Community Law and Action (LACCLA), and the Warehouse Worker Resource Center. Jincy was also an editor for the UCLA Law Review’s online platform, Discourse. In her free time, Jincy enjoys being outside and working as an unpaid, un-hired ice cream taste tester.

Shyann Murphy is a Housing Justice Fellow at Inner City Law Center. While in law school, Shyann served as a Co-Chair of the Re-Entry Clinic with A New Way of Life, where she worked on expungement petitions for low-income Angelenos and participated in the UCLA Veterans Legal Clinic, performing direct legal services to veterans. Shyann spent her first summer of law school at the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles, where she worked on impact litigation challenging Los Angeles’ treatment of unhoused individuals, litigation she continued working on through the Human Rights Litigation Clinic in her 2L year. In her second summer of law school, Shyann interned with the ACLU Human Rights Program, where she worked on litigation challenging racially discriminatory criminal sentencing, parole, and probation. A graduate of the Epstein Program for Public Interest Law and Policy, Shyann is committed to a career in public interest. Shyann tries to spend as much of her free time as she can with her cat Poundcake. Shyann holds a B.A. in Gender Studies and Political Science from the University of Southern California and a J.D. from the University of California, Los Angeles.

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.

Hannah joined ICLC as a Housing Justice Fellow in 2023. She earned her JD from the University of Utah, where she received a Certificate in Public Interest Law and served as the Executive Social Justice Editor of the Utah Law Review and President of the Social Justice Student Initiative. During law school, Hannah interned with the Disability Law Center, ACLU of Utah, and most recently ICLC. She’s pleased to return to ICLC to represent tenants in the vital fight for housing justice.

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.

Rachael joined ICLC as a Housing Justice Fellow in June 2023. She received her J.D. from Southwestern Law School and always knew she was going to pursue a career in public service. During law school, Rachael externed with the D.A.’s office, served on the board of Southwestern’s Mass Incarceration Awareness Law Society and participated in the Eviction Defense Clinic. Rachael’s experiences in law school opened her eyes to the overlap between the criminal legal system and issues of homelessness and strengthened her commitment to advocate for people harmed by systemic injustice. Rachael earned her B.A. from the University of Notre Dame and her M.A. from Azusa Pacific Seminary. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, hiking, and reading.

Sevitha joined Inner City Law in 2023 as a legal fellow in the Tenant Defense Project. She received her B.A. from the University of Southern California in 2018 and her J.D. from Boston University School of Law in 2023. During law school, Sevitha worked with the BU Criminal Law Clinic as a 3:03 Student Attorney and represented clients going through the criminal legal system. She also served as an editor on the International Law Journal and as president of the Public Interest Law Society. She spent her 1L summer as a judicial intern in the Eastern District of New York and her 2L summer as an intern at an immigration non-profit in Boston.

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.

Ethan recently joined the Inner City Law Center’s Lawyers Preventing and Ending Homelessness Project after practicing law for the past 3 years as a Staff Attorney for Southern Arizona Legal Aid, Inc., where he handled civil, consumer, family, orders of protection, probate, public benefits, and property matters, including foreclosures, housing, and eviction cases. During the pandemic, Ethan also worked as a volunteer hotline operator for the Arizona Attorneys Respond, COVID-19 Legal Hotline, where he provided legal information and referrals to callers to legal aid organizations for free legal advice from attorneys on COVID-19 related legal matters. Earlier, Ethan worked as a judicial law clerk for judges of the Connecticut Superior Court for 2.5 years. Ethan enjoys partnering with community organizations to address systemic housing and public benefits issues and is grateful to be joining the Inner City Law Center at this important time. Ethan received his B.A. degree from Franklin & Marshall College, J.D. degree from Suffolk University Law School, and LL.M. degree from Santa Clara University 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.

Shane is a Registered Legal Services Attorney in Inner City Law Center’s Lawyers Preventing and Ending Homelessness Project (PEHP). Shane previously worked as a Fellowship Attorney at Legal Aid Chicago in their Housing Practice Group, where he represented indigent clients in eviction defense, advocated for reasonable accommodations for clients with disabilities, and filed affirmative litigation to restore clients to federally subsidized housing. 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. Shane is licensed to practice law in the State of Illinois.

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.

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.

Sarah is a Senior Paralegal in Homelessness Prevention’s Preventing and Ending Homelessness Project. She started her social services career over two decades ago, working in a residential care program with individuals who were released from Northampton State Hospital (MA) upon its closure. Sarah later worked as an independent study teacher with teens in a dual diagnosis program, and then for a charter school to facilitate homeschooling for families throughout Los Angeles County. Prior to joining ICLC, Sarah worked at Public Counsel for 11 years, doing government benefits and other advocacy for people living with HIV/AIDS, and for residents of Skid Row, in addition to running the Homeless Court. She is also a dedicated yogi, and has taught restorative yoga in Skid Row. Sarah is deeply committed to serving the most vulnerable and marginalized Angelenos through a holistic approach of heart and zeal.

Craig is a Law Clerk 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.

Dennise Onchi-Molina (she/hers) serves as an Administrative Clerk for the Preventing and Ending Homelessness Project after joining Inner City Law Center in September 2021. She graduated from UC Santa Cruz with a B.A. in Latin American/ Latinx Studies and Politics. There, she was a student researcher for the Human Rights Investigations Lab where she used open-source investigation skills to study abuses in specific regions. Dennise was quickly promoted to lead her own team of researchers and collaborate with partners. During her time at UCSC, she also served as a student program coordinator for El Centro, the Chicanx/ Latinx Resource Center where she provided a safe space for students of color. In this position, she facilitated events to promote cultural inclusivity. Dennise went on to become a research fellow conducting qualitative coding for Federal Trade Commission immigration scam cases in the U.S. This past summer, she drafted an analysis for scam denunciations in collaboration with other researchers.

With a passion for human rights and social justice advocacy, Dennise hopes her work will help marginalized communities and reduce racial disparities facing the community. Coming from a low-income background, she recognizes the positive change ICLC is making and is proud to be working with the team. Dennise aims to become an attorney or lead her own non-profit organization in the future. In her spare time, she likes to be with family, go bowling, and try new foods!

Charlie Rivera is an administrative clerk with the Preventing and Ending Homelessness Program at Inner City Law Center. She began as an intern in January 2022 through the University of Southern California’s undergraduate civil rights clinic, Agents of Change, and is now full time after graduating. Charlie holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science with a minor in Social Work and Juvenile Justice. Her commitment to public service and community collaboration has driven her work.

Prior to joining ICLC, Charlie worked with the LA Civil Rights Department and the community-based organization Homies Unidos. Through those experiences, she was able to build a strong foundation in effective advocacy. Charlie also has experience advocating for unhoused individuals in her hometown of Oceanside. There, she was able to organize community leaders and attorneys to meet with the City of Oceanside and discuss potential solutions to the housing crisis.

As Charlie continues her work in public service with ICLC, she hopes to gain the knowledge and experience to ultimately make her an effective attorney in the near future.

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.

Prior to joining Inner City Law Center, Alina worked as Director of Contracts Management with a specialization in commercial and government contracts, as well as risk mitigation. She gained invaluable experience at renowned companies like Castle and Cooke, Motorola Solutions, World Oil, and Basco RE Investment. Alina holds a B.S. in Business Management, an MBA in Organizational Behavior from Cal Lutheran, a J.D. from So Cal Institute of Law, and a Master’s in Dispute Resolution from Pepperdine Caruso Law.

With over 15 years of diverse and comprehensive expertise, Alina brings her passion and skills to effectively deliver tangible results for ICLC’s clients while upholding the core values of Inner City Law Center.

Alina’s motivation stems from a deep personal connection as she seeks to honor the memory of her late brother, a proud veteran of the US Army. As a Staff Attorney within the Homeless Veterans Project, she is committed to serving and supporting our esteemed veteran community.

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.

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.

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.

A lifelong Angeleno, Helen graduated from UCLA where she received her BA in English with a minor in Civic Engagement. During her time at UCLA, she was able to apply her passion for protecting and advocating for marginalized communities through internships with various nonprofits such as CHIRLA and CollegeSpring. At CHIRLA, she supported a team of lawyers that provide crucial legal immigrant services. At CollegeSpring she tutored students from underserved schools, and mentored them through the college application process. Helen is excited to continue to serve and assist the vulnerable community members of Los Angeles and is committed to raising awareness of public issues and encouraging others to actively participate within their communities.

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.

Celeste Figueroa (she/her/ella) is a Paralegal Trainee on the Benefits Advocacy Team. She is passionate about a number of social justice issues, including women’s healthcare and voting rights, and has dedicated her professional career to helping advance the rights of marginalized communities.

She recently completed a fellowship with UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Institute, a think tank that addresses the most critical domestic policy challenges facing Latinos and other communities of color through research, advocacy, mobilization, and leadership development. Celeste interned at the League of United Latin American Citizens’ headquarters—the nation’s oldest and largest Hispanic civil rights organization—in Washington D.C. as a Policy and Legislation intern. It was here that Celeste headed matters on ‘Immigration & Foreign Affairs’ and ‘Energy, Environment, Science, & Technology’. She also interned at The Borgen Project as a Political Affairs intern to advocate for more progressive foreign affairs policies that end global poverty.

Celeste is a first-generation college student who grew up in Ventura County to proud parents of Puerto Rican, Nicaraguan, Mexican, and Colombian descent. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a minor in Public Affairs.

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.

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.

Sarah is a Registered Legal Aid Attorney with the Benefits Team. After graduating from Brooklyn Law School, Sarah was a public defender at Brooklyn Defender Services and then senior attorney at Mental Hygiene Legal Service, where she represented patients in psychiatric units in treatment over objection and release hearings throughout New York City. Sarah is also a writer and artist.

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.

Ernesto Velazquez joined the Organizing team at Inner City Law Center in March 2018. He works on educating tenants through the Rent Escrow Account Program and focuses on tenant rights. Ernesto is a native of Los Angeles and his connection to this community makes the work he does all the more meaningful. He is passionate about social justice and helping the vulnerable members of our community. Prior to joining ICLC, Ernesto worked on low-income energy consumption and education. He has a Bachelors degree in History from the University of California, Riverside, where he graduated in 2015.

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.

Sasha Harnden has joined Inner City Law Center as a Public Policy Advocate focused on issues related to housing and homelessness. Prior to joining Inner City Law Center, Sasha was a Housing Policy Advocate with the Western Center on Law & Poverty, drafting and lobbying for the passage of legislation related to housing supply and tenant protections, including AB 1482 and SB 329. Sasha began his legal career at LAFLA, providing direct services to tenants, technical assistance to community organizations and coalitions, and participating in impact litigation on housing, land use and environmental justice issues. Sasha was born and raised in Los Angeles and attended UC Santa Cruz as an undergrad and UC Davis for law school.

Recently earning his Master’s in Education, Deon yearns to explore passions at the intersection of public policy and law. Given Deon’s dynamic educational and experiential trajectory, he seeks to employ a social and economic justice framework aimed at sparking civic engagement at the grassroots’ level. Thus, he has become well-versed in federal, state, county, and city policy analysis while assessing how program implementation affects our diverse communities and constituencies. He is thrilled to launch his career in public policy with Inner City Law Center in hopes of leveraging a platform to construct an authentic, inclusive, and collaborative Los Angeles community. In his spare time, Deon is enthusiastic about fitness – perpetually searching for different hiking or biking trails. He finds his spark and inspiration through nature. You can often find him enjoying a good read along the shorelines of Santa Monica or Manhattan Beach.

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.

Erin joined Inner City Law Center in July of 2019 as a Senior Paralegal for the Lawyers Preventing and Ending Homelessness Project. Erin graduated from UC Santa Barbara with a BA degree in Law and Society and earned her Paralegal Certificate from the UCLA Extension Program in 2005. Prior to ICLC, Erin worked as a Paralegal for the Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office, the US Attorney’s Office working in a special unit facilitating hundreds of Petitions from incarcerated individuals seeking early release based on new guidelines form the Sentencing Commission, and as a Senior Paralegal doing litigation work for a Civil Rights Law Firm.

In her 9 year career, Erin has provided trial support to attorneys, as well as mitigation work for felony and death penalty cases. Working with the Public Defender’s Office opened Erin’s eyes to all the injustices that take place in our criminal justice system and how it deeply affects our marginalized communities. She knew that social justice was where her focus would remain thrilled to be a part of the ICLC team, where she can make a difference and work towards ending of homelessness.

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.

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.

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.

Luke Ellison was born and raised in Los Angeles County, and he is passionate about serving marginalized communities. Prior to joining Inner City Law Center, he founded a nonprofit focused on bringing services to people experiencing homelessness. In his spare time, Luke enjoys exercise, reading, chess, volunteering, and spending time with his amazing wife.

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.

Klaudia is the operations coordinator at Inner City Law Center. Before starting her career in the non-profit sector, she spent several years in operations and project managing roles in the marketing industry. She has always been interested in social justice and advocacy work. She found herself increasingly drawn to the mission-driven work of Inner City Law Center and its dedication to providing equal access to housing for vulnerable communities. Klaudia is passionate about her work at Inner City Law Center and is committed to helping the organization continue its essential work in challenging times. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Comparative World Literature and a minor in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies from CSULB.

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.

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.

Chad joined Inner City Law Center in 2020 as Project Coordinator on the Homeless Veterans Project. Chad is a certified public accountant with over 20 years of financial reporting experience. In New York City, he was a vice president at Goldman Sachs, a director at the Siegfried Group, and a senior auditor at Ernst & Young. Chad has served on several nonprofit boards of directors. He earned a B.S. from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and an M.Div. from Yale Divinity School. He is an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ, where he serves as consulting minister for racial justice, equity, and inclusion.

Stephen Gee is a Senior Staff Accountant at Inner City Law Center, a non-profit poverty law firm dedicated to providing legal services to the Los Angeles County community. Stephen has worked in non-profits for over 14 years. In the past 11 years, Stephen has worked at Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles (LAFLA) in a similar capacity. While at LAFLA, he has also worked one year helping clients directly as a Shriver attorney and understands the hard work needed to keep up with large caseloads and the fast-paced environment. He believes that working in Accounting/Payroll is like providing customer service and hopes to provide the highest level of service to our employees. Stephen received a law degree from Southwestern Law School and his undergraduate degree from CSU Los Angeles. Whenever he has a chance, Stephen enjoys hiking with his dogs on the local trails like Carbon Canyon and the Laguna Coast.

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.

Anna joined Inner City Law Center as Administrative Coordinator in September 2016 and is now ICLC’s Human Resources Manager. Anna has more than nine years of administrative experience in the legal nonprofit sector. Prior to joining Inner City Law Center, Anna worked at the Harriet Buhai Center for Family Law as the Office Manager and the Los Angeles Center for Family Law as the Office Administrator.

Anna holds a Bachelor of Art History from the University of California, Riverside. She earned her Certificate in Human Resources Management from Cal State Long Beach in 2014 and is a Notary Public.

Born and raised in Boyle Heights to immigrant parents, Anna intimately understands the importance of ICLC’s work and is proud to be able to help her community.

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.