Legal Staff by Practice Area

Eric Angel, Executive Director
Jennifer Mezey, Deputy Legal Director
Rachel Rintelmann, Interim Deputy Legal Director

Housing Law Unit

Amanda Korber, Supervising Attorney
Beth Mellen, Supervising Attorney
Rais Akbar, Staff Attorney
Matthew Boucher, Senior Staff Attorney
Elena Bowers, Senior Staff Attorney *
Molly Catchen, Senior Staff Attorney
Mistee Colbert, Staff Attorney
Eleni Christidis, Staff Attorney *°ˆΣ
Blair L. Gilbert, Senior Staff Attorney *☙
Keerat Johnson, Senior Staff Attorney
Samantha Koshgarian, Interim Supervising Attorney
Jamie Long, Steptoe Fellow
Faiza Majeed, Senior Staff Attorney ❀§
Keilah Roberts, Staff Attorney
Ashlei Schulz, Staff Attorney
Mel Zahnd, Staff Attorney
Emily Near, Case Manager
Adam Jacobs, Project Coordinator
Rebecca (Becca) Gallahue, Legal Support Coordinator *
Dara Canchester, Legal Assistant/Paralegal *
José Vallejo-Jimenez, Legal Assistant/Paralegal *°

Public Benefits Law Unit

Nicole Dooley, Supervising Attorney
Drake Hagner, Supervising Attorney
Nina Wu, Supervising Attorney ˆ
Andrew Patterson, Senior Staff Attorney
Aida Fitzgerald, Senior Staff Attorney
Haley Hoff, Staff Attorney
Marcia Hollingsworth, Senior Staff Attorney
Christine Kumar, Staff Attorney ‡
Satcha Robinson, Staff Attorney, Reentry Justice Project
Carolyn Rumer, Senior Staff Attorney *
Nana Yankah, Staff Attorney
Alexis Christensen, Skadden Fellow ‡
Lise Guerrier-Louis, Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe Fellow
Hanna Endale, Legal Assistant/Paralegal∞
Karla Lora, Legal Assistant/Paralegal *

Domestic Violence/Family Law Unit

Meridel Bulle-Vu, Supervising Attorney
Trisha Monroe, Supervising Attorney 
Stephanie Troyer, Supervising Attorney
Ashley McDowell, Senior Staff Attorney
Melissa McClure, Staff Attorney
Julia Eve Preston, Senior Staff Attorney
Jamie Sparano, Senior Staff Attorney
Caroline Fehr, Staff Attorney *
Christine Thomas Joseph, Staff Attorney
June Lee,  Senior Staff Attorney °
Renee C. Mims, Staff Attorney
Yoliara “Yoli” Ramos, Staff Attorney *
Melanie Sandler, Staff Attorney
Julia Ward, Staff Attorney
Charlene “Charlie” Whitman-Barr, Senior Staff Attorney
Cindy Diaz, Legal Assistant/Paralegal *
Gabriela Mendoza, Legal Assistant/Paralegal *
Eleni Reynolds, Legal Assistant/Paralegal *

Consumer Law Unit

Jennifer Klein Joseph, Supervising Attorney *
Jennifer Ngai Lavallee, Supervising Attorney
Shirley Horng, Senior Staff Attorney
Zack Hill, Senior Staff Attorney
David Giannaula, Staff Attorney ⚜ 
Zenia Laws, Staff Attorney
Ellen Peterson, Staff Attorney
Thomas C. Papson, Volunteer Staff Attorney
Sudi Tasissa, Staff Attorney ‡∞
Phillip McCarthy, Legal Assistant/Paralegal
Eleni Reynolds, Legal Assistant/Paralegal *

Other Legal Projects and Programs

Jodi Feldman, Managing Attorney
Kareine Johnson, Senior Staff Attorney, Intake and Volunteer Programs °♦
Damon King, Director of Policy Advocacy
Jenifer Jenkins, Policy Advocate
Jonathan Levy, Director, Barbara McDowell Appellate Advocacy Project
Sylvia Soltis, Senior Staff Attorney, Pro Bono Program *
Mariah Hines, Sidley Austin Appellate Advocacy Fellow ⚜
Gary Cunningham, Intake Coordinator
Diana Cruz, Legal Assistant/Intake Coordinator *
Kata de Lima, Legal Assistant/Intake Specialist *
Jordan Stoner, Legal Assistant/Intake Specialist

Loaned Associates

Shirley Diaz, Skadden
Allison Gardner, Arnold & Porter

* Proficient or fluent in Spanish.
∞ Fluent in Amharic.
◊ Fluent in Portuguese.
° Proficient or Fluent in French.
ˆ Proficient in Mandarin.
Σ Proficient in Greek
❀ Proficient or Fluent in Hindi.
§ Fluent in Urdu.
❃ Proficient in Gujarati.
♦ Fluent in Haitian Creole.
☙ Proficient in Tongan.

‡ Not yet admitted to the Bar of the District of Columbia, but admitted to practice law in another jurisdiction. Practicing law in the District of Columbia pursuant to D.C. Court of Appeals Rule 49(c)(9)(B) under the supervision of Legal Aid attorneys admitted to the D.C. Bar and in good standing.

⚜ Not authorized to practice law in any jurisdiction but is practicing law in the District of Columbia pursuant to D.C. Court of Appeals Rule 49(c)(9)(C) under the supervision of Legal Aid attorneys admitted to the D.C. Bar and in good standing.

✵ Not admitted to practice law in the District of Columbia and not engaged in the practice of law.