Staff

Columbia Legal Services’ advocates, staff, and Board of Directors work collaboratively to provide legal assistance to low income clients throughout the state of Washington. CLS is proud that many of the people who make up our program come from the communities we serve. CLS continues to strive to increase diversity in the program, because it is both a source of program strength and a matter of fundamental fairness.

Advocates & Staff

  • Linda Banda is a legal assistant in the Yakima office. Ms. Banda has worked in legal services since 1994 with CLS, Evergreen Legal Services, and the Northwest Justice Project.

  • Cheli Bueno is a legal assistant in the Yakima office. Ms. Bueno has worked for legal services since 2000, briefly temping for CLS and the local pro bono program until 2001, when she started working for TeamChild until returning to CLS in 2008.

  • Carlota Canales is a legal assistant in the Tri-Cities office. Ms. Canales has worked in legal services since 1979 with CLS, Evergreen Legal Services, and the Northwest Justice Project.

  • Victoria Cherniak is a community worker in the Seattle office. Ms. Cherniak works with the Economic Justice Project that focuses on consumer issues affecting economic equity for low income people.

  • Carol Chestnut is a legal assistant in the Olympia office. Ms. Chestnut has worked in legal services since 1976 with CLS and Puget Sound Legal Assistance.

  • Beth Colgan is the Managing Attorney of the Institutions Project. Ms. Colgan’s work for clients focuses on institutional conditions of confinement, treatment of juveniles in the adult criminal justice system, access to justice for indigent defendants, and prisoner reentry.

  • Mirta Laura Contreras is a staff attorney in the Yakima office. Ms. Contreras represents clients in litigation in a variety of cases, and has a special focus on employment and issues affecting women farm workers.

  • Fanny Cordero is a legal assistant in the Olympia office. Ms. Cordero has worked in legal services since 1996.

  • Leslie Creamer is a legal assistant in the Seattle office. Ms. Creamer has worked in legal services since 2005.

  • Amy Crewdson is a staff attorney in the Olympia office. Her client representation, which includes class action litigation as well as administrative and legislative advocacy, has focused primarily on elderly persons and persons with disabilities. Ms. Crewdson has worked in legal services since 1983.

  • Denise Davis-Bobino is an accountant in the Central Support Office. Ms. Davis-Bobino has worked in legal services since 1991 with CLS and Evergreen Legal Services.

  • Ishbel Dickens is a staff attorney in the Seattle office. Ms. Dickens works primarily with manufactured homeowners, through outreach, education, and legislative representation. Ms. Dickens is a former Equal Justice Works Fellow with CLS.

  • Ty Duhamel is a staff attorney in the Wenatchee office. Mr. Duhamel represents clients primarily in litigation, representing low income persons in the areas of discrimination and civil rights.

  • Merf Ehman is the Managing Attorney in the Seattle office. Ms. Ehman's work for clients focuses on housing, consumer law, and civil rights.

  • Marla Elliott is the Coordinator of Statewide Pro Bono Coordinator Support, located in the Olympia office. As the Pro Bono Coordinator, Ms. Elliott supports the Alliance for Equal Justice through training and coordination for volunteer lawyer programs. Ms. Elliott has worked in legal services since 1982.

  • Patricia Flores is a community worker in the Yakima office. Her work focuses on outreach and education in areas such as environmental issues related to pesticide use, sexual harassment of farm workers and other low wage immigrant workers, consumer issues, and housing.

  • Dan Ford is the Advocacy Coordinator in the Central Support Office. Mr. Ford supports client representation around the state by assisting with identification of client priorities; case staffing, planning, and strategy; and training. Mr. Ford has worked in legal services since 1980.

  • Amy Freeman is a staff attorney in the Seattle office. Her primary focus work for clients is on legal issues associated with aging and disability.

  • Jim Fulton works in IT in the Central Support Office. Mr. Fulton has worked in legal services since 2006.

  • Diana Garcia is a staff attorney in the Tri-Cities office. Ms. Garcia’s client representation has focused primarily on employment law, outreach and community education for farm workers, as well as housing issues involving manufactured housing.

  • Katie Gilkey is a legal assistant in the Seattle office. Ms. Gilkey has worked in legal services at CLS since 2004, and previously worked for Evergreen Legal Services for three years.

  • Peter Greenfield is a staff attorney in the Seattle office. His practice focuses on legal issues associated with aging and disability.

  • Shirley Gregory is accounting staff in the Central Support Office. Ms. Gregory has worked in legal services since 1980.

  • Lori Jordan Isley is the Managing Attorney in the Yakima office. Ms. Isley’s work for clients focuses primarily on employment and civil rights.

  • Maureen Janega is a paralegal in the Institutions Project. Ms. Janega’s work for clients focuses on institutional conditions of confinement, treatment of juveniles in the adult criminal justice system, access to justice for indigent defendants, and prisoner reentry.

  • Andrew Kashyap is a staff attorney in the Seattle office. Mr. Kashyap’s work for clients focuses on community economic development. Mr. Kashyap was a former Equal Justice Fellow with the Urban Justice Center and the National Employment Law Project in New York.

  • Mike Katell is the IT Manager and works out of the Central Support Office. Mr. Katell has worked in legal services since 2002.

  • Melissa Lee is a staff attorney in the Institutions Project. Ms. Lee’s practice focuses on institutional conditions of confinement, treatment of juveniles in the adult criminal justice system, access to justice for indigent defendants, and prisoner reentry.

  • Sarah Leyrer is a staff attorney in the Moses Lake office. She focuses primarily on representing farm workers and other low-wage workers in cases involving employment, discrimination, and housing issues.

  • Aurora Martin is the Deputy Director of Columbia Legal Services and in the Central Support Office. Ms. Martin is a former Equal Justice Fellow with CLS.

  • John Midgley is the Director of Columbia Legal Services and works in the Central Support Office. He has been in legal services since 1975 and has worked primarily on cases involving conditions in jails and prisons and on class action litigation.

  • Bev Miller is an administrative assistant in the Central Support Office. Ms. Miller has worked in legal services since 1978 with CLS and Evergreen Legal Services.

  • Joe Morrison is the Managing Attorney of the Wenatchee office. He focuses primarily on representing farm workers and other low-wage worker in cases involving employment, discrimination, and civil rights.

  • Candelaria Murillo is a staff attorney in the Tri-Cities office. Mrs. Murillo practices in various areas with an emphasis on issues affecting the farm worker community.

  • Bruce Neas is the Legislative Coordinator and in the Olympia office. Mr. Neas has a special focus on client issues in the areas of consumer rights, housing and education.

  • Tami Nida Arntzen is the Managing Attorney in the Tri-Cities office. Her practice is varied, primarily focusing on education and issues facing farm workers and their families.

  • Sharon Nyland is an administrative assistant in the Central Support Office. Ms. Nyland has worked in legal services since 1984 with CLS and the Puget Sound Legal Assistance Foundation.

  • Kylin Parks is a community worker in the Seattle office. Ms. Parks’ advocacy focuses on mobile/manufactured home issues.

  • Rachael Pashkowski is a legal assistant in the Wenatchee office. Ms. Pashkowski has worked in legal services since 1998.

  • Greg Provenzano is a staff attorney in the Olympia office. Mr. Provenzano’s client representation has a special focus on homelessness and housing.
  • Ernest Radillo is a staff attorney in the Wenatchee office. Mr. Radillo's practice focuses on civil litigation, class action, employment, and civil rights. Mr. Radillo is a former Goldmark Equal Justice recipient.
  • Cecilia Ramon is a legal assistant in the Tri-Cities office. Ms. Ramon has worked in legal services with CLS since 2007, and previously worked for Evergreen Legal Services for thirteen years.

  • Zaida Rivera is a community worker in the Moses Lake office. She previously volunteered for CLS Yakima as an outreach worker. Her work focuses on outreach and community education for farm workers, low income immigrant workers, and local organizations in the areas of employment and housing.

  • Ivy Rosa is a legal assistant in the Wenatchee office. Ms. Rosa has worked in legal services since 2005.

  • Erin Shea is an Equal Justice Works Fellow in the Seattle office. Ms. Shea’s two-year Fellowship is focusing on implementation of the foster care reform efforts in the Braam v. Washington settlement agreement and working to improve representation for foster youth in dependency proceedings.

  • Liz Stonehill is the Controller for Columbia Legal Services in the Central Support Office. Ms. Stonehill has worked in legal services since 1996.

  • Nick Straley is a staff attorney in the Seattle office. He works in a variety of substantive areas, including housing, education and consumer rights.

  • Gavin Thornton is a staff attorney in the Institutions Project. His practice focuses on institutional conditions of confinement, treatment of juveniles in the adult criminal justice system, access to justice for indigent defendants, and prisoner reentry.

  • Casey Trupin is a staff attorney in the Seattle office. Mr. Trupin’s client representation focuses on at-risk, homeless and foster youth and young adults. Mr. Trupin is a former Equal Justice Works Fellow with CLS.

  • Griselda Vega is a staff attorney in the Yakima office. The focus of her work is on class action litigation and representing farm workers in employment matters.

  • Gina Yanez is a legal assistant in the Moses Lake office. Prior to joining CLS in May, 2008, Ms. Yanez was the Coordinator at the Grant Adams County Volunteer Lawyer Program.

  • Claudia Zarate is a legal assistant in the Wenatchee office. Ms. Zarate has worked in legal services since 1996.

  • Robin Zukoski is the Managing Attorney of the Olympia office. Her primary focus is client representation in administrative and legislative forums regarding public benefits and access to justice issues.