Professionals

Executives

Joan Cain Boles is the CEO/President of Bay Area Legal Services. She joined the firm in 1988 as a staff attorney and has worked in various managerial positions, including deputy director for over twenty years. Joan received her bachelor's degree from Southern Illinois University and her law degree from the University of Illinois Chicago School of Law (formerly The John Marshall School of Law). Joan has served on many community boards and actively participates in initiatives that benefit low-income persons and communities. She is the past co-chair of the Professionalism and Ethics Committee of the Hillsborough County Bar Association.

Jena Hudson is the deputy director of Bay Area Legal Services. She joined the firm in 2000 and was most recently the firm's pro bono director, managing the Volunteer Lawyers Program's pro bono programs in both Tampa and Clearwater and the firm's Disaster Relief Team. Jena also previously worked on the Family Law team, Centralized Telephone Intake Unit, and Senior Advocacy Unit. She received her bachelor's degree, cum laude, from Rollins College and her law degree from Stetson University College of Law. Jena currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Hillsborough Association for Women Lawyers (HAWL) and has held several leadership positions in her many years of service with HAWL.

J.P. LaCasse came out of retirement to join Bay Area Legal as chief operating officer in November 2009. Prior to retiring, J.P. was in charge of the Canadian, Mexican, and U.S. shipping activities of Canadian Pacific, and Chairman of Lykes Lines Limited. J.P. is active in the community and serves on the firm's Development Council and the Boards of Memorial Hospital and the American Victory Ship Mariners Memorial Museum. He is a Tampa Bay FBI Citizen's Academy Alumni. He is a 1973 graduate of the College of William & Mary School of Law and a member of the Virginia and American Bar Associations.

Roxanne Null is the development director for Bay Area Legal Services. She has experience in marketing, fundraising, event planning, and donor relations. Roxanne joined the development team in 2018 and was promoted to development director in October 2022 after serving as the acting development director for a year. She graduated from the University of South Florida with a Bachelor’s of Arts and Sciences in English and went on to provide marketing and legal support to a medical clinic before joining the nonprofit industry. As development director, she enjoys connecting caring people with Bay Area Legal’s mission, and contributing to the firm's vision to create pathways to justice.

Dick Woltmann is the president emeritus of Bay Area Legal Services. He joined the firm in 1976 to establish its elder law programs and became CEO/President in 1980. Before joining the firm, Dick served three years in the Peace Corps in West Africa and one year as a VISTA lawyer in Washington State. He is a graduate of the University of Florida Law School and Rollins College. Dick is Chairman Emeritus of the Board of Trustees of the National Endowment for Financial Education and President of the Board of Directors of the Carrollwood Village Homeowners Association.

Managing Attorneys

Nery L. Alonso is the pro bono director of the Volunteer Lawyers Program. She received her bachelor's degree in criminology, magna cum laude, from the University of South Florida and her law degree from Stetson University College of Law where she was awarded the William F. Blews Award for Pro Bono Service and served as a Public Service Fellow. Nery started her career as an AmeriCorps attorney and thereafter as a staff attorney with Three Rivers Legal Services where she focused her practice on litigating family law cases, representing survivors of domestic violence in injunction cases, and managing outreach opportunities. When Nery accepted a position with Bay Area Legal Services in 2015, she divided her full-time responsibilities between the Legal Aid Line, Centralized Telephone Intake Unit, and the Volunteer Lawyers Program – Northwest Program which provides pro bono opportunities in North Pinellas and all of Pasco County. She is active in her community and passionate about “giving back.” 

Jena Blair is the New Port Richey managing attorney and came to the firm after 23 years at Gulfcoast Legal Services, where she held several leadership positions. As GLS’s family law director, she represented clients and managed a team delivering services in four counties to survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking. She also taught the Civil Litigation Clinical at Stetson University College of Law for six years. Jena earned a political science degree from the University of South Florida, with a minor in Art, and her JD from Stetson Law. Before law school, Jena worked at the Spring and The Good Samaritan Migrant Mission. She is dedicated to legal services and delighted to be a part of Bay Area's vital mission.

Melissa Craig is the managing attorney of the firm's Senior Advocacy Unit (SAU). She came to Bay Area Legal in 2013 as an intern and was promoted to a staff attorney position in 2014. Melissa was a member of the Fair Housing team until 2018 when she joined the Senior Advocacy Unit. Melissa earned her law degree from Florida State University College in 2013 after obtaining a bachelor's in history from the University of South Florida. She is admitted to the Federal Court in the Middle District of Florida.

Tom DiFiore manages Team ABLE (Advocates for Basic Legal Equality). Team ABLE focuses on housing, consumer, employment and public benefits law. Tom earned a bachelor's degree from Georgetown University before graduating from the National Law Center at George Washington University. He came to Bay Area Legal in 1990. Tom has lead Team ABLE for over ten years. Team ABLE’s primary mission is preserving housing and maintaining income for our most needy citizens.

Jeff Grabel has been an attorney with the Dade City office since 1998 and serves as its managing attorney. Jeff earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Florida and graduated from Stetson University College of Law in 1992. The Dade City office handles a broad range of cases from housing matters to consumer issues but the substantial majority of cases involve family law and domestic violence. Jeff is the treasurer for the East Pasco Bar Association and is a member of the Pasco County Domestic Violence Task Force serving on the Judicial Subcommittee.

Alyse Kauget is the managing attorney of the firm's Legal Aid Line and Screening Unit. Alyse began her career at Bay Area Legal Services in 2008 as a Centralized Telephone Intake Unit staff attorney. Before joining the firm, Alyse was employed in private practice handling probate and foreclosure matters. She also has worked as a staff attorney for Gulfcoast Legal Services. Alyse graduated from the University of Delaware with a bachelor's degree in English and psychology. She earned her law degree from Touro University Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center.

Raeseen Kennedy is the firm's Family Law managing attorney. She previously represented survivors of domestic violence in Family Court. Raeseen received her B.A. in Legal Studies and Journalism from the University of West Florida. She received her J.D. from Cooley Law School. While in law school, she interned for the late Honorable Judge Tracy Sheehan.

Sarah McIlrath is the managing attorney of the Florida Senior Legal Helpline at Bay Area Legal Services. She joined the firm in 2016 as a staff attorney for the Florida Senior Legal Helpline. Before joining the firm, Sarah worked for legal services organizations in Georgia, Virginia, the District of Columbia, and Hawaii. She graduated with honors from the University of Florida Levin College of Law and Agnes Scott College. Sarah is licensed to practice law in Florida, Georgia, and the District of Columbia. 

Maria Obradovich is the managing attorney of the Major General Ernest A. and Marilyn Bedke Veterans Law Center and manages the Florida Veterans Legal Helpline. She joined the firm in 2012 as a Fair Housing attorney. Prior to becoming a managing attorney, Maria represented survivors of domestic violence in Family court and immigrant survivors of domestic violence seeking immigration relief before USCIS/EOIR. She received her bachelor’s degree in business, with honors, from Campbell University, while serving as an active duty member of the U.S. Marine Corps. Maria earned her law degree from Stetson University College of Law.

Gale Pinkston earned her bachelor's and master's degrees in social work from Florida State University. She graduated from law school in 1984 from the University of Pittsburgh and worked at Vanderbilt University before moving to Tampa in 1991, and accepting a position with Bay Area Legal. Gale spent three years on the Family Law team before becoming the managing attorney of the Senior Advocacy Unit. In 1997, Gale transferred to the Plant City office to become its managing attorney. She is a former officer of the Plant City Bar Association and is the project director for our Low Income Taxpayer Clinic.

Jason Susalla is the Disaster Relief Team managing attorney. Starting in 2019, he grew the firm's disaster relief project to a full legal team, including the statewide Florida Disaster Legal Aid Helpline, which represents survivors of natural disasters. Jason joined Bay Area Legal in 2009 as an intern in the Community Counsel program. Jason was later hired as a part-time advocate for the Centralized Telephone Intake Unit while maintaining a full-time job as a marine mammal trainer. He has been a full-time attorney at the firm since 2013, working in several practice areas, including senior advocacy, fair housing, and domestic violence. Jason earned his law degree from the Florida Coastal School of Law and his bachelor's degree from the University of Florida.

Heather Tager has worked at Bay Area Legal since 1990, first as a paralegal, and after attending Stetson University College of Law, as an attorney for the Senior Advocacy Unit (SAU). While on the SAU, Heather primarily handled housing and relative caregiver cases. Since February 2013, Heather is the managing attorney of the L. David Shear Children’s Law Center, where she represents young children in the child welfare system. Heather received the Hope Cohen Barnett Young Leadership Division Award from the Tampa JCC/Federation, and was awarded recognition for her outstanding service to the elderly from the Hillsborough County Seniors and Law Enforcement Council.

Pye N. Young is the managing attorney of the firm's St. Petersburg office. She joined the team in 2019 after maintaining a civil litigation practice for several years. She will specialize in assisting veterans in obtaining the VA services they need, as well as provide general legal counsel on other related matters. Pye received her bachelor's in interdisciplinary social sciences from Florida State University in 2001 and her law degree from Stetson University College of Law in 2005. She is very active in the local community and looks forward to expanding the Bay Area's mission in her service area.

Staff Attorneys

Caley Aidif is a staff attorney with the Low Income Taxpayer Clinic in the Plant City office. Before joining the firm, she worked at a mid-size law firm, at a start-up company as corporate counsel, and at the Public Defender’s Office. She received her bachelor’s in Accounting from the University of North Florida and her law degree from Florida International University College of Law.

Khara Alvero is a staff attorney in the Dade City office assisting clients on family law matters and crime victims with injunction proceedings. Born and raised in the Tampa Bay area, she earned her bachelor's degree from the University of Florida and her law degree from Florida Coastal School of Law. Khara started her career at the State Attorney's Office, and before joining Bay Area Legal, she practiced family law and criminal law in private practice.

Laura Ankenbruck has worked with Bay Area Legal since 2007 on the Family Law team. She represents grandparents and other relatives who are caring for minor children. Laura’s position is primarily funded by the Children’s Board of Hillsborough County and generally involves the handling of child custody, guardianship, and adoption matters. In her prior positions, Laura worked as the program attorney for the Guardian Ad Litem Program in Tampa and on other cases involving child protection issues. Laura has her law degree from DePaul University in Chicago.

Ann Arledge has been an attorney with Bay Area Legal's Family Law team since 2002. She joined the firm after over 25 years of practice in the private sector, including 15 years in her own firm. She has extensive experience in all areas of family law as well as appellate practice, and has successfully litigated before the Florida Supreme Court and the Second District Court of Appeals. Ann graduated, with honors, from Florida Southern College before receiving her law degree from the University of Florida.

Joanne Bello began her law career as a staff attorney in Bay Area Legal's New Port Richey office from 1998-2003, where she worked with seniors. In 2003 Joanne left to build a very successful law practice specializing in estate, probate, real estate, and social security disability law. In 2015, Joanne re-joined the firm on its Florida Senior Legal Helpline. Joanne earned her law degree in 1997 from City University’s New York School of Law. She received a bachelor's from Syracuse University and a master's from Long Island University, both in education. Joanne is admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court.

Sharon D. Bundrage is a trial lawyer with experience in criminal and civil law. She currently works as a Lawyers Helping Kids staff attorney in the Plant City office. As a former police officer and criminal defense attorney, Sharon made the decision to represent the underserved and disenfranchised population as her career choice. She has litigated, mediated and assisted low-income clients with housing, consumer, probate, and family law cases throughout her career. Sharon earned her Bachelor of Science in Criminology from Florida State University and Juris Doctor from Texas Southern University. She is a member of the Florida Bar and Georgia Bar (currently inactive status).

Calli Burnett is a Team ABLE attorney. She previously advocated for Chicago students to receive the special education services they need and deserve in order to stay in school. She also represented victims of domestic violence in divorces and the best interests of children in guardianship matters. Calli received her law degree and masters in education policy from Loyola University Chicago. She served as a Teach for America member in Tulsa, Oklahoma, leading some 40 preschoolers to make growth in reading, number sense, and social-emotional aspects. Calli is a member of multiple bar associations and is passionate about expanding access to quality legal representation.

Alex Burnham is a Team ABLE staff attorney focused on housing issues and providing quality legal services to low-income individuals. He earned his law degree from Chicago-Kent College of Law. Before law school, Alex double-majored in theatre and English at Florida State University, wrote for the student newspaper, and performed as a singer-performer at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay.

Maria Ceballos-Zagales began her work at Bay Area Legal as a 2020 Equal Justice Works Fellow establishing a mobile legal clinic serving vulnerable veterans throughout Florida. She is now a staff attorney with the Major General Ernest A. and Marilyn Bedke Veterans Law Center with a focus on extended services for VA benefits, discharge upgrades, and character of discharge reviews. She is also the lead attorney for the Discharge Upgrade Unit. Maria previously worked in education for over 18 years, and has a B.S. in varying exceptionalities, a M.S. in TESOL and technology, an Ed.S. in reading, and a law degree from the University of Florida Levin College of Law.

Ellen Cheek first began to focus on elder law issues in 1975 as a staff attorney for Senior Advocates, a unit of the Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County, California. Since December 2005, she has been a staff attorney for Bay Area Legal's Florida Senior Legal Helpline. Ellen is also the Florida Elder Justice Coordinator and the co-chair of the Florida Bar Elder Law Section’s Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation Committee. An honors graduate of Mount Holyoke College and the University of Santa Clara School of Law, Ellen is licensed to practice in Florida (active), California, and the District of Columbia.

Mitzi Chen is a staff attorney with the Family Law team. Mitzi earned a bachelor's degree from the City University of New York. In 2002 she obtained her law degree from Albany Law School. She moved to Daytona Beach, Florida, and worked for Community Legal Services of Mid-Florida, where her practice was concentrated in the areas of dissolution of marriage and domestic violence. In 2005 Mitzi relocated to Tampa and joined Bay Area Legal, and assists victims of domestic violence obtain injunctions.

Tiffany Coleman is a staff attorney in the St. Petersburg office. Tiffany graduated from the University of Central Florida with a bachelor's degree in English and a minor in health services administration. She obtained her law degree at Florida Coastal School of Law. Tiffany is the staff attorney for the Medical-Legal Partnership with Community Health Centers of Pinellas under a grant from the Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg. She addresses the legal needs of patients that are directly correlated to chronic medical issues that impact the overall health of the patients.

Jenalee Diaz is a Team ABLE staff attorney focused on housing law matters. Before joining the firm, she spent time in private practice handling trust, estate, and guardianship cases, and as an assistant public defender at the Hillsborough County Public Defender's Office. Jenalee earned her bachelor's degree from the University of Central Florida and her law degree from Florida A&M University College of Law.

Bill Eble joined the Dade City office as a staff attorney in March 2018. He earned his bachelor's degree at the University of Notre Dame in 1976 and his law degree at the University of Miami in 1979. He arrived in Dade City in 1981, served as an assistant public defender for 15 years, and spent the last 21 years in private practice. Bill is pleased that Bay Area Legal has extended the opportunity to represent victims of crime in injunctions, family, and other civil law matters, as well as others without the financial resources to retain legal counsel.

Jeff Eckert is a part-time staff attorney in the Medical-Legal Partnership (MLP) program with Bay Pines VA Medical Center and Stetson's Veterans Law Institute. He has a bachelor's degree in social work and a master's degree in education from the University of South Florida. Prior to becoming an attorney, Jeff was a special education teacher in Manatee and Sarasota counties. Jeff has a special education and special needs planning practice in Sarasota and serves on the board of Family Network on Disabilities (FND) Manasota.

David Gomez is the Family Forms Clinic coordinator for the Volunteer Lawyers Program at the 13th Judicial Circuit Courthouse. He was previously a volunteer and intern with the Family Law group and the Volunteer Lawyers Program. As a result, David was the recipient of the William F. Blews Pro Bono Award from the Stetson University College of Law. He earned his bachelor's degree in political science from the University of South Florida in 2016 and received his law degree from Stetson University College of Law in 2019.

Valory Greenfield obtained her bachelor's degree, with high honors, from the University of Florida where she majored in sociology. She received her law degree from the University of Miami School of Law and is a member of The Florida Bar. Val was a staff attorney, and later department head, in the public benefits unit at Legal Services of Greater Miami for 11 years. Thereafter she served for 19 years as a senior staff attorney at Florida Legal Services providing training, consultation, and litigation support to statewide advocates in public benefits. She joined the Florida Senior Legal Helpline at Bay Area Legal in 2015.

Jeff Harper is a staff attorney on the firm’s Family Law team, where he primarily represents victims of domestic violence. He is a graduate of the UCLA School of Law as well as the University of South Florida, and is a veteran of the United States Army. Jeff came to Bay Area Legal Services from a background in appellate advocacy, and he aspires to make the legal system work for individuals who would otherwise be greatly disadvantaged.

Jennifer L. Hodges is a staff attorney at the L. David Shear Children's Law Center, advocating for children's rights in the child welfare system as an attorney ad litem. She went to law school to help victims of domestic violence and participated in the family law externship, which allowed her to assist victims in preparing applications for injunctions and attend ex parte appearances under the supervision of licensed attorneys. Jennifer has practiced in the area of family law since the beginning of her career in 2003, representing parents in divorce, custody, child support, neglect/dependency, and termination of parental rights proceedings. She received her law degree from Pace University School of Law in 2002.

Janie Inverso is a part-time staff attorney with the Florida Senior Legal Helpline. She first joined Bay Area Legal as part of the Fair Housing team. Prior to working at Bay Area Legal, Janie worked for Gulfcoast Legal Services as a family law staff attorney and Title III program director. She earned a bachelor's degree, magna cum laude, from Barry Univesity and a law degree from Western New England College School of Law.

Mary Kogut-Lowell is a Community Economic Development Attorney providing a broad range of transactional legal services focused on helping business and nonprofit clients overcome challenges and achieve their goals. During her career she has worked in law firms; as in-house counsel for a major airline; at the Florida Department of Children and Families, where she served as the Managing Attorney for Circuit 9; at a state-certified domestic violence center; and as a professor at several law schools and univerisities. Mary holds a bacehlor's degree from the University of Michigan, a MBA from the University of Florida, and a law degree from Wayne State University Law School. She is a member of the Florida, Michigan, and Wyoming Bars. Mary is fluent in English and Spanish, proficient in French, and speaks basic Polish.

John Lawless is a staff attorney with the Disaster Relief Team. Before joining Bay Area Legal Services, he worked in the private sector both as general title counsel and as a practitioner in the fields of real estate, estate planning, probate, business, and nonprofit law. During his time in private practice, John also volunteered with Bay Area Legal Services and Gulfcoast Legal Services. He received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida, an MBA from Stetson University, and a law degree from Stetson University College of Law.

C. Martin "Marty" Lawyer, III is the most-experienced attorney at Bay Area Legal. Marty received his bachelor's degree from Brown University in 1963 and his law degree from Vanderbilt University in 1970. Marty has provided representation in every conceivable type of civil legal case and has appeared in federal and state courts and administrative agencies at all levels. Substantively, Marty specializes in housing law. Functionally, Marty is a trial and appellate attorney. Marty was lead counsel in the national landmark case of Basco v. Machin, 514 F.3d 1177 (11th Cir. 2008).

Dorothea Hecht is a staff attorney with the Centralized Telephone Intake Unit (CTI), primarily handling cases with private and subsidized housing or consumer-related issues for the Florida Senior Legal Helpline. From 2006 to 2011, Dorothea was a staff attorney with Bay Area Legal's St. Petersburg office, where she advised CTI clients about a variety of legal issues and provided representation in housing-related cases. Dorothea has a degree in Business Administration from the University of South Florida, a law degree from Stetson University College of Law, and a Master of Divinity degree from Emory University. 

Nancy M. Lugo joined Bay Area Legal Services in 1999. As the LSC compliance attorney, she ensures that the firm is compliant with Legal Services Corporation regulations and with internal policies. As the former attorney coordinator for the Volunteer Lawyers Program's No Place Like Home project, Nancy expanded clearing title services, pre-disaster, to four other legal services programs in Florida. She worked with two legal services programs to establish a regional pro bono eviction project. Nancy is a past manager of the Volunteer Lawyers Program. She graduated from St. John’s University School of Law. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Adelphi University. Nancy is a member of the THBA Board, HAWL, the HCBA, and a past member of the FPBCA Executive Committee and the Hispanic Services Council Board.

Otto Luis-Jorge is the Lawyers Helping Kids staff attorney in the Plant City and Ruskin offices. Previously he assisted low-income individuals in immigration matters by helping them to obtain various immigration benefits. Otto's focus was on helping refugees, Cubans, Haitians, asylees, TPS, VAWA, NACARA, and T and U visa applicants, representing clients before CBP, EOIR, ICE, and USCIS. He also had practiced in the substantive areas of family, corporate, elder, transactional, and criminal law. Otto received his bachelor's in English and English literature from the University of North Florida and his law degree from Florida Coastal School of Law.

Jim Moss is an attorney at Bay Area Legal's St. Petersburg office. He came to the firm in 2003 from Gulfcoast Legal Services where he worked as an attorney for 14 years, primarily in housing-related matters. Before graduating from the Stetson University College of Law, Jim earned a degree in English and journalism from the University of Iowa and served in the United States Navy for three years. Jim provides advice, brief services and direct representation to clients scheduled in the office for housing and consumer law cases, and handles a high volume of intake through the firm's Legal Aid Line.

Stephen F. Myers is a 1967 graduate of Florida Presbyterian College (now Eckerd College) and a 1970 graduate of Emory University Law School. He has been a general litigator in Tampa for more than 33 years, with emphasis on personal injury and insurance coverage. He started with Bay Area Legal in October 2009, working part-time in the New Port Richey office. Mr. Myers began working full-time with Team ABLE in the Tampa office in June 2010 and divides his time between foreclosure work with Team ABLE and domestic violence injunction practice with the Family Law team.

Lynda Neuhausen is a staff attorney with the Florida Senior Legal Helpline. Before joining Bay Area Legal, she worked in private practice handling estate, probate, guardianship, real estate and other civil matters. Lynda's career as an attorney began as a program attorney for the Florida Guardian ad Litem program advocating for the best interests of children in dependency proceedings. She earned her Bachelor's degree, summa cum laude, from the University of South Florida and her law degree from Barry University School of Law.

Stacy Robinson Nickerson is a staff attorney with Lawyers Helping Kids in the Plant City Office. In 1995, Stacy earned her bachelor's degree in business administration from Florida A & M University. She earned her law degree from Florida State University in 1999.  She worked for The Florida Senate before working in the areas of business litigation, automobile insurance defense and administrative law.  Upon moving to Polk County, she concentrated in the areas of probate, mortgage foreclosure, business contracts and negotiation.  Stacy is also an Adjunct Instructor at Florida A & M University, College of Law.  

Nancey Penner, after 20 years as a teacher, received her law degree from the University of Pittsburgh and began her legal career at Florida Rural Legal Services in 1988. She came to Bay Area Legal Services in 1996 as a staff attorney in the Volunteer Lawyers Program. In 1997, she transferred to the Plant City office where she continues to work as a staff attorney. Nancey is a master in the Family Law Inn of Court and the treasurer of the Plant City Bar Association.

Erin D. Rackauskas is a staff attorney with the Volunteer Lawyers Program. Erin earned her bachelor's degree in psychology from Spelman College and graduated from Florida Coastal School of Law. She worked as a new graduate for the Volunteer Lawyers Program before being sworn into the Florida Bar and became a staff attorney thereafter. Erin is the supervising attorney for the Family Forms Clinic and serves as an assisting attorney for the Client Intake Project. She also assists with managing pro bono case files and updates the legal resources used to aid and advise clients for client intake.

Tomoko Ransen is a staff attorney with the Florida Veterans Legal Helpline. She previously worked with the firm's Family Law team representing victims of domestic violence. Before joining Bay Area Legal, Tomoko was a staff attorney with Gulfcoast Legal Services in St. Petersburg, FL. While in law school, she interned for The Honorable Judge Jack Helinger of the Sixth Judicial Circuit, and she received the Sixth Judicial Circuit Pro Bono Service Award (student category) in 2016. Tomoko earned her law degree from Stetson University College of Law, a bachelor's degree from Florida State University, and is a graduate of the University of the Ryukyus in Japan.

Dan Reigle a staff attorney in the Tampa office, and has been with Bay Area Legal since 1999. Currently, Dan is working under a grant from the Children’s Board of Hillsborough County serving the civil legal needs of clients of Children’s Board partners. Dan is working in a variety of areas including housing, landlord/tenant, family law, domestic violence, relief from garnishment, and income maintenance. Dan graduated from Beloit College in 1981 with degrees in economics and Spanish. He graduated from law school at Hamline University in 1985.

Jennifer Robinson is a staff attorney with the L. David Shear Children’s Law Center. She has been working in child welfare since 2013 both as an attorney ad litem, representing the expressed interest of children as she does with the L. David Shear Children’s Law Center, and as a DCF attorney in child welfare. She has also done education advocacy for children, and continues to do so, including co-chairing the community collaborative High Quality Early Education for Dependent Youth (HQEEDY). Jennifer earned her bachelor's from American University and her law degree from Florida State University.

Susan Sandler is the project director of the Judge Don Castor Community Law Center. She joined Bay Area Legal in January 2004. Previously, Susan served as senior general counsel with the Florida Department of Financial Services focusing her practice on government regulation in the areas of banking, securities, finance, cemeteries, unclaimed property, public records, and bankruptcy law. Susan is a graduate of Stetson University College of Law and a summa cum laude graduate of the University of Florida with a bachelor's degree in business administration.

Taylor Sartor is a staff attorney at the L. David Shear Children's Law Center where she represents youth in foster care in dependency proceedings and in the education setting. She is also the creator of FosterPower, a movement to improve the lives and futures of youth in foster care by creating access to information on their benefits, protections, and legal rights. Taylor specializes in issues related to human trafficking, disabilities, commitment in psychiatric facilities, aging out of foster care, school to prison pipeline prevention, and more. She served as an Equal Justice Works Fellow at the Children's Law Center from 2018-2020. Taylor received a bachelor's degree in English literature, magna cum laude, from Florida State University in 2014. She earned her Juris Doctor with a concentration in social justice advocacy from Stetson University College of Law in 2018. Taylor is the founder of the organization Child Advocates of Stetson Law.

Monica Schomisch is a staff attorney with Team ABLE. Before joining the firm, she was a staff attorney with Florida Rural Legal Services, focusing on housing and consumer law issues. She received her law degree from Florida Coastal School of Law and her bachelor’s degrees in Spanish and Latin American Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Guilene Theodore is a part-time staff attorney with the Centralized Telephone Intake Unit. She was previously the managing attorney of the New Port Richey office. Before returning to the firm in 2018, Guilene was a staff attorney from 1983-1987 and served on the board of directors for several years. She received her undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Florida.

Betty Thomas is a staff attorney with the Florida Veterans Legal Helpline. Betty received a bachelor's degree from the University of South Florida in 2009 and a law degree from Stetson University College of Law in 2012. Prior to joining Bay Area Legal, she was a managing partner of a small law firm focusing on the areas of family law and civil litigation. During her time in private practice, she provided legal assistance to the community through the Hillsborough County Bar Association’s Pro Bono programs.

Virginia Trujillo is a part-time bilingual attorney at Bay Area Legal. She obtained her bachelor's degree in humanities from Florida State University before graduating from St. Thomas University School of Law. Virginia first came to the firm in 1994. She worked with a diverse community out of our Wimauma office. She then spent a few years in private practice, concentrating on real estate issues. She left private practice in 2000 to work in the Homeless Unit at Legal Aid Service of Broward County. Virginia returned to the firm in 2007, and now provides legal assistance to elderly Floridians through our telephone intake programs.

Wendy Vargas is a Family Law and Immigration staff attorney. She was born in New York and raised in Rhode Island. Wendy moved to Florida to attend Saint Leo University. She obtained her bachelor’s in Criminology with a specialization in Human Services and her law degree from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU) College of Law. While in law school, she worked as a Paralegal at a boutique Probate and Guardianship law firm in Tampa. After admission to the Florida Bar, she worked briefly for a private law firm in Tampa before opening her solo practice, Vargas Law Firm, P.A. During her time as a solo practitioner, her primary area of practice was in family law with limited personal injury and probate matters.

Susan Miles Whitaker joined Bay Area Legal in 1997. Since 2000, she has operated the Legal Information Center – the firm's free self-help program in the George Edgcomb Courthouse. Susan has also written self-help instructions for pro se litigants and is responsible for revising the forms and instructions. Susan is the executive director of the Stann W. Givens Family Law Inn of Tampa. She also serves on the HCBA Family Law Section Executive Council and is Chair of its Public Access Committee. Susan is a graduate of Stetson University College of Law.

Laurie Yadoff is a part-time staff attorney with the Florida Senior Legal Helpline. Before joining Bay Area Legal, she was the Director of the Economic Advocacy and Community Health Unit at Coast to Coast Legal Aid of South Florida. Laurie has practiced in the areas of unemployment compensation, disability rights, Social Security disability, and public benefits, and began her legal career as a public defender. She earned her law degree from the University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law.

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