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Our staff attorneys are valuable sources on many topics of interest to the media. For journalists who wish to speak with an Justice in Aging expert, please call Communications Director Vanessa Barrington at (510) 256-1200.
Kevin Prindiville is Justice in Aging’s Executive Director. He is a nationally recognized expert on Medicare and Medicaid policy and has served as counsel in several class action lawsuits protecting low-income senior’s access to public benefits. Kevin has a long history of developing partnerships and directing strategic advocacy efforts. The author of numerous articles, reports and briefs, he frequently testifies before legislators, presents at national conferences and works closely with both federal and state regulatory agencies. He also is quoted often in national and California media. Kevin is on the Board of Directors of the American Society on Aging. Prior to joining Justice in Aging, Prindiville worked as a staff attorney at the Pennsylvania Health Law Project in Philadelphia where he represented low-income individuals having trouble obtaining health care. He is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania Law School and the University of California, San Diego. State Bar Admission: California.
Jennifer Goldberg is Justice in Aging’s Deputy Director, based in the Washington D.C. office. In this role, she works internally and externally to coordinate strategy, planning and evaluation across all of Justice in Aging’s programs. She also provides leadership for the National Center on Law and Elder Rights. Previously, Jennifer directed the Justice in Aging Health Team. Her teaching experience includes serving as adjunct professor of law at Georgetown University Law Center. Prior to joining Justice in Aging in 2015, she was the Director of Advocacy for Elder Law and Health Care at Maryland Legal Aid. Jennifer spent fourteen years in legal services, advocating for low-income older adults on Medicaid, long-term care, income security, housing, and consumer issues. She served as a member of the Board of Trustees for the Maryland Health Benefit Exchange from 2011 – 2015. Jennifer received a JD from Harvard Law School; and a LL.M. in advocacy from Georgetown University Law Center. She is a graduate of Harvard and Radcliffe Colleges. State Bar Admission: Maryland.
Regan Bailey works in Justice in Aging’s Washington D.C. office. As the director of Justice in Aging’s litigation activities, Regan represents low-income seniors and individuals with disabilities in federal court to preserve access to social safety net benefits. Regan’s work prior to joining Justice in Aging has been grounded in protecting the rights of low income people and people with disabilities in the context of health care and civil rights. Most recently, Regan was a Senior Trial Attorney at the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division. There she enforced the Americans with Disabilities Act’s mandate that people receiving public services in the most integrated setting appropriate. Prior to joining DOJ, Regan’s worked for several Protection and Advocacy agencies and legal aid organizations around the country, including in West Virginia, the Navajo Nation, and Washington D.C. She also served as the Director of Legal Advocacy at Disability Rights Washington (Seattle) and as the Assistant Director for Public Benefits and Economic Stability at the Maryland Legal Aid Bureau. Regan is a graduate of the District of Columbia School of Law (now the University of the District of Columbia, David A Clark School of Law) and American University. State Bar Admission: Washington DC.
Vanessa leads communications and individual fundraising for Justice in Aging from the Oakland, CA office. She’s focused on increasing the visibility of Justice in Aging as a national leader in ensuring all older adults can age in justice, and amplifying the work of Justice in Aging’s lawyers to defend and broaden access to health care and economic security programs for low income older adults. She oversees all online communications, public relations, social media, fundraising communications, and publications. She graduated from San Francisco State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Marketing.
Denny serves as the Managing Director of Justice in Aging’s Equity Advocacy team. In this role, he is responsible for developing and leading Justice in Aging’s Strategic Initiative on Advancing Equity, with a primary focus on race equity for older adults of color, and he also coordinates the organization’s equity team. He joined Justice in Aging as an attorney on the health team in 2014 and is based in Sacramento, CA. The son of working-class Chinese immigrant parents, Denny has worked significantly on non-discrimination, language access, and healthcare delivery reform issues for low-income older adults and brings all of these experiences to his advocacy. He previously served as a rotating law clerk for the US District Court in Los Angeles and participated in the Fulbright English Teaching Program as a fellow in Macau, China. Denny is a graduate of the University of California, Irvine School of Law. He received his BA from the University of Michigan. State Bar Admission: California.
Amber is the Managing Director of Justice in Aging's Health Team, and is based in the Los Angeles office. She develops and implements projects and initiatives that improve access to health care and long-term services and supports for low-income older adults across the country. Amber is a lecturer at UCLA School of Law, teaching Public Interest for the externship program. Prior to joining Justice in Aging in 2013, Amber worked for Legal Aid of Western Missouri as Director of the Medical Legal Partnership at St. Luke’s Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri. Prior to taking that position, she worked as a staff attorney for Legal Aid focusing primarily on representing clients with Social Security appeals and consumer issues. Amber is admitted to the California, Missouri, and Illinois bars and is a 2006 graduate of Washington University School of Law. She received her BA from Earlham College in Richmond, Indiana. State Bar Admissions: California, Illinois, and Missouri.
Sarah Galvan is the Managing Director for Justice in Aging's Elder Rights team. In this role, she provides project coordination for the National Center on Law and Elder Rights (NCLER). Under a contract with the Administration on Community Living, NCLER provides training, case consultation and technical assistance to the legal and aging network. Sarah also directs the development and implementation of Justice in Aging’s elder justice training, technical assistance, and advocacy, including our work supporting the Equal Justice Works Elder Justice Program. She previously worked at Center for Elder Law & Justice and has experience in the development of new programs and models of legal service delivery. Sarah is a 2009 graduate of the University of Notre Dame Law School. State Bar Admission: New York.
Tracey Gronniger is the Managing Director for Justice in Aging’s Economic Security team and is based in the Washington, DC office. She spent nearly ten years as a senior staff attorney at the Federal Trade Commission, in its Bureau of Consumer Protection. While there, she litigated a variety of cases to halt fraudulent and deceptive marketing practices, including actions to stop fake Medicare schemes, government grant scams, and phony business opportunities. She also coordinated the Bureau’s Legal Services Collaboration and Every Community Initiative, which seek to ensure that the agency meets the consumer protection needs of underserved and at risk consumers, including older Americans. In that role she worked with a wide range of legal services organizations and community advocates to identify and address pressing consumer protection issues, and to respond to their needs for relevant training, information, and resources. Tracey is currently an At-Large Director on the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) Board of Directors and a member of the National Academy of Social Insurance (NASI). Tracey received her J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School and graduated from Harvard University. State Bar Admission: California and Maryland.
Tom Smith has served as Director of Finance and Administration for the Justice in Aging since 1996. For the previous ten years, he was the financial director for Physicians for Social Responsibility. He also worked as assistant financial director for the Gateway Foundation and the American Judicature Society. Tom graduated from Indiana University with a BS in Accounting and Finance.
Remy Alexander focuses on communications related to the National Center on Law and Elder Rights (NCLER), a project of Justice in Aging. Prior to joining Justice in Aging, she served in an AmeriCorps role as a caseworker for refugees and asylees at the International Rescue Committee, where she provided holistic case management including aiding clients in navigating benefits and addressing barriers to health and wellness. Remy is from the Bay Area, and graduated from Fairhaven College, a small school incorporated in Western Washington University, in 2015 with a BA in International Development.
Jim Berchtold joined Justice in Aging’s Elder Rights team in 2022 to focus on the numerous issues surrounding guardianship and guardianship reform. Prior to joining Justice in Aging, Jim was a directing attorney at Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada where he led a team of attorneys fighting for the economic rights of low-income Nevadans. He also developed and managed Legal Aid Center’s Guardianship Advocacy Program, which provides direct legal representation to older adults and people with disabilities who are facing or under guardianship, and the Civil Law Self-Help Center, a court-based center that provides free legal assistance to self-represented litigants. Before his public service career, Jim was a partner with a regional law firm where he practiced commercial and corporate litigation. Jim graduated magna cum laude from the University of Utah in 1992 and from the University of Utah College of Law in 1996, where he was a William H. Leary Scholar and on the Board of Editors of the Utah Law Review. State bar admission: Nevada.
Lauren Carden is the Director of California Elder Rights. Lauren joined Justice in Aging in 2023 and is based in Oakland, CA. Her work is focused on strengthening the delivery of legal services for older adults in California. Lauren leads and coordinates Justice in Aging’s substantive work in the state of California - curating trainings and resources, advancing equity in senior legal advocacy work, and building connections among legal service providers. Lauren has 10 years of experience working in direct legal services in California, both in rural and urban settings. Lauren started her career as a Staff Attorney at Legal Services of Northern California. Lauren has worked as a managing attorney at Law Foundation of Silicon Valley and Legal Services of Northern California, focusing on housing issues and eviction defense. Lauren earned her law degree from UC Davis School of Law and her undergraduate degree from UCLA. State Bar Admission: California
Eric Carlson is an attorney and Director of Long-Term Services and Support Advocacy at Justice in Aging. Mr. Carlson has thirty years of experience in long-term services and supports (LTSS), including home and community-based services, nursing facility care, and assisted living facilities. Mr. Carlson counsels attorneys from across the country, co-counsels impact litigation that protects LTSS consumers, and is author of the legal treatise Long-Term Care Advocacy (Lexis Publishing) and the advocacy guide 25 Common Nursing Home Problems — and How to Resolve Them. Mr. Carlson recently served on the federal Coronavirus Commission for Safety and Quality in Nursing Homes. State Bar Admissions: California, Northern District of California, Central District of California, and Second, Sixth and Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
Katrina Cohens joined Justice in Aging's Communication team in 2013 and is based in the DC office. As a designer, she prioritizes clean, simple, and accessible layouts. As the database manager, she ensures supporters receive what they need from our CRM system. Prior to joining Justice in Aging, she served as a Program Specialist for the Federal Trade Commission. Katrina graduated from Agnes Scott College in 2011 with a B.A. in Psychology.
Tiffany joined Justice in Aging’s Health Care team in 2021 and is based in the Bay Area. Her work in the Health Care team is focused on low-income older adults dually eligible for Medicare and Medi-Cal benefits in California. Prior to Justice in Aging, she worked in direct legal services at Bay Area Legal Aid representing individuals on matters relating to accessing health insurance and health care services. Tiffany earned her law degree in 2012 from the University of Michigan Law School and her undergraduate degree from UC San Diego. State Bar Admission: California.
Hannah Diamond is Policy Advocate based in our Washington DC office. Within her position, she advocates at the state and federal levels to improve the quality and accessibility of home and community-based services for older adults and people with disabilities. Her efforts also focus on enhancing coordination between Medicare and Medicaid. Hannah’s previous professional experiences include direct service, research, and advocacy positions related to long-term care services and supports. Hannah previously coordinated home and community-based services as a Health Services Case Manager at Mystic Valley Elder Services in Massachusetts; protected public benefits for older adults and people with disabilities as a paralegal at Community Legal Services in Philadelphia; researched longevity disparities as an intern at AARP; and explored nursing home staffing issues as an intern at the National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care. Most recently, Hannah served as the State Policy Advocacy Specialist at PHI, where she supported coalition building at the state level to enhance job quality for direct care workers. Hannah received a BA from Brandeis University and a Master of Public Policy from American University.
Hagar joined Justice in Aging’s Health Care team in 2022 and is based in the Oakland office. Her work aims to achieve equity in California’s In-Home Support and Home and Community Based Services for low-income older adults. Prior to Justice in Aging, she started the Veterans Legal Project at Bay Area Legal Aid, where she provided veterans wrap-around legal services in the areas of disability rights, health, economic and housing security. Hagar began her career at Law Foundation's Mental Health Advocacy Project, where she represented individuals with mental health disabilities in housing, benefits, health access and consumer issues. Hagar earned her J.D. in 2010 from Loyola University Chicago School of Law, including a year studying international human rights law at the University of Copenhagen, and received her undergraduate degree in Anthropology from Brandeis University. State Bar Admission: California
Natalie joined Justice in Aging in April 2017 and leads our legislative and administrative advocacy in Washington DC. As part of the Heath Care team, she advocates to defend and improve health safety net programs for older adults. Natalie’s background is in ensuring people living with HIV and other vulnerable populations have access to care through Medicaid, Medicare, the Affordable Care Act Marketplaces, and other federal programs. Prior to moving to D.C., Natalie lived in the Philippines for two years as a volunteer with Life Project 4 Youth. She previously served as a law clerk to a US Magistrate Judge in the Northern District of Georgia and holds a JD with a Certificate in Health Law from Saint Louis University and a bachelor in Economics from the University of Wyoming. State Bar Admission: Missouri.
Sy joined Justice in Aging's Communication team in 2023 and works from the Los Angeles office. As Justice in Aging's first Director of Digital Engagement, she develops and implements digital strategy across the organization’s social media, web, e-mail, and marketing platforms. Previously, she was the Digital & Multimedia Strategist at the ACLU of NY and the Digital Director at State Innovation Exchange. Sy graduated from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts in 2011 with a BFA in Film & Television.
Jennifer Kye joined Justice in Aging in 2022 as a Senior Attorney focusing on federal housing and economic security issues. She is based in Washington, DC. Jennifer was previously a supervising attorney at Community Legal Aid Society, Inc. (CLASI) in Delaware, a combined legal aid and Protection & Advocacy agency where she handled fair housing and public benefits matters. Before CLASI, she worked as a staff attorney at the Pennsylvania Health Law Project and Community Legal Services of Philadelphia (CLS). At CLS, she also served as a Borchard Fellow in Law & Aging and advocated for expanding low-income seniors' access to Supplemental Security Income and Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services. Jennifer received her JD and BA from the University of Virginia. State Bar Admissions: Pennsylvania and Delaware.
Kate joined Justice in Aging’s Income Team in December 2012 and leads our advocacy in Washington DC to improve the Social Security and Supplemental Security Income programs. She was formerly staff attorney at the Legal Aid Bureau in Riverdale, MD where she was an advocate for low-income older adults and persons with disabilities. In her previous positions, Kate worked as an attorney at the National Legal Aid and Defender Association and Bread for the City Legal Clinic in Washington, DC as well as at Doherty, Cella, Keane and Associates, LLP. She has also served as a staff attorney for Legal Services of Northern California. She received her B.A. from Oberlin College and her J.D. from Fordham University School of Law. She also has a master’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania in teaching English to speakers of other languages. State Bar Admission: California.
Shaterra is the Director of Operations for Justice in Aging from the Washington, DC office. Her work focuses on overall organizational efficiency and productivity through operations and other strategic initiatives. Her work includes process optimization, tech integration, and cross-functional coordination to support Justice in Aging staff as they maximize their impact for older adults. She graduated from George Washington University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Communications and Johns Hopkins University with a Master's Degree in Urban Education.
Vivianne joined Justice in Aging in April of 2019 in the Los Angeles office working on Elder Abuse issues. She leads a cross issue team that ensures our work on elder justice issues is grounded in advancing equity for older adults of color, LGBTQ older adults, immigrant older adults, those with limited English proficiency, and others. Before joining Justice in Aging, Vivianne was a Staff Attorney for the Utah State Courts Self Help Center and practiced consumer and public benefits law with Utah Legal Services. Vivianne was also a member of the Utah State Bar Modest Means Committee which aimed to make affordable legal representation more widely available. Vivianne also completed an appellate clerkship with the Honorable Senior Justice Petra Jimenez-Maes of the New Mexico Supreme Court. After her clerkship, Vivianne moved to Los Angeles to practice public benefits law at Inner City Law Center in Los Angeles. Vivianne is a 2012 graduate of the University of Utah’s S.J. Quinney College of Law and earned a B.A. in Politics and Latin American Studies from Scripps College. State Bar Admission: Admitted to practice law in California.
Liam McGivern is a member of Justice in Aging’s Litigation Team. Prior to joining Justice in Aging, Liam worked with Florida’s protection and advocacy system, where his work focused on issues impacting individuals with developmental disabilities. Liam previously worked as a legal aid lawyer representing individuals to gain access to healthcare, housing, and public benefits. Liam also worked for a local government civil rights enforcement agency to investigate allegations of violation of local, state, and federal anti-discrimination laws. Liam earned his Bachelor of the Arts from the University of Washington – Bothell, and his Juris Doctor from the University of Miami School Law. Liam resides in South Florida.
Emma works out of the Washington, DC office as part of Justice in Aging’s Communication team. She utilizes her design skills to ensure that the written materials we produce are beautiful, easy-to-read, and accessible. Prior to joining Justice in Aging, she served as a Legal Assistant for several Bay Area lawyers. Emma is originally from New Haven, CT, and graduated from Brandeis University with a BA in Sociology in 2014.
Shelby Minister has worked out of the Oakland office since 2015. She manages fundraising events and donor campaigns, as well as grant applications and reporting. Prior to joining Justice in Aging, she was the Coordinator for the San Jose Peace & Justice Center (SJPJC) where she organized programming and meetings on social justice issues along with advocating for immigrant rights, the rights of political activists, and against racial injustice and police militarization. Shelby graduated from San Francisco State University with a B.A. in Broadcast and Electronic Communication Arts.
Yasmin joined Justice in Aging in 2022 as Senior Policy Advocate in Sacramento. In this role, she works across teams to advance Justice in Aging’s legislative and budget priorities in California. Prior to joining Justice in Aging, she was Senior Policy and Legislative Advocate at Health Access California with a focus on issues related to health care industry regulation and cost containment. Yasmin got her start in advocacy coordinating a mobile health care clinic for homeless individuals in Santa Cruz County. Yasmin holds a BS from the University of California, Santa Cruz in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology.
Trinh joined Justice in Aging’s Economic Security team in 2016 and is based in the Oakland office. She leads our work in California to ensure low-income older adults have sufficient income to meet their basic needs. She previously worked at the Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County where she advocated for adults with disabilities and seniors on Supplemental Security Income, Social Security disability, and health insurance coverage issues. She also collaborated with community agencies on state and local advocacy, with a focus on issues arising out of the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. Trinh graduated from Columbia University and UC Hastings College of the Law. State Bar Admission: California.
Patti is Justice in Aging’s Director of Housing Advocacy, and is based in the Oakland, CA office. She focuses on issues of housing retention and homelessness prevention for California’s low-income seniors. Before Justice in Aging, Patti worked at the Child Care Law Center, ensuring that all California’s children benefit from good, safe, affordable child care. While at the Public Interest Law Project, she engaged in public benefit impact litigation including Parent Voices Oakland v. Calif. Dept. of Education, halting the termination of CalWORKs Stage 3 subsidized child care for 56,000 low-income children; and Hartley v. Calif. Dept. of Social Services, ending the practice of collecting from children the welfare debts incurred by their parents. Patti’s legal services experience spans 27 years, most recently as Director of Litigation, at Community Legal Aid in Massachusetts. She has extensive experience litigating individual and class actions in state and federal court in the areas of public benefits, health care, fair housing and workers’ rights. Patti has taught courses on Welfare Law and Social Policy, Family Law, and Labor and Employment Law. She is a graduate of Middlebury College and Northeastern University School of Law. State bar admission: California
Archie Roundtree, Jr. joined Justice in Aging as a Equity Attorney in 2022 and is based in the Los Angeles area. His focus is to pursue systemic change in law and policy to improve the lives of low-income older adults and beyond. Archie is involved in community enrichment, civil legal services, outreach, and diversity, equity, inclusion initiatives. He builds and maintain relationships and engage in collaborative efforts with partners and coalitions, including national and local legal groups, aging and disability network members, state-based advocates, and others involved in protecting the legal rights of older adults and advancing racial justice. Prior to joining Justice in Aging, he worked as an Equal Justice Works Fellow in the Elder Justice Program at Bet Tzedek Legal Services. Archie provided legal services to senior homeowners who were victims of fraud and elder abuse, to preserve their homeownership and home equity. He also completed local, regional, and national presentations on elder abuse and fraud impacting homeowners. Archie stays involved with Seattle University School of Law as an Alumni Board Member. He holds a JD from Seattle University School of Law and a BS in Business Administration from California State University, Northridge. Archie has State Bar Admission in Minnesota and is a Registered Legal Services Attorney in California.
Gelila is a Senior Attorney based out of the Washington, D.C. office. Gelila works to help state advocates improve access to Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS) and Home- and Community-Based Services (HCBS). Gelila previously worked in Charlotte, North Carolina representing clients in Medicaid and Marketplace appeals and improving health care access to low-income individuals. She also served as an Equal Justice Works Fellow there, where she helped preserve seniors’ dignity and autonomy through increased access to public benefits and preventing elder abuse. Gelila is a graduate of the University of South Carolina and Wake Forest University School of Law. State Bar Admission: North Carolina.
Sahar joined Justice in Aging as a Staff Attorney in 2021 and is based in the DC area. As part of the Equity Team, her work focuses on implementing Justice in Aging’s Strategic Initiative on Advancing Equity and providing technical assistance for the National Center on Law and Elder Rights (NCLER). Prior to joining Justice in Aging, Sahar worked as a Gallogly Fellow representing low-income seniors in DC in cases involving home- and community-based care and advocating for sustainable solutions to long-term care. Sahar holds a JD from American University Washington College of Law and a BA in psychology from the University of South Florida. State Bar Admission: District of Columbia.
Alexandra joined Justice in Aging’s Health Team in 2022 and is based in San Diego County, California. She provides administrative support to the Health Team in various capacities to help the team advance health equity for low-income older adults. Prior to Justice in Aging, she worked as a campaign organizer with Caring Across Generations building connections between child care, paid leave, and long-term care grassroots leaders and family caregivers. Alexandra earned her Masters in Public Health and MA in Latin American Studies from the University of New Mexico in 2021 where she focused on health systems in the US/Mexico borderlands, Native American and Latinx immigrant health and historical trauma, and food and nutrition policy implications in communities of color in California. She studied Mixteco (San Juan Mixtepec) in Oaxaca, Mexico in 2018 and 2019 as a FLAS Fellow. Alexandra received her BA in Cultural Anthropology from the University of California, Santa Cruz in 2012.
Carol Wong is based in Justice in Aging’s Washington, D.C. office and leads a variety of active cases with our partners to remedy systemic inequities that affect older adults across the nation. Most recently, Carol was a Senior Trial Attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, Employment Litigation Section. During her years with the Department of Justice, she litigated employment discrimination cases arising under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act. While at the Department, Carol completed a detail to the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders where she focused on improving opportunities and access to federal resources for underserved Asian American and Pacific Islander communities. Before her time at the Department of Justice, Carol was a district court law clerk for the Western District of Tennessee in Memphis. She has also served on the boards of the Asian Pacific American Bar Association of the Greater Washington, D.C. Area and the Asian Pacific American Bar Association Educational Fund. Carol received her J.D., magna cum laude, from the University of Illinois College of Law. She also received her undergraduate degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. State Bar Admission: Washington DC.
The opportunity to live with dignity, regardless of financial circumstances—free from the worry, harm, and injustice caused by lack of health care, food, or a safe place to sleep. By using the power of law to strengthen the social safety net, and remove the barriers low-income seniors face in trying to access the services they need, we work to ensure the future we all envision for our loved ones and ourselves.
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