SENIOR STAFF

Leslie Starr Heimov, Executive Director
Leslie Starr Heimov, a Certified Child Welfare Law Specialist, has been with Children's Law Center of Los Angeles since 1992. She served as a staff attorney and later moved to a supervising attorney position, providing oversight and training to 30 plus case carrying attorneys while continuing to handle complex and high profile cases. In 2003, Ms. Heimov became Policy Director, and in that capacity was responsible for handling CLC's legislative and policy agenda, including drafting legislation and working closely with elected officials, their staff, and other advocates to support important legislative reforms. In addition to serving as CLC Policy Director, she was Project Director of the Home At Last Initiative funded by The Pew Charitable Trusts. Ms. Heimov chaired a countywide Task Force on Pregnant and Parenting Teens and is a founding member of the Task Force to End Homophobia in Foster Care. She serves on the Board of Directors of the National Association of Counsel for Children and on the National Advisory Board of the Children's Law Office Project, and is a member of the California Child Welfare Council. Ms. Heimov also serves on a variety of advisory boards including the National Advisory Board of the Children's Law Office Project and Para Los Ninos. Ms. Heimov is a trials skills instructor for the National Institute of Trial Advocacy and regularly presents to the bench, attorneys, social workers, caregivers and law students on a multitude of topics related to the representation of abused and neglected children.

David Estep, Firm Director, CLC 1
David Estep joined the Children's Law Center of Los Angeles in 1994, serving first as a staff attorney representing both children and parents in juvenile dependency cases and subsequently working as writ attorney and attorney supervisor. In his current position, Mr. Estep supervises the work of CLC1 attorneys, investigators, paralegals, and support staff. He is also active in a variety of community partnerships and outreach within the greater Los Angeles child welfare community. Mr. Estep currently serves on committees addressing services for "cross-over" children caught between dependency and delinquency courts, community service agencies, and tort representation for juvenile dependents.

Phyllis Stricklan, Firm Director, CLC 2
Phyllis Stricklan joined Children’s Law Center in 1998 as a staff attorney where she was later promoted to Supervising Attorney. Ms. Stricklan’s many years of experience in dependency includes representing youth in the County of San Bernardino. In addition to her legal background, Ms. Stricklan is also a Registered Nurse, and in that capacity she has been employed as a Head Nurse, Clinical Nurse Specialist and assistant professor of mental health nursing. Ms. Stricklan has participated in pro tem and informal juvenile & traffic court trainings, and is a member of the American Society for Healthcare Risk Management (ASHRM), the National Children’s Alliance, and enjoys working with legal interns and new attorneys as well as mentoring teens.

Ivy Lewis Carey, Firm Director, CLC 3
Ivy Carey began her career at CLC in 1995. She had previously worked both in private practice firms, specializing in workers' compensation and insurance defense litigation, and in dependency court representing parents. Ms. Carey was promoted to a management position in 2000, supervising CLC 3 attorneys, and became Firm Director in 2005. Ms. Carey has expertise in the mental health and delinquency aspects of juvenile practice and has participated extensively in delinquency court proceedings involving dependency children. Ms. Carey oversees CLC’s MCLE trainings, and is a member of the Foster Youth Development Services Partnership. She served as a founding member of the Los Angeles Foster Care Awareness Campaign Committee and was appointed a CLC Unit Head in June 2005.

John Moll, Director of Operations
John Moll joined Children's Law Center in 2006 as Director of Operations. In this capacity, he oversees the finance, human resources, and information technology departments; reviews and negotiates all contracts; and works to ensure the smooth running of all aspects of the organization's administrative functions. Prior to joining CLC, Mr. Moll served for almost 10 years as General Counsel and Corporate Secretary for Survivors of the Shoah Visual History Foundation, a non-profit organization founded by Steven Spielberg to videotape and disseminate testimonies of witnesses and survivors of the Holocaust. Previously in private practice as a litigator, Mr. Moll represented individuals with HIV/AIDS in employment law, benefits, and insurance related areas.

Carol Richardson, Children’s Conflict Panel Administrator
Carol Richardson, a Certified Child Welfare Law Specialist, joined Children’s Law Center of Los Angeles in 1991. Ms. Richardson began her current position as Children’s Conflict Panel Administrator in November 2009, overseeing the administration and continuing legal education of the Children’s Conflict Panel attorneys who represent children in Dependency Court. Ms. Richardson is active on many Juvenile Court committees and on CLC’s Legislation Committee, and participates in a monthly Think Tank in south Los Angeles focusing on promoting better services for juvenile probationers. In 2007, the Presiding Judge of Juvenile Court appointed her to sit as a Judge Pro Tem in Juvenile Court. Ms. Richardson is a member of the National Association of Counsel for Children.

Jody Leibman Green, Policy Director
Jody Leibman Green is responsible for the Children's Law Center's legislative and public policy agenda, including drafting legislation and working closely with elected officials, their staff, and other advocates to support important legislative reforms. She also works with county and state agencies on a variety of foster care reform projects. Ms. Green previously served as Director of Public Policy at the California Family Health Council where she advocated on behalf of reproductive rights and family planning issues. After law school, Ms. Green litigated complex family law matters, and then went on to represent youth in foster care as a case-carrying attorney at CLC prior to her current position as Policy Director.

Supervising Attorneys

Danielle Arnerich Combs, Supervising Attorney, CLC 1
Danielle Arnerich Combs joined Children's Law Center of Los Angeles in 1999. In addition to her duties as Supervising Attorney, she conducts National Institute of Trial Advocacy trainings, mentors numerous law clerks and new attorneys, has presented to the Community College Foundation Independent Living Program at Cerritos and Long Beach Junior College, and serves on the ICAN task Force for Pregnant and Parenting Teens. She is actively involved in the leadership of the Orange County Junior League. Ms. Arnerich Combs has worked with local organizations such as the Boys and Girls Club of Garden Grove, Florence Crittendon in Fullerton, and Orangewood Children's Foundation.

Nancy Aspaturian, Supervising Attorney, CLC 1
Nancy Aspaturian, Supervising Attorney and Training Director, has been with the Children's Law Center of Los Angeles since 1992. In 2005, she created CLC's integrated training program for new lawyers, and is responsible for developing and coordinating CLC's year round training curriculum to provide continuing education in dependency litigation and related practices. Ms. Aspaturian has been a presenter at numerous conferences and MCLE trainings and has served as faculty and presenter for the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) in its statewide dependency training programs. She also participates as faculty for the National Institute of Trial Advocacy at its annual Rocky Mountain Child Advocacy Trial Institute. Prior to joining CLC, Ms. Aspaturian was a Los Angeles County and State Public Defender.

Jenny Cheung, Supervising Attorney, CLC 1
Jenny Cheung, Supervising Attorney and Volunteer Coordinator, joined the Children's Law Center of Los Angeles in 2001. Ms. Cheung served as a trial attorney for over five years prior to becoming a CLC Writ Supervisor. In her position as Supervising Attorney, she is responsible for providing oversight and training to new and case-carrying attorneys, and specializes in writ and appellate related matters. Ms. Cheung is one of the authors of the bi-monthly Dependency Legal Newsletter and a presenter of the monthly Legal News Updates. As CLC's Volunteer Coordinator, Ms. Cheung has been involved for the past several years with CLC's recruitment, training, and direct oversight of the Law Clerk Program.

Brenda Dabney, Supervising Attorney, CLC 3
A Supervising Attorney at the Children's Law Center of Los Angeles, Ms. Dabney joined CLC in 2001. In her current capacity, Ms. Dabney helps to manage a staff of CLC 3 attorneys in all aspects of case management and trial preparation. Before becoming a Supervisor, Ms. Dabney worked as a CLC staff attorney for four years, serving as trial counsel on several high-profile cases. Ms. Dabney previously served as State Policy Coordinator for the Home At Last project, an initiative funded by the Pew Commission on Children in Foster Care established to implement important federal reforms in the child welfare system nationwide. Ms. Dabney is an alumnus of the National Institute for Trail Advocacy Teacher Training Program and regularly provides training on effective trial skills to newer attorneys.

Barbara Duey, Supervising Attorney, CLC 1
Barbara Duey, Supervising Attorney and Crossover Resource Director, has been with the Children's Law Center of Los Angeles since its inception in 1990. Ms. Duey became a Supervising Attorney in 1997, and in her capacity as Crossover Resource Director, is responsible for the creation and implementation of all aspects of CLC's representation of youth at risk of "crossing over" into the delinquency system. She represents CLC on numerous committees dealing with quality of representation, access to services, inter agency collaboration, and policy related to crossover youth. Ms. Duey has been involved in the development and implementation of the Los Angeles County 241.1 protocol and the new dual jurisdiction (AB 129) pilot program in the Pasadena delinquency courts. She has also been a presenter at numerous conferences and trainings, and is a trial skills trainer for the National Institute of Trial Advocacy. Ms. Duey was previously a federal public defender in San Diego and a deputy public defender in Los Angeles County.

Darryn Gum, Supervising Attorney, CLC 2
Darryn Gum joined the Children's Law Center of Los Angeles in 1992. Mr. Gum served as a trial attorney, representing children and parents, before becoming Supervising Attorney. He has taken a particular interest in children with mental health needs, and in that capacity represented Katie A., the named plaintiff in a federal class action lawsuit seeking to provide better mental health services to needy children. Prior to working for CLC, Mr. Gum was the administrator of a large board and care facility in Los Angeles County advocating for the needs of elderly and psychiatric patients.

Carol Kittler-Gasa, Supervising Attorney, CLC 3
Carol Kittler-Gasa joined Children's Law Center of Los Angeles in 2000, representing and advocating on behalf of children and youth in the child welfare system. Ms. Kittler currently serves as a Supervising Attorney for CLC 3. In that capacity, Ms. Kittler supervises and participates in the training of CLC's case-carrying attorneys. Prior to joining CLC, Ms. Kittler practiced law with a maritime defense firm.

Nick Nagatani, Supervising Attorney, CLC 2
Nick Nagatani joined the Children's Law Center of Los Angeles in 1990. In his current position as Attorney Supervisor, Mr. Nagatani works with managerial staff to develop and implement day to day training and instruction for new CLC attorneys. Mr. Nagatani's responsibilities also include assisting with courtroom coverage, delinquency hearings, courtroom assignments, and assisting staff attorneys with issues of case analysis and trial preparation. Prior to joining CLC, Mr. Nagatani spent five years as a deputy public defender in Los Angeles.

Princess V. F. Ramey, Supervising Attorney, CLC 1
Princess Ramey, Supervising Attorney and Outreach Director, joined the Children's Law Center of Los Angeles in 1993 after working briefly in family law and mediation. Ms. Ramey has served on a number of committees and boards, been featured on the Discovery Channel, and was honored as a "Foster Care Hero" by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors in 2003. In addition to supervising other trial attorneys, Ms. Ramey manages donor-related programs and oversees the CLC intern program and recruitment of interns.

Brenda Comer Robinson, Supervising Attorney, CLC 3
Brenda Comer Robinson joined the Children's Law Center in 2001, and became Supervising Attorney in 2006. In addition to her responsibilities supervising CLC3's case-carrying attorneys, Ms. Robinson currently serves on the Los Angeles County Superior Court Juvenile Court Visitation Committee where she helped to draft the protocol for developing family visitation plans. Prior to coming to CLC, Ms. Robinson had her own law practice in which she specialized in family law and probate matters, and then represented both parents and children in dependency court as a panel attorney.

Investigator Supervisors

Monique Barron, Investigator Supervisor, CLC 1
Monique Barron joined the Children’s Law Center of Los Angeles in 2006 as a Social Work Investigator. With a Masters Degree in Social Work (with a concentration in Mental Health), Ms. Barron currently serves as an Investigator Supervisor, co-supervising the investigator staff at CLC 1. Ms. Barron has demonstrated a lasting commitment to social welfare and advocacy by providing dedicated representation and assistance to disadvantaged children and community members for over 15 years. Ms. Barron has a strong interest in and knowledge of social justice issues relating to transitional age youth and previously worked as an advisor for a DCFS funded emancipation program. Most recently, Monique provided comprehensive mental health services to at-risk adolescents at Pasadena Unified School District.

Carmella Echaveste, Investigator Supervisor, CLC 3
Carmella Echaveste joined the Children's Law Center of Los Angeles in 1992 as one of CLC's first social work investigators. Ms. Echaveste now serves as an Investigator Supervisor, providing support and training to CLC investigators. She has over thirty years of experience working with children and families, and has expertise in issues related to infants and toddlers as well as in providing parenting training and instruction to both caregivers and day care providers. Prior to joining CLC, Ms. Echaveste worked at Children's Institute International for eleven years.

Robin Kovalsky, Investigator Supervisor, CLC 1
Robin Kovalsky joined the Children’s Law Center of Los Angeles in 2001 as a Senior Social Work Investigator. With a Masters Degree in Marriage Family Child Counseling, Ms. Kovalsky currently serves as an Investigator Supervisor, co-supervising the investigator staff at CLC 1. She has over twenty years of experience working with children and families and has developed expertise in the areas of mental health, Regional Center and special education. Prior to joining CLC, Ms. Kovalsky worker at Children’s Home Society as their Director of Treatment Foster Care Services.

Debra Lopez, Investigator Supervisor, CLC 2
Debra Lopez joined the Children's Law Center of Los Angeles in 1992 as one of CLC's first social work investigators. Ms. Lopez now serves as an Investigator Supervisor, and in that capacity is actively involved in the on-going training needs of CLC investigators and attorneys. She has expertise in child interviewing and complex cases involving child sexual abuse, and specializes in handling cases involving Regional Center and mental health issues. Prior to joining CLC, Ms. Lopez worked for Children's Institute International on an array of programs designed to serve the needs of children in the community.

Sylvia Lopez, Investigator Supervisor, CLC 3
Sylvia Theresa Lopez joined Children's Law Center of Los Angeles in 1995 as a Social Work Investigator. She currently serves as an Investigator Supervisor, overseeing CLC 3 investigators in their daily work and training. Ms. Lopez has worked toward the prevention of abuse for various community-based organizations for the past twenty-five years. Prior to her work at CLC, she served as a day care provider and parent instructor at Children's Institute International.

Elizabeth Ramirez, Investigator Supervisor, CLC 2
Elizabeth Ramirez joined Children's Law Center of Los Angeles in 1998. Prior to becoming a Supervisor, Ms. Ramirez participated in IEP assessments, TDM's, Regional Center meetings, and Delinquency Court proceedings as a CLC social work investigator. She has vast experience in the area of mental health and has worked with medically fragile children and families. Before joining CLC, Ms. Ramirez worked as a case manager at a youth and family center and as a contracting medical social worker.

Rosalee Villalobos, Investigator Supervisor, CLC1
Rosalee Villalobos joined the Children's Law Center of Los Angeles in 1997 as a Paralegal and Senior Investigator. In her current position, she co-supervises the investigator staff at CLC 1. As an investigator, Ms. Villalobos developed expertise in the areas of juvenile delinquency, special education, regional center, and government benefits. Ms. Villalobos previously worked for The Alliance for Children's Rights as their Dependency Court Program Manager and Director of Intake.

Robin White, Investigator Supervisor, CLC 1
Robin White joined Children's Law Center of Los Angeles in 1997. Ms. White began as a CLC social work investigator working in the community, specializing in cases involving both special needs and adolescent clients. In addition to her current duties as an Investigator Supervisor, Ms. White continues to advocate for CLC clients in various capacities, such as at Individualized Education Plan and Team Decision Making meetings. Prior to joining CLC, Ms. White worked with emotionally disturbed boys at the Sycamores Residential Treatment Facility, and in the after-school and preschool programs at the Jordan Downs Recreational Center.

Child Welfare Law Specialists

The designation Child Welfare Law Specialist is awarded by the National Association of Counsel for Children to attorneys representing children, parents, and agencies in child abuse, neglect, and dependency cases who have demonstrated an enhanced level of knowledge, skill, and experience in juvenile law. Child Welfare Law Specialty certification is designed to improve outcomes for children and families by encouraging specialization in this practice arena and improving the quality of legal services delivered to children nationwide.

Child Welfare Law Specialist certification requires that attorneys satisfy rigorous requirements including a minimum three years of experience in the practice of child welfare law, completion of continuing legal education, competency affirmed by other attorneys and judges, and passage of national and state child welfare law examinations. The following Children's Law Center attorneys have satisfied these requirements and have been designated Child Welfare Law Specialists: