Who We Are
We are extremely passionate, quixotic, energetic, love tackling tough problems, and believe in continuous personal growth.
A world where everyone who needs legal help gets it
Open Door Legal is pioneering the country’s first system of universal access to civil legal representation. Our goal is to show that when everyone has access to the law, poverty will be dramatically reduced.
Our model of universal access is scalable, sustainable, and the most cost-effective way to address poverty.
Over the next few years we plan to expand citywide, making San Francisco the first city in the country with universal access. We also hope to become a model for national replication, and want to have a systemic impact on how we, as a society, ensure justice for the poor.
Our Board of Directors
Kathy Chao, Board President
Partner, Olivier Schreiber & Chao
Amy Chiu, Development
Product Lead, Clarify Health Solutions
Michelle Carrington
Construction Foreman, Former ODL Client
Bart Volkmer
General Counsel, Dropbox
Mira Park Kim
Senior Portfolio Manager, Wells Fargo
David Lisson
Partner, Davis Polk & Wardwell
Amanda Hundt
Vice President, Health Catalyst
Ieeshea Romero
Community Leader
Meet Our Staff
Executive Team
Adrian Tirtanadi
Executive Director/Founder
adrian@opendoorlegal.org
Charmaine Lacsina
Director of Innovation and Technology
charmaine@opendoorlegal.org
Laura Turner
Director of Development and Communications
laurat@opendoorlegal.org
Rachel Mellby
Director of Finance
rachel@opendoorlegal.org
Virginia Taylor
General Counsel
Director of Legal Services/Founder
virginia@opendoorlegal.org
Whitney Tu
Director of Talent and Culture
whitney@opendoorlegal.org
Frontline Team
Camille Frausto
Senior Frontline Attorney
camille@opendoorlegal.org
Emi Nakamura
Frontline Partner – Bayview
emi@opendoorlegal.org
Hakika Drisker
Frontline Partner – Western Addition
hakika@opendoorlegal.org
Herlinda Aguirre
Client Support Specialist
herlinda@opendoorlegal.org
Leslie Pang
Frontline Partner – Excelsior
leslie@opendoorlegal.org
Legal Team
Alexis Collentine
Senior Family Law Attorney
alexis@opendoorlegal.org
Brenda Falcon
Employment & Civil Litigation Paralegal
brenda@opendoorlegal.org
Cynthia Hernandez
Immigration Paralegal
cynthia@opendoorlegal.org
Dyne Biancardi
Senior UD Housing Attorney
dyne@opendoorlegal.org
Emilia Cortez
Family Law Paralegal
emilia@opendoorlegal.org
Fabiano Valerio
Senior Immigration Attorney
fabiano@opendoorlegal.org
Gwen Wu
Senior Elder Law Attorney
gwen@opendoorlegal.org
Jennifer Wang
Civil Litigation Attorney
jennifer@opendoorlegal.org
Kelsey Merrick
Housing Law Attorney
kelsey@opendoorlegal.org
Laura Douglas
Housing Attorney
laurad@opendoorlegal.org
Marianne Armenta
Senior Employment Litigation Attorney
marianne@opendoorlegal.org
Mesha Phillips
Family Law Attorney
mesha@opendoorlegal.org
Megan Armstrong
Housing Attorney
megan@opendoorlegal.org
Nikki Love
Managing Housing Attorney
nikki@opendoorlegal.org
Patricia Moon
Deputy Director of Legal Services
patricia@opendoorlegal.org
Stef Young
Family Law Attorney
stefaniey@opendoorlegal.org
Tara Macomber
Managing Civil Litigation Attorney
tara@opendoorlegal.org
Vivian Cho
Civil Litigation Attorney
vivianc@opendoorlegal.org
Administration & Development Team
Chris Brown
Senior Software Developer
chris@opendoorlegal.org
Giovanni Herrera
Office Administrator
giovanni@opendoorlegal.org
Jessica Arita
Engagement Coordinator
jess@opendoorlegal.org
Kelsey Renz
Volunteer Coordinator
kelseyr@opendoorlegal.org
Lindsey Pace
People Operations Lead
lindsey@opendoorlegal.org
Michele Petros
Grants & Data Manager
michele@opendoorlegal.org
Noreen Cortez
Recruiting Coordinator
noreen@opendoorlegal.org
Sierra Loya
Strategic Partnerships Manager
sierra@opendoorlegal.org
Fellows
Ali Tofigh
Elder Law Fellow
alit@opendoorlegal.org
Hannah Deetz
Development Fellow
hannahd@opendoorlegal.org
Melat Assefa
Public Affairs Fellow
melat@opendoorlegal.org
Rachel Llarenas
Fellow
rachell@opendoorlegal.org