CARPLS has had an abundance of talented staff members since its inception. Some are veteran professionals, some work with us when they can, and some are newly getting to know the joys of working for CARPLS. We appreciate our staff and their stories.
Aleida Lozano Netzel
, a staff attorney, is a CARPLS all-star. She was one of our early hires, and since then has continued to solve problems for clients. As a child, she translated for her neighbors when they needed to attend court and parent-teacher conferences. “It’s just what my parents expected of my sister and me,” Aleida said. “We spoke English and Spanish so we had to help those who couldn’t. I’ve always wanted to be a lawyer.”
Aleida adds, “CARPLS is important because our clients have real issues which they have difficulty identifying, and we provide somewhere for them to turn. It’s the best job ever. The staff has always been great and supportive.”
Leslie Wallin
has worked at CARPLS since 1999, for many years as a part-time staff attorney, and now as a full-time supervising attorney and volunteer coordinator.
“A friend told me I had to work for this legal aid hotline with the weird name. A staff attorney named Al Schwartz was my next-door neighbor and was on the receiving end of my countless questions. I am grateful to all of my colleagues from the last 20 years who have made me a better lawyer."
Before
Kenny Bahena
, a paralegal, started at CARPLS in 2015, he took a family law class that staff attorney Patti Cintron-Bastin was teaching. He soon started, in Kenny’s words, pestering her until he secured an internship and was later offered a full-time position. Kenny enjoys
working for CARPLS because of the people we assist.
“Most of the people we are working with don’t have the money to pay for legal services. Many are just about ready to give up. They are so grateful to receive our help for free. Following up and being told how much we’ve helped is amazing. I’m always proud to say where I work and what we do.”