Antoinette Naddour is Executive Director and Co-Founder of the Veterans Legal Institute® where she oversees and has responsibility for the overall management of the firm including business development, outreach, public relations, marketing, strategic planning and a light legal caseload. She comes to VLI with a long-held passion to serve homeless and at-risk veterans and service members and has dedicated her career to that end.

Noticing an influx of service members returning from Iraq and Afghanistan seeking shelter at a local National Guard armory, Ms. Naddour discovered that many issues that contributed to these veterans’ chronic homelessness were legal in nature and required the assistance of an attorney. So moved by the fact that the men and women who had served the country abroad were now struggling, she committed herself to the cause of removing “chronic” from “homelessness” and empowering veterans into self-sufficiency. This led her to be instrumental in the co-development of a veteran based project at a local legal aid, with over 700 veterans receiving legal assistance during her three year tenure. Since co-founding the Veterans Legal Institute in 2014, over 6,000 local low income veterans have benefitted from free legal services.

Ms. Naddour was an officer with the California State Guard for over 6 years. She served in the rank of Major both as a Marketing Officer assigned to Strategic Communications (STRATCOM) as well as reserve JAG Officer assigned to Legal Support Command. She regularly lectures on legal topics affecting veterans where she is known for providing innovative solutions aimed at veteran empowerment and self-sufficiency. She sits on the military advisory boards for Supervisor Katrina Foley and Congresswoman Young Kim. In the past, Ms. Naddour was a law lecturer at UCI School of Law for its Veterans Law Clinic.

Ms. Naddour is a graduate of the 2018 Presidential Leadership Scholars Class, a prestigious program that serves as a catalyst for a diverse network of leaders brought together to collaborate and make a difference in the world as they learn about leadership through the lens of the presidential experiences of George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush, and Lyndon B. Johnson. During her tenure in this program, she focused on the improvement and further development of mobile legal clinics for low income veterans, a project that is shared freely throughout the nation to promote additional services for veterans in need.

Ms. Naddour was a two term Director at Large with the Orange County Bar Association, a member of the Outreach and Pro Bono Committees and Co-Chair of its Military and Veterans Committee. She is a board member of the Orange County Women’s Lawyers Association and was named the OCWLA 2022 Attorney of the Year. She is also a Board Advisor for the Orange County Black Chamber of Commerce. Ms. Naddour is a member of the OC Veterans and Military Families Collaborative, former multi-year Chair of its Legal/ Re-Entry Working Group, and for a long period of time served as Vice Chair of its Steering Committee.

Ms. Naddour holds a degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Marketing and Management from Chapman University School of Business as well as a Juris Doctor with a special certificate in Alternative Dispute Resolution and an LLM emphasized in Business and Economics from Chapman University Fowler School of Law.

*Admitted to practice in Arizona and California. VA Accredited.

Katie is the Deputy Executive Director at Veterans Legal Institute where she assists in the overall management and future planning of the firm. She plans the annual fundraiser, Lawyers for Warriors, and advocates for VLI in the local legal and business community.

Katie is the Chair of the Legal & Re-Entry working group of the Orange County Veterans and Military Families Collaborative (OCVMFC), a consortium of veteran organizations and advocates in Orange County. She also sits on the Executive Board of the Orange County Bar Association (OCBA) Family Law Section and is a member of the OCBA Pro Bono and Community Outreach Committees. Katie now sits on the Board of the Leadership Tomorrow program, administered by the Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce, after successfully graduating from the program. Katie is also a part of the Fieldstone Leadership Network’s Class of 2024.

In the years of 2023 and 2021, Katie was honored as one of Congressman Lou Correa's Women of the Year. Katie regularly pens articles for publications like Orange County Lawyer and US Veterans Magazine.

Katie is a graduate from the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University. During her time in law school, she was awarded the Judge Mary M. Schroeder Award for most pro-bono hours as a 2L student, and graduated with the highest pro bono distinction. Katie is experienced in the public sector, with stints at both the U.S. House of Representatives and the Arizona State Legislature. Additionally, she has worked for multiple non-profits, advocating for renewable energy regional solutions to climate change as well as humane animal welfare practices in the agriculture industry.

Serving veterans is important to Katie. Her late grandfather was an Officer in the U.S. Army during the Korean War so she seeks to honor him by utilizing her law degree to assist military veterans.

Robin Williams is a US Army Veteran and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, a Master of Arts in Public Administration, and certificates in both Grant Writing and Nonprofit Management. Prior to serving at VLI, Robin served eight years in the US Army with one deployment to Iraq as part of Operation New Dawn. His duty assignments included Fort Hood, TX, with the 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Benning, GA, with the 3rd Infantry Division, and Fort Dix, NJ, with the Military Intelligence Readiness Command.

Michelle began her legal career as criminal defense attorney in the Orange County Public Defender’s Office over 26 years ago. She has practiced criminal defense her entire career, with a brief cross over as a prosecutor early on in her career. She has passionately worked with clients from all backgrounds, representing them throughout the criminal court process under highly emotional, stressful and intense circumstances. She has negotiated and resolved a multitude of mental health, juvenile, misdemeanor and felony cases.

Michelle’s passion has always revolved around participating in and representing clients in collaborative courts, working with multiple county agencies to aid in the rehabilitation of clients, including adult & juvenile drug courts, domestic violence court, and Military Diversion court for active duty military and veterans. Working towards aiding clients in rehabilitating themselves to become productive citizens has been the most rewarding part of her legal career.

Michelle is the mother of 5 children, one of which is currently an active duty Marine stationed in Washington D.C. Her father was a Navy Veteran, and her brother served in the US Airforce. Her grandfather served during WWII in the British Army. She is deeply connected to the mission of Veterans Legal Institute and is excited to become a part of the VLI tribe to continue pursuing higher purpose related legal work, by working with Veterans.

Michelle obtained her B.S. degree from the University of Southern California in 1988 and her J.D. from Western State college of Law in 1995.

Doug joins VLI with more than 35 years of experience as a civil litigation, real estate and bankruptcy attorney.

Doug obtained his B.A. degree from Yale University in 1978 and his J.D. from Columbia University School of Law in 1982. Doug has practiced in major private law firms (Kelley Drye & Warren - New York, New York and Los Angeles, California, and Kelly, Hart & Hallman, P.C. - Fort Worth, Texas), and financial institutions (American Savings Bank, F.A., American Real Estate Group, Inc., and New West Federal Savings and Loan Association). For the past 25 years, Doug has been a shareholder in Frankel & Tennant Professional Corporation in Costa Mesa, a small firm emphasizing representation of lenders in state and federal court, including foreclosures, receiverships, and bankruptcies. Doug is admitted to practice in New York (1983), California (1985), the District of Columbia (1989), and Texas (1993), and to federal courts in California and New York.

Doug is committed to the mission of serving our active duty service members and veterans. Beginning in 2013, Doug has volunteered time, providing advice and counsel to service members challenging unjust efforts by the military to recoup re-enlistment incentives, including successful applications to the Army Board for Correction of Military Records. He also has helped with applications for retirement benefits and CRSC. Doug is a VA accredited claims agent.

Faith, family and community are important to Doug. He is active as a Boy Scout leader, AYSO soccer referee, and Little League umpire.

Doug is excited to join the incredible team at VLI as a staff attorney serving our veterans full time!

Mr. Douglas is a 2014 graduate of Western State College of law. He earned an MBA from California State University, Fullerton, and a BA in Linguistics from California State University, Dominguez Hills.

While attending CSU, Dominguez Hills, he also participated in the ROTC program at UCLA, receiving a commission in the US Army.

Prior to earning his BA, Mr. Douglas enlisted in the U.S. Army, were he had served as a translator of the Vietnamese language. After his service in the Army, Mr. Douglas worked for the phone company for a couple of years, and then spent 25 years in the US Postal Service as a Letter Carrier, retiring in 2007.

His time in the Army, as well as having seen how Vietnam Veterans were treated when they returned from deployment, along with attendance at several events hosted by the VLI, led him to volunteer to become part of the VLI team. ​

Mark Berry is a graduate of Chapman University, Fowler School of Law, licensed to practice law in California, and accredited by the VA. He was born in Long Beach, CA, and raised in Orange County. He received his BA in history, cum laude, from California State University, Fullerton. At Chapman, Mark was the marketing chair for his school's Public Interest Law Foundation.

During the summer of 2019, Mark volunteered for VLI as a legal intern. He was also a law clerk with the Orange County Public Defender's office for more than two years. As an undergraduate student, Mark volunteered as an English literacy tutor at Read Orange County. He is also a fluent Farsi (Persian) language speaker.

Mark is devoted to pursuing public interest law. He is proud to be a part of VLI, and committed to making a difference in the lives of military veterans and their families, who have sacrificed so much for their country.

Ezekiel Bottorff is a VA-accredited attorney specializing in VA benefits. Since 2017, he has dedicated a portion of his legal practice to helping veterans with their legal concerns and ensuring they receive the VA benefits they are entitled.

Having served in the United States Marine Corps between 2006 and 2011, Ezekiel's strong sense of duty propelled his passion for supporting fellow veterans. He holds a juris doctorate from Golden Gate University, a bachelor's in Urban Studies and Planning from the University of California - San Diego and an associate's degree in Private Piloting from San Diego Miramar College.

Education:
Southwestern Law School 2011
UCLA Undergraduate 2006

Prior Work Experience:
Law Offices of Stella Pogosyan 2020-2024 Provided legal and mediation services for clients facing criminal, family, and select civil issues including special education rights.

Outside of Work:
Volunteering: OC Parks Trail Ambassador
Passions: Rock climbing, mountain biking, succulents, and travel

Rozanna Geil is a Family Law Staff Attorney.  Prior to joining VLI, Rozanna worked in private practice dedicated exclusively to family law.  She has extensive experience in working and collaborating with a diverse clientele as pro-bono counsel for some of the largest non-profit organizations in Southern California.  Rozanna is passionate about helping individuals gain access to justice and believes in empowering clients through education, guidance, and active involvement.

Rozanna received her juris doctorate from Southwestern Law School, where she was conferred the first Public Interest Service Award upon graduation.  She holds a bachelors of arts degree with high honors from University of California, Irvine, and an executive certificate in leadership from the Yale School of Management.

During her free time, Rozanna enjoys reading; photography; staying active; the outdoors; and spending time with family and friends.vvvvvvvv

A Marine Corps veteran himself, Andrew Alton is a graduate of UC Irvine School of Law and has been working with Veterans at VLI since the summer of his first year in law school. After passing the California Bar in 2021, Andrew became a Staff Attorney at VLI. Andrew specializes in landlord/tenant housing matters, military discharge upgrades, and veterans benefits matters. In his free time, Andrew enjoys exploring the intertidal regions and mountains of Southern California, or playing the latest Pokémon title.

Lydiah previously attended California State University San Bernadino and Miracosta College in Oceanside, California. She graduated Cum Laude with an Associates of Arts in Paralegal Studies and an Associates of Arts & Sciences in Law and Jurisprudence from Anne Arundel Community College in Maryland. Lydiah pursued a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration from Southern New Hampshire University and graduated Cum Laude in 2021.

Lydiah met her spouse who was an Active duty Marine and a helicopter mechanic with HMM 268, while she worked as a civilian with Marine Corps Community Services (MCCS) at Camp Pendleton in 2005. Lydiah had the opportunity to work as a legislative aide at the Maryland General Assembly in 2018 where she assisted in organizing the first ever Maryland Veterans Summit where representatives from 50 Veterans Organizations came together to discuss bills involving Veterans’ education, employment, health, taxation, and other personal matters. This Summit enabled the Veterans Organizations to have open discussions with the Senate and House of Representatives of Maryland. Lydiah worked with a Maryland law firm specializing in Personal Injury law, Family law and Criminal law. Recently, Lydiah worked with a Department of Veterans Affairs contractor in the Washington DC area where she assisted with the Board of Veterans’ Appeals cases. She is passionate about Veterans’ issues.

Zak is the Communications Manager at Veterans Legal Institute (VLI), where his knowledge in strategic communications is crucial for articulating the VLI mission and bolstering support for the organization’s objectives.

Zak served in the United States Marine Corps as an Infantryman and in the California Army National Guard as a Geospatial Engineer. In addition, he served as the C5 Strategic Communications non-commissioned officer during his time in the California State Guard. Zak applies his military background and creative talents to champion and uplift fellow veterans.

Holding a BA in Film with a concentration in Cinematography from Mount Saint Mary’s University, Los Angeles, Zak has seamlessly merged his military discipline with his artistic skills. This unique fusion is evident in his work, ranging from educating at-risk youth to managing a content creation company that highlights veteran programs and charitable endeavors.

Zak's work has been featured by major media outlets such as Fox News, the TODAY Show, and the LA Times, and through collaborations with notable organizations like Pin-Ups for Vets, Patrol Base Abbate, Coffee or Die Magazine, The Military Time, and Department of Defense Defense Visual Information Distribution Service.

His commitment to the veteran community was further acknowledged in 2020 when the California Army National Guard selected one of his photographs as one of the "Top 20 of 2020."

Driven by a passion to make a difference, Zak’s future ambitions are focused on inspiring others and creating a meaningful legacy through both his creative output and his advocacy for veterans.

Tim spent nine years, two months on active duty, mostly in the Air Force. After starting his military career in the Army Reserves, he was granted a conditional release to attend Officers Training School at Medina Annex to Lackland AFB in San Antonio. Following ATS at Keesler AFB MS, he was assigned to the 68th Bomb Wing (now 68th Air Refueling Group) at Seymour Johnson AFB NC where he served in various capacities as an administrative officer. At the end of his first tour of five years, he cross-trained into information systems ad completed a second tour at Gunter AFS AL as a computer programmer/database administrator.

Shortly after his ETS in 1989, Tim started developing symptoms of an autoimmune disease that could only be traced back to exposure to toxic substances during his military assignments. Tim filed his own claim in 2010 which was initially denied. He then filed a Notice of Disagreement which resulted in service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus but denial, again, for his neuropathy. That denial is currently under appeal to the Board of Veterans’ Appeals (BVA).

Tim saw an article in the Orange County Register about VLI and was inspired to contact them to offer the expertise gained from his personal dealings with the VA. It is his hope that he can help other veterans with their claims, discharge upgrades and dependent benefits.

Besides his volunteer time at VLI, Tim is also a musician, playing for many organizations in Orange and LA Counties and on the boards of two local orchestras.

Stephen first came to work at VLI as a Volunteer in 2017. Before then, he lived in Japan for 6 years working as a English Instructor and later as part of an IT Support Desk in Tokyo, Japan. Stephen has a Bachelors of Science Degree in Telecommunications Management which he put to use when he was a Wide Area Network engineer.

Stephen has worked various roles in IT, but Customer Service is a field he has worked in his entire career. He enjoys music, cooking and travel in his spare time.

Andrea began specializing in non-profit legal services grant work in 2011 after joining Lane County Legal Aid in Eugene, Oregon as Development Director. She transitioned to the position of Grants and Reports Specialist in Oregon’s statewide legal aid network upon a merger in 2017. At that time, she began writing and administering grants for eleven legal aid offices in Oregon, managing a portfolio including federal, state, county, and private foundation grants providing free legal services to low-income residents for housing retention, immigration, expungements, domestic violence and sexual assault,
disability, taxpayer issues, farmworkers, and employment rights among other areas like senior law.

Andrea is also an artist that holds her Doctorate in Art from New York University. Working with legal aid attorneys began to impact her artwork around 2017 when it took the form of social practice, or events that bring a group together over a creative work or project. She has taught studio art and art history in colleges and universities across the US for over twenty years and published two texts on art. Andrea received both the Faculty Recognition Award and the John and Suanne Roueche/League of Excellence and Innovation awards at Lane Community College in Eugene, Oregon.

Andrea is the mother of two young adult children who live in Oregon. Her daughter Elena is a college student with dreams of working for social justice as an attorney. Evan, her son, is a wildlands firefighter. William Ciaston, Andrea’s father, was an Army veteran. Andrea joins VLI committed to strive for its success in honor of her father’s service, and that all other veterans.

Mehek Nirula graduated from the University of California, Davis in 2022 with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. She was originally pursuing medicine and found a passion for advocacy and law when working with veterans and the underserved population in downtown Sacramento during her undergraduate career. Mehek worked with several minority groups during her gap years until she came across VLI. Originally an intern, she soon took on the role of legal assistant. Her next step is to attend law school and become an attorney!

Nicole Balucanag graduated from the University of California, Irvine (UCI) in 2015 with a Bachelor of Science in Public Health. Prior to VLI, she worked at an occupational health company for six years specializing in the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) on the Costco team. She became passionate about the legal field after assisting Costco’s attorneys regarding their ADA cases. Nicole is currently enrolled in UCI’s Paralegal Program and will complete her certification in December 2023.

Julie Goodson is a southern California native, born in the City of Orange and was raised in Riverside County. Prior to joining the VLI team, Ms. Goodson has held such titles as Staff Analyst, Business Development Manager, Paralegal and Executive Assistant. Ms. Goodson has 20 years of combined administration experience working in both the public and private sectors, specializing in public finance, local government, and critical infrastructure.

With a passion for law, political science and public administration, Ms. Goodson continues to pursue her educational goals, completing over 70 units of coursework towards an Associates of Science Degree in Paralegal Studies at Riverside City College prior to transferring to the University of La Verne where she is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Public Administration.

Ms. Goodson has been involved in various public outreach campaigns over the years and enjoys helping her local community through public service and non-profit organizations; she is eager to assist Veterans in navigating the legal system with compassion and understanding. In her spare time, Ms. Goodson enjoys spending quality time with her loved ones and has one child. Additionally, she enjoys the outdoors such as hiking and day trips to the beach, botanical gardens or mountains.

Valeria Aranda, a driven individual whose journey through education to her passions have led her to remarkable achievements. In 2023, Valeria graduated from the University of California, Irvine (UCI) with a Bachelor of Arts in Criminology, Law, and Society.

Valeria first began as an Intern at Veterans Legal Institute where her passion grew immensely for law and the Veteran community. Ms. Aranda will continue to pursue her passion for law by enrolling in the Paralegal Program and attaining her certification at the University of California, Irvine.