Our Dedicated, Caring Staff
Greg Anger
Paralegal
Greg Anger
University of Missouri (B.A., Sociology, 2011)
University of Alabama (M.A., Higher Education Administration, 2015)
Roosevelt University (Paralegal Certificate, 2018)
Greg joined CVLS in 2021, after 6 years with Chicago Public Schools. He began as the paralegal for the Early Resolution Program, before taking over as the Program Coordinator for the Chancey Appointment Program and CVLS’ arm of the Illinois Armed Forces Legal Aid Network in May of 2022. He collaborates closely with his supervising attorneys to manage intake and case placement to assure that clients receive services in a timely manner. Greg is grateful to be a part of CVLS and enjoys playing his role in making sure that equal justice is accessible throughout Chicagoland.
In his free time, Greg likes to cook with his wife and watch sports. He is an avid fan of the Milwaukee Bucks, the Green Bay Packers, and the Chicago White Sox.
Rebecca Anger
Staff Attorney
Rebecca Anger
- University of Missouri (BA, Art with a Graphic Design emphasis 2007)
- Loyola University – Chicago, School of Law (JD, Health Law Certificate 2015)
Rebecca is a Staff Attorney at CLVS in the Early Resolution Program helping self-represented landlords navigate the eviction process. She came onboard in 2022. She has dedicated her professional career to the service of others and looks forward to continuing this work at CVLS.
Prior to her legal career, Rebecca ran her own graphic design business working with non-profit clients designing print collateral and building and managing websites. It was through this work and her own experiences, as a person with a disability, that motivated her to pursue a legal career.
During law school, Rebecca was a PILI Intern at Equip for Equality in Chicago educating people with disabilities on their legal rights, attending Guardianship hearings in court and researching matters regarding employment discrimination. From there, Rebecca interned with the Illinois Department of Human Services in the Office of General Counsel.
Rebecca comes to CVLS after almost 4 years with the City of Chicago’s Department of Law. She enjoys streaming movies, attending baseball games and cooking with her husband.
Savannah Ayala
Paralegal, Early Resolution Program
Savannah Ayala
- The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (B.A. Political Science; B.A. Earth, Society, and Environment, Minor: Environmental Law and Economics, 2022)
Savannah is a first-generation recent college graduate from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. She is our paralegal for the Early Resolution Program who completes intakes, assigns cases to our staff & volunteer employees, and generates program progress reports. Outside of her paralegal role, she works as a contracts intern for the Soybean Innovation Lab, at her alma mater, where she edits Material Transfer Agreements. Savannah is currently studying for the LSAT and intends on starting law school in Fall ‘24. Her interests include working (often having 2 to 3 jobs), Latin ballroom dancing, and running.
Margaret Benson
Executive Director
Margaret Benson
- Western Michigan University, Honors College (B.S., History, 1976)
- Loyola University College of Law (J.D., 1979)
Meg joined CVLS in 1982 to set up the Panel Referral Program, became Deputy Director in 1983 and was elevated to Executive Director in 2003 when her predecessor retired. Responsible for program management, and the coordination of bench, bar and law firm relations, Meg also writes extensively, including CVLS training materials and a bi-monthly column on pro bono for the Chicago Lawyer. While handling a caseload of contested or difficult family and guardian ad litem cases, she trains and supervises GAL volunteers. Meg is a program designer and speaker at ABA/NLADA Equal Justice and Illinois Legal Advocates Conferences. She also regularly speaks on child custody, client and pro bono issues for the ISBA, CBA, and IICLE. Meg was honored with the 2007 Illinois State Bar Association’s Board of Governors Award. In 2001 she received the notable Chicago Bar Foundation’s Thomas H. Morsch Public Service Award. Prior honors include the “Esther Rothstein Award” by the Lawyer’s Trust Fund of Illinois in 1999 and Loyola University School of Law's Public Service Award in 1994. Meg is an active member of ISBA's Legislation Committee, where she has helped to draft and lobby for guardianship and family law legislation. She chairs the ISBA’s LawPac Board. Former chair, she continues to serve on the CBA’s Pro Bono Week Committee. Past activities include chair of the Illinois State Bar Association's Delivery of Legal Services Committee, charter member of the Illinois Pro Bono Center's Board of Directors, speaker at the Midwest Region SPAN Conference on the Future of Legal Services, Board of Directors of the Women's Bar Association of Illinois, two-term ISBA Assembly member, speaker for the American Institute for Prepaid Legal Services. Meg's husband, Art Simon, is an active CVLS volunteer.
Gabriel Borges
Director, Financial Issues
Gabriel M. Borges
- University at Buffalo, State University of New York (B.S. Psychology, 2010)
- DePaul University College of Law (J.D., 2013)
Gabriel first joined CVLS in 2016 serving as a Staff Attorney for both the Access to Justice & Cook County Foreclosure Mediation programs. After a hiatus serving as a Self-Represented Litigant Coordinator for the Colorado Judicial Branch and Hearing Officer adjudicating appeals for the Colorado Department of Labor & Employment’s Division of Unemployment Insurance, he has returned as CVLS’ Director of Financial Issues. Gabriel works with our Illinois Armed Forces Legal Aid Network (IL-AFLAN), Chapter 7 bankruptcy, and Chancery Court Appointment programs, as well as Cook County’s Early Resolution Program (ERP).
Montserrat Cancino
Paralegal
Paloma Castaneda
Knox College (BS Biology, Latin American Studies)
I initially started out in law as only an interpreter for immigration law, volunteering as an interpreter and translator with the South Texas Pro-Bono Asylum Representation Project (ProBAR) and the Children's Legal Center of Chicago (CLCC). I hope to eventually become a full-time legal interpreter in the future. I enjoy running and watching scary movies during my free time - and I love cookies!
At CVLS I am a paralegal and mainly work with the Eviction Help Hotline of Illinois for Private Landlords (ERA2), support the Early Resolution Program (ERP), and translate and interpret for both departments, as well as the Chicago Consumer and Debt Group.
Paloma Castaneda
Paralegal, Mortgage Foreclosure Mediation Program
Paloma Castaneda
- Purdue University (B.A. Political Science)
- Minor in Spanish (native speaker)
Paloma worked in the governmental and business industries for a few years before joining CVLS in 2021 as a paralegal in the Mortgage Foreclosure Mediation Program. In her free time, Paloma likes to stay active and routinely spends time outdoors or at the gym to keep her active.
Lauren Cherney
Supervising Attorney, Early Resolution Program (ERP)
Lauren Cherney
- University of Wisconsin–Madison (B.B.A., Marketing; International Business, 2017)
- University of Minnesota Law School (J.D., 2020)
Lauren joined CVLS in 2021, after graduating from the University of Minnesota Law School. During her time in law school, Lauren was a staff member on Law and Inequality: A Journal of Theory and Practice, where her article, Returning to Acosta: How the Matter of A-B- Exemplifies the Need to Abolish the “Socially Distinct” and “Particularity” Requirements for a Particular Social Group, was published. She was also a member of the Immigration and Human Rights Clinic, where she advocated for asylum applicants and labor trafficking victims. After graduation, she moved to Chicago and joined CVLS in the Early Resolution Program, where she now works on housing and consumer debt issues. Outside of work, Lauren enjoys baking sourdough bread, spending time in Northern Wisconsin, and avoiding geese while taking the occasional jog along the lakeshore.
Eric S. Donahue
Controller
Eric S. Donahue
- Purdue University (B.A., School of Liberal Arts, 1996)
Eric joined CVLS in 2002 after working for law firms in Indiana. He is responsible for the management oversight of accounting, financial reporting and the financial internal control operations of the organization. This includes all day-to-day activities and coordinating any outsourced functions. Along with his accounting responsibilities, Eric manages various aspects of CVLS human resources including the 403(b) retirement plan. He also serves as staff liaison to the CVLS finance committee and CVLS junior board.
Jessica R. Engle
Office Manager
Jessica R. Engle
Guadalupe Garcia
Staff Attorney, Erie House Clinic
Jennifer Guadarrama
Education:
- Knox College (B.A. Political Science, Spanish)
- UIC School of Law (JD Candidate, May 2022)
Guadalupe joined CVLS in 2021 as a Paralegal for the Early Resolution Program. She is a JD candidate at UIC School of Law with a graduation date of May 2022. She is responsible for client intakes and maintaining case files for CVLS’ Early Resolution Program. She works closely with attorneys on the ERP team to ensure timely handling of client matters. Guadalupe is grateful to be part of the ERP team and enjoys learning from her attorney colleagues.
Jennifer Guadarrama
Intake and Receptionist
Jennifer Guadarrama
Jennifer screens clients for financial and case eligibility, books appointments for clinic and panel interviews and handles the walk-in clients sent directly from the courts. She also excels as the CVLS receptionist.
Kristen Harrison
Panel Referral Program Coordinator
Kristen Harrison
- Illinois State University (B.S., Criminal Justice Sciences 2001)
Kristen, CVLS' former intake worker and receptionist, does her best to get cases to our hundreds of panel attorney volunteers. Reaching out by phone and email, Kristen encourages volunteers to find the perfect case on CVLS' list of pro bono opportunities or offers them one selected just for them. In addition, Kristen supports panel volunteers and their clients, to provide them with the perfect pro bono experience.
Kathy Koester
Clinic Coordinator
Kathy Koester
Kathy assists program staff and volunteer attorneys filing motions, scheduling appointments, scanning documents, contacting clients and performing any variety of administrative tasks. In addition, she creates and updates protocols and procedures for this ever-changing and growing program.
Deborah Filipovich Martin
Supervising Attorney, Guardian ad Litem for Minors
Deborah Martin
- University of Southern California (B.S., Business Administration with a concentration in Management and Organization, 2012)
- Northwestern University School of Law (J.D., 2015)
Debi first joined CVLS in 2014 as a summer intern with the GAL for Minors Program. After her internship ended, she continued her caseload throughout her third year of law school. During her time in law school, she was on the Northwestern Journal of Technology & Intellectual Propoerty as a Notes Editor. Also, she was awarded the 2014 Harold Washington Leadership Award. Graduating from law school in 2015 with service honors, Deborah was awarded with the Jay A. Pritzker Fellowship which allows her to continue her work with the GAL for Minors Program. By the time she joined CVLS as a fellow in September 2015, she already had a substantial CVLS caseload. When she isn't handling GAL cases, she loves coaching Northwestern University Mock Trial teams.
Natalie Mercado
Events & Activities Coordinator
Natalie Mercado
- Florida Atlantic University (B.A. Business Marketing, 2022)
Natalie is a first-generation college graduate of Florida Atlantic University where she obtained her bachelor’s in business marketing. She was born and raised in Florida where she gained a background of hospitality event planning. She joined CVLS in December 2023 to be our Events and Activities Coordinator.
Phillip J. Mohr
Deputy Director
Phillip J. Mohr
- University of Illinois, Champaign (B.A., Economics, 1987)
- De Paul University College of Law (J.D., 1991)
Formerly a CVLS volunteer, Phillip joined the staff in 1991, became the Family Law Director in 1996, and was named the Deputy Director in 2006. In addition to being Deputy Director, Phil continues to direct our Family Law Program. His own large caseload and the work of his American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers panel does much to meet our greatest need: representation of clients on contested family law matters. In addition to trial work, he has gained experience with appellate work as well, arguing, along with a CVLS volunteer, before the Illinois Supreme Court. As an experienced family law practitioner, Phil spends many hours tutoring young volunteers, both individually and through seminars, gradually guiding them from simple to complex cases. His talent with training has given him the responsibility of overseeing the summer student program. Phil is a regular speaker on family law and pro bono issues, recently speaking at NLADA Equal Justice Conference, statewide Legal Advocates Conferences, the ISBA mid-year meeting, and on the ISBA’s cable production. He is the former chair of the Chicago Bar Association's Legal Aid Committee. Phil was the chair of the subsection of the legal service’s consortium which has both created pro-se family law forms and materials and assisted with the creation of the Domestic Relations Division’s Self-Help Center. He also is the Legal Content Editor of the Family Law practice area of the Illinois Technology Center’s website and co-chair of the Clerk of the Circuit Court Pro Se Litigants Advisory Committee. Phil is a member of the Illinois State Bar Association and a former ISBA Assembly and ISBA Family Law Section Council member. In 2004, Phil was selected by the Law Bulletin Publishing Company as one of the "40 Attorneys Under 40 in Illinois to Watch".
Rose Nguyen
Child Representative Coordinator; Paralegal for Child Rep and GAL for Minors Programs
Rose Nguyen
- Princeton University (B.A. Sociology, 2023)
Rose, a proud daughter of two Vietnamese immigrants, is a first-generation recent graduate from Princeton University. Growing up in a low-income household, Rose cultivated a strong passion to support and advocate for low-income youth and communities. She joined CVLS in September 2023 as the Child Rep and GAL for Minors Program Coordinator through the Princeton University Project 55 Fellowship Program. She acts as the administrative support and paralegal for both programs and works closely with volunteer attorneys. She performs client intakes, helps place cases with volunteers, and assists attorneys throughout the case process. In her free time, she enjoys making ceramics, reading, and art sketching.
Matt Pollock
Director, Communications & Technology
Matt Pollock
- Arizona State University (B.S., Mechanical Engineering, 2005)
Before joining CVLS in July 2007, Matthew worked as a mechanical engineer for 6 years in Chicago and Phoenix. While toiling in the world of big business he developed a desire to give back to the community and found his way to CVLS. His creative instincts mixed with a solid background using computer systems for both design and management made him a perfect fit to be our Director of Communications and Technology.
His primary responsibilities include: event planning and execution for fundraising and social events including Race Judicata®, Vino & Van Gogh, and Law & Disorder; plan and support CVLS’ MCLE presentations; actively engage with Chicago’s legal marketing community to improve and develop relationships with existing and prospective donors and sponsors; development and management of all CVLS marketing materials including printed, electronic, social media and web; work closely with the executive director to target new sources of funding; serve as liaison to CVLS’ Junior Board of Directors; compose press releases and CVLS’ monthly newsletter; and act as CVLS’ official webmaster developing web content, design and features of cvls.org.
Dan Quarfoot
Staff Attorney, Chancery Court Litigation Program
Dan Quarfoot
Education:
- Ohio University (B.S., Journalism, 2011) (B.A., Political Science, 2011)
- University of Michigan Law School (J.D., 2015)
Dan joined CVLS as a Staff Attorney for the Chancery Court Appointment Program in 2021. Dan represents litigants in a variety of matters, including mortgage foreclosure, insurance coverage, government benefits, and other complex civil litigation. Before joining CVLS, Dan represented low-income tenants in eviction actions and administrative proceedings as a member of Legal Aid Chicago’s Housing Practice Group and as a PILI Fellow with Cabrini Green Legal Aid. Dan previously worked as an associate attorney with Jenner & Block and served as law clerk for the Honorable Moshe Jacobius, Presiding Judge of the Chancery Division of the Circuit Court of Cook County.
Rebekah Azar Rashidfarokhi
Director, Guardianship & Immigration Programs for Children
Rebekah Azar Rashidfarokhi
- The University of Georgia (B.A., Spanish, 2003) (B.B.A., Marketing, 2003)
- The University of Georgia School of Law (J.D., 2007)
Since joining CVLS in 2007, Rebekah has handled cases in the areas of family law, adult and minor guardianship, immigration, and foreclosure. She has served as Director of the Guardian ad Litem for Minors Program since 2011, and is responsible for recruiting, training, and supervising more than 200 volunteer GALs every year. Rebekah enjoys working with pro bono attorneys to represent the best interests of vulnerable, low-income children in contested guardianship cases. During law school, Rebekah worked at an immigration clinic at the US-Mexico border and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Colombia. She is fluent in Spanish and is an active immigrant rights advocate, serving as supervisor of CVLS’ Detainee Bond Hearing and Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) Programs. Rebekah is a former Director of the Young Lawyers Section and former Chair of the Legal Aid Committee of the Chicago Bar Association. She is a current member of the CBA, the Child Law Section Council of the ISBA, the ABA Center on Children and the Law, the Iranian-American Bar Association, and the Board of Trustees of the Blowitz-Ridgeway Foundation. In 2019 Rebekah was selected by Chicago Lawyer Magazine and the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin as one of Illinois’ “40 Under 40” Attorneys to Watch. She was also recognized as a Fearless Children’s Lawyer by the Children’s Rights Litigation Committee of the American Bar Association in June 2021.
Rima Sleiman
Staff Attorney, Mortgage Foreclosure Mediation Program
Rima Sleiman
DePaul University (B.A. in Political Science- Sociology Minor)
University of Illinois Chicago School of Law (J.D. 2015)
Rima joined CVLS as a staff attorney for the Cook County Mortgage Foreclosure Mediation Program in 2021. Rima represents homeowners in mediation sessions, reviews foreclosure cases for possible legal defenses, and counsels homeowners on their loss mitigation options. Before joining CVLS, Rima worked as a law clerk for Judge William B. Sullivan in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Mortgage Foreclosure Division. As a law clerk, Rima gained a wealth of knowledge in mortgage foreclosure law. Rima was a committee member of the Cook County/Lebanese Judicial Exchange in 2018. While on the committee, Rima helped Judge Sullivan organize and plan the judicial exchange where 5 Lebanese judges visited Cook County to learn about the American legal system, including organizations offering pro bono services to underserved communities. The Lebanese judges visited the CVLS office as a part of their tour, and they were highly impressed by the concept of free legal help. Rima explored different areas of the law during her law school career. She served as an extern for Judge Mark Lopez in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Domestic Relations division. Rima also interned with the Cook County Elder Justice Center as a recipient of the Elder Law Scholarship from the Diversity Scholarship Foundation and interned at the Cook County Sheriff's Office in the Human Trafficking division.
Rima is a member of the Arab American Bar Association and is fluent in Arabic.
Massiel Tarango
Staff Attorney, Immigration
Massiel Tarango
- Loyola University Chicago (B.A. Political Science; Latin American Studies, Women’s Studies, 2002)
- Chicago-Kent College of Law (J.D., 2005)
Before joining CVLS, Massiel was a senior attorney in private practice with the Marsal Avila Law Group and served as law clerk for the Honorable Alexander P. White, Presiding Judge of the Law Division of the Circuit Court of Cook County. Through Loyola University Chicago’s LUConnect Alumni mentoring program, she is a long-time mentor to university students, particularly those with an interest in enrolling in law school and pursuing legal careers. Massiel has been a featured speaker in Spanish language radio programming on a variety of timely immigration topics while also responding to live call-in questions from listeners. She is the recipient of the Chicago-Kent College of Law Outstanding Pro Bono Service Award.
Robert Zielinski
Supervising Attorney, Child Rep
Robert Zielinski
- University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (B.S., Psychology, 2011)
- University of Pennsylvania Law School (J.D., 2015)
Rob first worked for CVLS in the Access to Justice Program in 2014 while finishing his third year of law school at the University of Chicago. During his time at Penn, Rob was a member of multiple pro bono organizations, including the Pennsylvania Innocence Project, the Housing Rights Project, and the Animal Law Project. As a law student, he represented adolescent clients in Philadelphia Family Court as part of Penn’s Interdisciplinary Child Advocacy Clinic. Rob was awarded a Penn Law Fellowship in September 2015 to return to CVLS as a staff attorney in the Child Rep program. Outside of work, Rob spends most of his time planning road trips and playing with his adorable dog, Vince.
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