OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Carol is a civil rights lawyer and advocate. Carol graduated from Douglass College in 1968 and the People’s College of Law in 1978. She spent twenty years working for the ACLU Foundation of Southern California, most recently as Senior Staff Counsel. 

Since 1997 Carol has served as the lead attorney on several cases representing the homeless against the City of Los Angeles. She litigated the landmark cases including Jones vs. City of Los Angeles, Lavan v. City of Los Angeles, and Desertrain v. City of Los Angeles. She has also tackled similar issues in Orange County.

Carol serves on the board of directors for several organizations that advocate for proactive approaches to civil rights issues, including the National Police Accountability Project. She regularly gives talks on her work and is currently an adjunct professor at Loyola Law School where she teaches a civil right practicum. Carol was recognized as a highly accomplished Super Lawyer for civil rights for 2004-2021 and was named California Lawyer of the Year for her work on behalf of unhoused persons and those exercising First Amendment rights to protest against the government. 1 year of service.

Akhil is an associate attorney with DLA Piper focusing on antitrust, appellate, healthcare, and technology-related issues. He has extensive experience in federal court, having completed several significant federal trials and two federal judicial clerkships. Akhil holds a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Biochemistry from the University of California at Riverside. Before law school, he taught for and eventually co-ran the Southern California LSAT program for a national standardized test preparation company. Akhil received his law degree from the University of California at Irvine, and he was the research editor and lead article editor for UC Irvine Law Review. He also was an elected fellow with the American Bar Foundation. Akhil served on the board of directors for several other organizations including the Orange County Coalition for Diversity in the Law, Public Law Center Advocates, Thurgood Marshall Bar Association, and UC Irvine School of Law Dean's Circle.

Heidi is the Co-founder of Bock & Plummer, Attorneys at Law. Ms. Plummer was born and raised in Orange County, graduated cum lade as a member of the Dean’s honor roll from California State University, Long Beach (CSULB). She obtained her Juris Doctorate from Western State College of Law, where she participated in the negotiations team, dean’s circle, completed over forty hours of public service, and graduated with honors. Ms. Plummer has extensive experience in probate, bankruptcy, and business law. She assisted and litigated in nearly every aspect of the law. Ms. Plummer's numerous accolades include Best Probate Attorney in Santa Ana in 2022; Super Lawyers Rising Start in 2023 and 2024; Philanthropist in Marquis Who's who of America 2023 and 2024; Top 100 Civil Litigators and Trust Litigators 2022, 2023. Ms. Plummer is the past director, secretary, and current treasurer of Orange County Women Lawyers Association Foundation; current director for Veterans Legal Institute; member of the Steering Committee for Moms of Orange County; member of the Orange County Unity Bar; member of Orange County American Asian Bar Association; member of Hispanic Bar Association. Past secretary and chair-elect, current chair of the Solo/Small Firm Section of the Orange County Bar Association; Orange County Bar Association Charitable Fund committee member; member of the William P. Gray Inn of Courts. Ms. Plummer also serves on various committees in Orange County Women Lawyers Association in addition to her duties as treasurer, including sponsorships, programs, awards, philanthropy, membership, and many others.

   Denise Carter is the global vice president of Diversity and Communications at designory. Denise leads their Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives and oversees Corporate Communications globally. Before that, Denise worked as The Torklaw Firm’s Chief People Officer and LawWorks’s Chief Community Officer where she led development and implementation of the firm's people and culture strategy and the business development and marketing team while she ensured the smooth running of ongoing operations. 

Denise holds an undergraduate degree from University of Colorado Boulder, a MBA from University of Denver - Daniels College of Business and a law degree from the Loyola Law School, Loyola Marymount University.  

Jordana Furman has her own private law practice.  In addition, she volunteers countless hours at the ELDR Center. 

After graduating from law school, Jordana volunteered at the Legal Aid Society of Orange County and the Public Law Center. 

Jordana holds an undergraduate degree from California State University Long Beach, a MBA from  Drucker School of Management at Claremont Graduate University and a law degree from the Fowler School of Law at Chapman University.

Reza Torkzadeh is a nationally recognized plaintiff’s trial attorney at TorkLaw who has dedicated his professional career to the pursuit of justice by exclusively representing victims in personal injury and wrongful death cases. Reza has handled numerous high-profile cases in both state and federal courts, and has served in leadership roles in litigation at the national level. He has been featured for legal commentary by the Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Daily News, Los Angeles Daily Journal, San Francisco Daily Journal, New York Daily News, Metro News, Christian Science Monitor, KUSI TV, and many other news outlets and publications.

Reza is a frequently invited guest speaker and has lectured across the country on the practice of law and the civil justice system. He is a proud Honorary Board Member of the Los Angeles Trial Lawyers Charity, an active member of the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles, and President’s Club Member of the Consumer Attorneys of California.

Reza is the co-author of the book, Accidents Happen: A Consumer’s Guide to the Personal Injury and Wrongful Death System, which is now it its second edition and continues to receive wide acclaim and endorsement from the legal community.

Rebekah Thomas is an Special Education Attorney practicing at Atkinson Andelson Loya Ruud & Roma. Rebekah represents school districts and county offices of education in education law with a concentration in special education and student issues. She provides interpretation and assessment of issues arising under the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and Americans with Disabilities Act. Mrs. Thomas represents school districts at IEP team meetings, resolution sessions, mediations, and due process hearings.

  Porsche is a Regional Assistant Chief Counsel with State Compensation Insurance Fund. 

She received her law degree from Pepperdine Law School and a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Policy and Management from the University of Southern California. Porsche is an executive board member of the Thurgood Marshall Bar Association and Chief Financial Officer for the Thurgood Marshall Bar Association Foundation. New member.

  Richard McNeil is a partner in the Environment & Natural Resources Group and the Commercial Litigation Group at Crowell & Moring LLP.  Rick is a trial attorney with numerous jury, bench and administrative trials to his credit, particularly in the areas of environmental, land use, tort and product liability, real estate and business litigation. 

Rick is recognized for his knowledge about CEQA (the California Environmental Quality Act) and  has served as lead counsel or co-counsel in numerous CEQA cases through the trial and appellate phases. 

Rick is a member of the American Law Institute, where he contributes to the current revision of the Restatement of the Law, 4th, Property. 

The City of Newport Beach  appointed Rick to the Water Quality and Coastal Tidelands Committee. Rick just completed a six-year term as a Member of the Board of Directors of the Orange County Bar Association while remaining the Co-Chair of the OCBA’s Diversity Committee. Rick on the the Board of Directors for Legal Aid of Orange County and is the Chair Emeritus of the Pacific Chorale, a symphonic choral organization that provides free after-school music education to inner city children. 

 Danielle Mayer is a member of the  Litigation Practice Group at Buchalter law firm, and is the CoChair of the firm’s Equine Law Industry Group.  Danielle focuses her practice on civil litigation and dispute  resolution. She has a diverse federal and state court litigation  practice, representing clients in class actions and complex  commercial disputes, in a wide array of matters involving breach of  contract, allegations of fraud and real estate disputes, among  others. Danielle has extensive experience in complex product  liability and personal injury cases, specifically mass tort litigation,  and represents clients in matters relating to medical devices,  pharmaceutical drugs, and automobiles in state and federal  courts. Cases included prosecuting and defending claims,  including jury and bench trials in cases in federal and state court.  Along with advising clients in all aspects of the equestrian  industry, Danielle also has an interest in artificial intelligence (AI)  and autonomous vehicle (AV) transportation. She has spoken and  written on the issues of AV regulation as well as the emerging  public policy and regulatory issues related to AV. Prior to joining Buchalter, Danielle was an attorney for an  international law firm in its Los Angeles offices. Danielle earned her J.D. from Loyola Law School in Los Angeles,  California, where she was the Production Editor of the Loyola of  Los Angeles Law Review and a member of the Scott Moot Court  Honors Board. She also served as a judicial extern for the  Honorable James J. Di Cesare in the Superior Court of Orange  County in California. Ms. Mayer earned her B.A. in English Literature and Political Science from George Washington University.