I was born and raised in the San Fernando Valley and continue to reside here. I don’t have a cool story about how I became an attorney. When people find out I am an attorney, typically the first reaction is “no way, you don’t seem like a lawyer.” And I wouldn’t want it any other way. While I am appreciative to be a lawyer, as it allows me to help those who have been injured, I never intended to become a lawyer. Growing up, I didn’t know any lawyers and always thought of lawyers as stuffy and unapproachable.

My dad was a tree trimmer, and I grew up working with him from a young age. Once I turned 18 I transitioned to working in concrete construction, which taught me the importance of taking care of your body and how important health is to our lives. From construction I transitioned into working at a physical therapy office during college, which further reinforced this belief. After graduating college I didn’t really have a plan, I was just looking for any “real” job. My mom was an administrative assistant at a large insurance company and let me know there was a position open in a different department. I applied and ended up getting the position as a bodily injury adjuster.

I worked as a bodily injury adjuster and supervisor for a large insurance company for about six years when something minor frustrated me at work and I decided to apply for the LSAT on a whim. Five years later, after attending night school while still working as an adjuster I passed the bar and became an attorney. I spent some time as an attorney working on the defense side, but I always knew from the time I signed up for law school that I wanted to work for injured people.