OUR TEAM

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ROSE MUKHAR

Founder, Executive Director, and Principal Attorney

Rose Mukhar is a social justice, human rights and crime victims' rights attorney with experience in cases involving children, women, refugees, and survivors of domestic violence, torture, and human trafficking. Her pro bono practice specialized in providing direct legal services to trafficked survivors, including immigration relief, legal advocacy of crime victim’s rights, expungement of criminal records, divorce, custody and restraining orders. Modeled after her pro bono practice, Rose created Justice At Last to expand the legal services and outreach she provides. Rose is inspired and driven by the strength, courage and grace of her clients.

Rose earned an LL.M. degree in International Legal Studies, with a focus on human rights, and her J.D. from Golden Gate University School of Law in San Francisco, and spent the summer of 2012 studying the prosecution of war criminals and war crimes involving child combatants in The Hague, Netherlands, through American University, Washington College of Law. It was during her graduate law studies that Rose realized that child soldiering is a form of human trafficking during armed conflicts and this inspired her to serve survivors of all forms of human trafficking and in particular with commercially sexually exploited children (CSEC) and children that are labor trafficked.

Rose provides leadership to ensure that Justice At Last achieves its overall mission to protect the rights of trafficked persons so they can achieve justice on their own terms.

 
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CAROLYN KIM

Legal Director

Carolyn Kim is the Legal Director at Justice At Last where she leads, manages, and supports the legal and advocate staff who provide direct client representation and support services and she serves as lead counsel or co-counsel in major litigation matters.

Before joining Justice At Last, Carolyn was the senior attorney and program manager of the Coalition to Abolish Slavery & Trafficking (CAST) National Training and Technical Assistance Program providing comprehensive support to services providers working with trafficking survivors.

Before joining CAST, Carolyn was a staff attorney at Bay Area Legal Aid located in Richmond, CA where she represented survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking in their immigration and family law matters. Carolyn also worked as a family law attorney at Asian Pacific Islander Legal Outreach in Oakland, CA prior to joining Bay Area Legal Aid. Carolyn graduated from Santa Clara University School of Law and the University of California, Berkeley.

 

SAEROM CHOI

Operations Director

Saerom Choi is the Operations Director for Justice At Last. Saerom leads the efforts in directing and carrying out the organization’s infrastructure and day-to-day operations that allows us to achieve our goals and mission of empowering survivors of human trafficking to seek and achieve justice on their own terms. As a member of the management team, Saerom contributes her ideas and experience to our over all strategy, growth, health, and sustainability projects. Saerom is passionate about creating an organizational environment where all staff can thrive, in alignment with our core values of a just and equitable workplace.

Saerom joined Justice At Last in 2022 with over eight years of experience in direct services, community outreach and education, legislative and policy advocacy, as well as nonprofit programming experience. She is proud of our mission and programs and is honored to be a part of such an impactful organization!

 

KRISTY CHO

Program Director

Kristy Cho is the Program Director at Justice At Last and oversees the Client Advocacy program which provides short-term, trauma-informed, and client-centered social services for survivors being represented by Justice At Last. Kristy brings over 10 years of expertise working in the anti-trafficking field. Before joining Justice At Last, Kristy worked as a training and technical assistance provider specializing in developing and implementing practical applications around trauma-responsive and victim-centered legal programming. She also completed a multi-year fellowship with the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) where she developed practical tools and guidance for service providers on implementing survivor-informed services. Her expertise also includes operationalizing person-centered, trauma-informed social services as well as non-profit program development. Kristy has consulted for multiple organizations within the anti-trafficking field to provide specialized resources, standards, curricula, training, and technical assistance around serving survivors, multidisciplinary teamwork, and task forces. Kristy graduated with a Masters in Social Work from the University of Southern California Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work and a Bachelors in Social Welfare from the University of California, Berkeley. 

 

SHILAN SHEYKHAGHAEE

Finance Manager

Shilan Sheykhaghaee is the Finance Manager at Justice At Last. Shilan is an experienced and strategic professional who thrives on thoughtfully developing and growing a solid fiscal infrastructure. She's responsible for all finance, budget, and reporting activities, including financial forecasting and planning. She's a highly collaborative leader who is also detail-oriented and works to identify and implement sound fiscal policies and solutions to ensure fiscal compliance and accountability for the entire organization. 

Shilan has a master's degree in economics with more than 15 years of experience in accounting and financial management. She previously worked at the Canadian Red Cross for more than 12 years, managing several government grants. She has extensive knowledge and experience managing financial data and monitoring the financial risk of accounting processes, combined with many years of experience in Non-profit organizations. 

 

BORA LEE

Managing Attorney

Bora Lee is the Managing Attorney at Justice At Last and is responsible for supervising a comprehensive legal services program to serve the unique needs of trafficked persons. This highly responsible position manages the development, coordination and delivery of quality trauma-informed legal services to survivors of human trafficking through broad based collaboration. In her previous role as Senior Staff Attorney, Bora’s work included the following: protecting constitutionally provided victim rights of survivors at various stages of criminal proceedings; preparing complex T visas on behalf of undocumented trafficking survivors; pursuing vacatur relief across a dozen different jurisdictions within California; and securing domestic violence restraining orders and custody orders in favor of trafficking survivors. 

Before joining Justice At Last, Bora was a Staff Attorney at Asian Pacific Islander Legal Outreach in Oakland, CA, where she represented survivors of human trafficking in various capacities, including immigration, family law, and victim rights representation.

Bora graduated from the George Washington University Law School in Washington D.C., where she interned at the United States Commission on Civil Rights, the D.C. Office of Human Rights, and worked as a student-attorney at the law school’s Public Justice Advocacy Clinic.

 

LINDSAY MARUM

Senior Staff Attorney

Lindsay Marum is a Senior Staff Attorney at Justice At Last. Her legal experience includes litigating employment discrimination cases at Sanford Heisler Sharp, representing students in Title IX hearings at Abdnour Law, and traveling to Ethiopia to represent the United Nations through UCI School of Law’s International Justice Clinic.

Lindsay earned her Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Irvine School of Law. Prior to law school, Lindsay earned her Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Northeastern University. Lindsay has authored several articles on issues related to human rights, such as the effect of U.S. foreign policies on the reproductive rights of women in developing countries and what constitutes “objectively tangible harm” for discrimination claims under Title VII.

 

ANA SANDERSON

Staff Attorney I

Ana Sanderson is a Staff Attorney at Justice At Last. Ana transitioned into the non-profit sphere in order to fully commit to social impact work in the field of human rights. Prior to joining Justice At Last, Ana worked as a corporate associate in the Technology practice of Goodwin Procter LLP where she received a Pro Bono Superstar Award in recognition of the pro bono services she performed primarily for refugees seeking protection in the United States from persecution and other serious human rights violations committed in his or her home country.

Ana earned her Juris Doctor degree from the University of California Law, San Francisco. During law school, Ana served on the nationally-ranked Trial Team and was a recipient of the Donald Jay Sullivan Award for Aspiring Trial Attorneys in 2019 and 2020. Ana was also selected as a teaching assistant for the Legal Research and Writing Program to provide academic instruction to first-year law students. Prior to law school, Ana earned her Bachelor of Science in Legal Studies with a Minor in History from the University of California, Berkeley where she graduated with High Distinction.

 

CHELSEA BHARANI

Registered Legal Aid Attorney

Chelsea Bharani is a Staff Attorney at Justice At Last and a California Registered Legal Aid Attorney. Before joining Justice At Last, Chelsea was a real estate investor and also worked as in-house counsel in the construction industry, while secretly harboring the dream of making the leap to the nonprofit sector. Chelsea received her Juris Doctor from Chicago-Kent College of Law and her Bachelor of Business Administration in Economics from Loyola University Chicago where she focused on economic social justice and micro-finance. While she was in college, she interned at Grameen Bank in Bangladesh which is what initially piqued her interest in the intersection of social justice and the law. 

 

BRIAN ELLIOTT-PEKRUL

Staff Attorney I

Brian Elliott-Pekrul is a Staff Attorney with Justice At Last. Previously, Brian worked as a staff attorney with the AIDS Legal Referral Panel, a non-profit that provides legal services to Bay Area residents living with HIV/AIDS. Brian’s drive to work at Justice At Last stemmed from his desire to provide disadvantaged communities with access to legal services. 
 
Brian received his Juris Doctor from the University of San Francisco, a Master of Social Work from Columbia University, a Master of Public Health from Dartmouth, Master of Public Affairs from UC Berkeley, and a Bachelor of Arts from UC Santa Barbara. Brian was born and raised in San Francisco, where he continues to live with his wife and young family. 

 

JOSE PADRON-LEMUS

Anti-Trafficking Legal Coordinator

Jose Padron-Lemus is the Anti-Trafficking Legal Coordinator at Justice At Last. Jose is also our Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) Accredited Representative and he represents foreign national clients before the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR), which includes the immigration courts and the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA). Prior to joining Justice At Last, Jose worked at the Santa Clara County Public Defender’s Office as a legal assistant, La Raza Centro Legal in San Francisco as a legal extern, Louie & Jimenez, LLP a full-service law firm as a certified law clerk, and most recently at Nadia Yakoob & Associates as a corporate immigration law clerk.

Jose graduated from Golden Gate University School of Law in San Francisco in May 2022, and earned a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice Studies from San Francisco State University in 2019. In his free time, Jose enjoys watching sports, movies, and traveling.

 

HELEN SONG

Legal Fellow

Helen Song is an Attorney and a Powell Legal Fellow at Justice At Last, where she is working with our team to expand access to vacatur relief to trafficked persons throughout the Bay Area. She earned her law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law as a Law and Public Service Fellow. In law school, she interned at Bay Area Legal Aid and Asian Pacific Islander Legal Outreach, where she provided trauma-informed legal services to survivors of trafficking and other indigent clients. She also represented clients at the Civil Rights Clinic with the Legal Aid Justice Center and the UVA Law Decarceration and Community Reentry Clinic.

Prior to law school, Helen earned her Bachelor of Arts at the Johns Hopkins University. Originally from Seoul, Korea, she is fluent in Korean. Helen is passionate about providing survivors with autonomy by removing social and economic barriers, and she is excited to do that work at Justice At Last.

 

GENESIS DUONG

Client Advocate Program Manager

Genesis Duong is the Client Advocate Program Manager with Justice At Last. Genesis has been working with intersectional vulnerable populations for the past 6 years. Before joining Justice At Last, she was the Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Shelter Coordinator for Valley Crisis Center, where she supervised the shelter advocates, managed the logistics of an emergency shelter and 24/7 crisis line, and supported the Human Trafficking Shelter Team as needed. Genesis graduated from California State University, Long Beach, and holds a Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Administration. She is bilingual in English and Spanish. Genesis’s favorite part of managing teams within the social services setting is empowering her staff to embrace their unique talents in order to provide exceptional trauma informed care to clients within intersectional vulnerable populations.

 

RENELLE MALONE

Client Advocate I

Renelle Malone is a Client Advocate I with Justice At Last. Prior to joining Justice At Last, she worked with people living with HIV/ AIDS as a Housing Project Manager and oversaw two housing programs. Renelle considers herself a social engineer and public servant with a specific focus on advocacy. Her passion for public service stems from her hands-on experience while serving the community.  

Renelle graduated from Arizona State University with honors and received a Bachelor of Science in Public Service and Public Policy with a concentration in Law and Policy. During her undergraduate years, she was involved in various prestigious internships. Some of which included the Phoenix Public Defender’s Office, the Maricopa County Superior Courthouse, and the Office of Congresswoman Barbara Lee. Renelle was able to gain a comprehensive understanding of law, policy, and social services as a result of her experiences. Her favorite part about working in the non-profit realm is being able to directly and positively impact people’s lives. Ultimately, Renelle is excited to learn, adapt and cater to the local Bay Area.  

 

SERGIO JAVIER HERRERA

Client Advocate I

Sergio Herrera is a Client Advocate with Justice At Last. Sergio graduated from California State University, Chico, with a Bachelor of Art in Criminal Justice, and a minor in Ethics, Justice, and Policy. As a student, he worked as a Community Service Officer for the University Police Department and interned at the Chico Police Department. Sergio discovered his passion for providing services to others as he participated in community building.

Previously, Sergio worked as a Therapeutic Behavioral Specialist and provided intensive individualized, one-on-one, short-term interventions in conjunction with mental health treatment for youth up to age 21 who experience severe emotional/behavioral challenges.  

Sergio desires to continue expanding his skill set in public service and empowering survivors who have been exposed to vicarious trauma while utilizing a trauma-informed care approach.

RILEY HELLINGER

Client Advocate I

Riley Hellinger is a Client Advocate at Justice At Last. They have worked in the field of gender-based violence survivor support and prevention for the last 7 years. Before joining Justice At Last, Riley worked with survivors and victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and sexual exploitation in the East Bay.

Riley graduated from UC Berkeley with a Bachelor of Arts in Social Welfare and Sociology. During their academic studies, they were involved in the university’s sexual violence peer education and restorative justice programs. These experiences have strengthened their commitment to advocacy and survivors’ rights to self-determination. Riley is driven to always be learning and improving in their trauma-informed approach to supporting people throughout the Bay Area.