Staff

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Robert is a Retired Colonel in the United States Army, where he served as a Staff Judge Advocate of the 82nd Airborne Division and the Army's senior ethics adviser. He is also a former senior attorney with the Veterans Administration.

Laura is a law professor at USC Gould School of Law. She practiced public interest law in Los Angeles for close to a decade working in the disability rights, gender justice, and veterans law fields. 

Jen, a former Air Force Staff Sergeant, is the Director of Valor Bridge, a transition program created to address the unique needs of veterans exiting the military.

John is a retired Lieutenant Colonel in the Army National Guard, where he served as a JAG Officer. He is currently a professional mediator and attorney.

Mike is a Colonel in the U.S. Marine Corps, where he has tried countless cases in federal and state courtrooms. A veteran of the war in Iraq, Mike is the founder of The Cardoza Law Corporation, a law firm which protects the civil rights of service members. 

Grant practices business litigation and commercial transactional law for the Phoenix-based firm Galbut Beabeau, P.C.  He served as the founding Editor-in-Chief of the CLMP’s law journal, the Journal of Law, Policy & Military Affairs, and now serves as the journal’s Attorney Editor.  Grant has worked with power brokers on both sides of the political aisle to advance service member-related advocacy efforts at the state and federal levels.

Charlotte is the Press Secretary for Human Rights Campaign. Her work has appeared in GQ, NBC News, and The New York Times.

 Mark is a Senior Partner, Rutan & Tucker's Costa Mesa office. He has litigated cases in state, federal and bankruptcy courts as well as counseled clients many substantive areas for the past three decades. He advises clients on early identification of potential disputes, dispute avoidance and cost-effective approaches for early resolution of litigation.  

Dr. Rhodes is a tenured professor at Pepperdine University.  A preeminent scholar in the arenas of business and organizational leadership, Dr. Rhodes holds appointments at both the Graziadio School of Business and the Graduate School of Education and Psychology.    

Melissa is a Vice President at Bank of America Corporation in their Global Technology and Operations Division. Melissa is most honored to have been raised and mentored by her veteran grandfather, Major A. Thomas, who led a life of service as both a California special education teacher and WWII Army Air Corps pilot. 

Carlos is a commercial litigator and partner at Gemmill, Baldridge & Yguico  in Los Angeles, California. He is a retired JAG Officer, specializing in defense work. During his JAG career, he defended 43 service members at court-martial proceedings, securing  37 defense verdicts.  

Don Christensen is President of Protect Our Defenders. He served as chief prosecutor for the United States Air Force between 2010 and 2014.  He appears regularly in broadcast and print media to advocate for rights of crime victims, including appearances on CNN, CBS, NBC, and ABC. He also testifies regularly before Congress.  

Susan is a renowned national attorney, known best for her advocacy for survivors of military sexual trauma.  In 2014, she collaborated with filmmakers who produced “The Invisible War,” a documentary about the lack of justice for military rape victims. Named one of the 75 female attorneys in the country, Susan appears as a guest on many TV shows, including Nightline, CNN, and the PBS News Hour.

Crystal Cornwall is a military family advocate and military spouse who works to address health and safety issues present in military housing. She is the co-founder of the Safe Military Housing Initiative, a non-profit that believes in a collaborative approach in addressing the military housing crisis.  Crystal was nominated as Marine Corps Spouse of the Year for 2016 for the 13th Marine Corps Expeditionary Unit at Camp Pendleton, CA and was nominated as an MSOY spouse in 2018.  

Sarah is a decorated Vietnam veteran who earned the Army Commendation Medal serving as an operating room nurse at the 12th Evacuation Hospital Cu Chi, Vietnam, during the height of the fighting in 1967.  The author of Women Under Fire: Abuse in the Military, Susan is a practicing nurse psychotherapist with over 35 years of experience healing PTSD.

Kevin is principal attorney of Snyder Law, P.C. in Irvine, California. He specializes in defending military veterans in Diversion and Veterans Treatment Court. Formerly, he was a Deputy Public Defender in Orange County.

Andrew is the Assistant Director of Career Advising for ADR, USC Gould School of Law. Andrew works with students studying Alternative Dispute Resolution to launch and grow their careers. Prior to joining USC Gould, Andrew served as Director of the Los Angeles County bar Association's Civic Mediation Project and Veterans Legal Services Project.  

Justin Rich is a medically retired Army veteran who proudly continues his service by advocating and educating his fellow servicemembers. After service Justin created and served as an advisor to Florida’s 4thJudicial Circuit Public Defender’s Office for Veteran Treatment Court. Presently Justin serves as the Vice President of the National Alliance to End Veteran Suicide where he connects community, private, and governmental organizations together through education and research projects.

Dr. Zaleski is a Clinical Associate Professor at the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work, focused on sexual assault victims and psychotherapy. The author of Understanding and Treating Military Sexual Trauma, she is one of the leading scholars in the field. The book was showcased at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books in 2015. 

Carol is the daughter of Captain Francis H. Turner. Her father died as a result of a fire at Pine Camp, New York in 1948. Captain Turner saved many of his colleagues before succumbing to his injuries. Her mother's subsequent lawsuit against the contractor who caused the fire led to the famous 1950 Supreme Court case, Feres v. United States. 

Rachel is a retired Lieutenant Colonel in the Air Force, where she served as a JAG Officer. A national security expert, she is a Professor of Law at the Southwestern Law School. She is a frequent commentator in the national media particularly regarding military justice and law of war issues. 

Kelly is an estate planning attorney, military family advocate, and navy spouse. She is a members of the San Diego Military Family Collaborative as well as a leader in the Military Spouse JD Network. 

Alexis lost her husband, Air Force Staff Sgt. Dean Witt, in an egregious example of medical malpractice. Her suit, Witt v. U.S., was dismissed by the judiciary on the grounds of the Feres Doctrine.   

Heath is a Navy veteran and military sexual assault survivor. He has worked with groups such as Protect our Defenders, the Service Womens' Action Network, and Human Rights Watch. He has also worked on numerous other bills, such as the Fairness for Vets Act, the MSA Transparency and Accountability Act, and the Military Justice Improvement Act.