About ADI

If you have a question concerning an appeal pending in the Fourth Appellate District, please contact the assigned staff attorney. If no staff attorney has yet been assigned to the case, please contact Michelle Rogers at mcr@adi-sandiego.com . Under our contract with the State, ADI can only assist indigent persons on appeal within the Fourth Appellate District - San Diego, Imperial, Riverside, San Bernardino and Orange counties. If you need a lawyer or legal advice you should contact the bar association or a lawyer referral service for the State and County in which you live, or where your case is being heard.

APPLYING TO THE PANEL:

If you are an attorney interested in applying to receive appointments in cases in the Fourth District, click here (PDF).

Panel Attorney Ombudsman/Liaison: Cindi Mishkin and Neil Auwarter

Web Master: Amy Spintman

ADI Staff Login

ADI BIOS:

Alexander, Elaine
Executive Director

Elaine A. Alexander, executive director, has been with ADI since 1973 and has held the position of executive director since 1979. In those years she developed the concept of the district appellate project, pioneered the first such program (ADI), and helped create the statewide system that serves all of the California appellate courts.

A 1968 graduate of Yale Law School, Order of the Coif, Ms. Alexander is a member of the California and United States Supreme Court Bars. She has long been active in the San Diego and California appellate communities. She is currently serving on the California Judicial Council's Appellate Indigent Defense Oversight Advisory Committee and the Proposition 66 Rules Working Group. She recently served on the Appellate Advisory Committee and the Advisory Committee on Criminal Jury Instructions. She coauthors the ADI Criminal Appellate Practice Manual. She also has taught appellate advocacy as an adjunct professor.

Ms. Alexander has received numerous awards for her leadership in bringing quality legal services to the indigent. Among them are the Loren Miller Award from the State Bar, the Kathleen McCree Lewis Award from the American Academy of Appellate Lawyers, the Fay Stender Award from California Women Lawyers, the Belva Lockwood Award from the Lawyers Club of San Diego, the awards for outstanding service to the profession (2008) and public attorney of the year (1990) from the San Diego County Bar Association, the E. Stanley Conant and Paul Bell Awards from the Defender Organizations of San Diego, the "War Horse" award from the San Diego Criminal Defense Bar Association, and the Defender Services Award from the National Legal Aid and Defender Association.

She is married to USD law professor Larry Alexander and has three children, four grandchildren, and a long history of adopting pets.

Auwarter, Neil
Staff Attorney

A native Midwesterner, Neil joined ADI in 1989. Neil attended Eastern Illinois University (B.S. 1980, Economics and Political Science) and Stanford Law School (J.D. 1983). Before joining ADI, Neil spent four years in civil practice, followed by three years on the faculty of California Western Law School, where he taught Contracts, Professional Responsibility and Legal Writing. Neil is a former chair of the County Bar's Criminal Rules Committee.

In 2000, Neil served as faculty for the Appellate Advocacy College in San Francisco, co-sponsored by the appellate courts and appellate projects. Neil authored the criminal law essay question for the Bar's 2000 Appellate Specialization Exam. Away from work, Neil enjoys photography, tennis and snowboarding.

Cella, Michele
Staff Attorney

Michele Cella graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of San Diego School of Law. After graduation, she accepted a judicial clerkship in her home state of Minnesota. She returned to San Diego several years later, and became an adjunct professor of legal writing at Thomas Jefferson School of Law. Shorty therafter, she joined the appointed counsel panel, working on dependency and civil commitment cases. Ms. Cella joined ADI in 2016. She is a member of the Appellate Inns of Court and the San Diego County Bar Association.

Cohen, Howard
Staff Attorney

Howard C. Cohen joined ADI in June 1984. He received his B.A. from Princeton University and his J.D. from U.C.L.A. (Order of the Coif; Law Review). After law school, he first worked as a research attorney for the Honorable William B. Enright (So. Dist. Cal.). He then practiced nearly five years in criminal trial practice with then-Defenders, Inc. and another nearly five years in civil litigation, both plaintiff and defense representation. He is a Captain, U.S. Naval Reserve, Judge Advocate General's Corps (Retired).

In his naval reserve capacity, Mr. Cohen was awarded, among other awards, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal for his service with the United States Pacific Command and the Navy Meritorious Service Medal for his service as an appellate judge on the Navy-Marine Court of Criminal Appeals. In his civilian practice, he was honored as the Public Lawyer of the Year (1996) by the San Diego County Bar Association, the Paul Bell Award (2011), and was one of the first certified appellate law specialists. He has argued before the California Supreme Court and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. He is rated AV by Martindale-Hubbell. In addition to California, he is a member of the bars of the United States Supreme Court, the District of Columbia (inactive), the Ninth Circuit, the Southern and Central Districts of California, and the Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces. He is a Master of both the Enright and San Diego Appellate Inns of Court (and on the Executive Committee of the latter).

Mr. Cohen is a devoted fan of the St. Louis Cardinals and has interests in traveling and philately, if his grandchildren leave him any time.

Dershem, Carl
Documents Coordinator

Carl Dershem joined ADI in December of 1997 as the office file clerk. Before joining ADI, he clerked for 13 years at the San Diego County Superior Court and served 10 years in the Navy. He previously attended San Diego State University, studying history, anthropology, and music. As a clerk at ADI, he maintains the busy file room, determines transcript size and count, and is occasionally called upon to provide some front office and computer support. Outside of ADI, he plays with several bands and is working on his third book.

Fabian, Linda
Staff Attorney

Before joining ADI as a staff attorney in 2007, Linda Fabian was an attorney on the appointed counsel panel and worked in that capacity with ADI for 19 years, handling juvenile dependency and mental health appeals. She obtained her undergraduate degree from UC Santa Barbara and her law degree from California Western School of Law, graduating Magna Cum Laude. Before joining the panel, she practiced in firms handling real estate litigation and family law matters. Her hobbies include traveling, cooking, gardening, and painting.

Furness, Laura
Staff Attorney

Laura Furness joined ADI in September 2005 after a brief time on the appointed counsel panel. A native of Los Angeles, she received her degree in journalism from Humboldt State University. After spending a few years reporting local news on the radio in Eureka, California, she relocated to San Diego. She graduated from University of San Diego School of Law with a J.D. and, a year later, with an LL.M. in International Law. After law school, she was a litigation defense attorney in general liability, business law, and medical malpractice. She also did a short stint as a plaintiff’s attorney in employment law. Away from ADI, she enjoys gardening, hiking, reading, and movies.

Hall, Kathy
Paralegal

Kathy joined ADI in January of 1995. She earned her paralegal certificate from the University of San Diego, Legal Assistant Program and her bachelor's degree from UC Berkeley. GO BEARS! As a paralegal with ADI, she is responsible for administering appeals and processing claims. She also serves as ADI's law librarian. Lastly, Kathy is responsible for all the non-case related correspondence ADI receives on a daily basis. She is the proud mother of two. Although her family is Kathy's main focal point in her life right now, she still enjoys going for a jog, or walk, cooking, baking and reading.

Hee, Lynelle
Staff Attorney, Paralegal Manager

Lynelle Hee obtained her law degree from the University of San Diego School of Law and was admitted to the California Bar in 1993. Following graduation, she worked at the San Diego Public Defender’s Office. She joined ADI in September of 2002.

Ihara, Patricia
Staff Attorney

Patricia Ihara was an attorney on the appointed counsel panel for over 15 years before joining ADI in 2012. She graduated from U.C. Santa Cruz with an anthropology major. After college, she lived in Japan and worked for a year in a pottery village. Returning to the States, she was a potter for 13 years before deciding to go to law school.

Irza, Helen
Staff Attorney

Q: Why does California have all the lawyers and New Jersey have all the toxic waste dumps?
A: New Jersey got first choice.

Helen was born and grew up in a small, woodsy, town in New Jersey. Twenty-two years later, she moved to California and earned a bachelor’s degree in international relations from Stanford University. Before attending law school at the University of San Diego, School of Law, she worked as an information systems consultant for Accenture in New Orleans and Seville, Spain. She joined ADI in 2014 after ten years as an intellectual property litigator and seven years as a panel attorney.

Jauregui-Law, Anna
Staff Attorney

Anna M. Jauregui-Law received her undergraduate degree from USC and juris doctorate from UCLA School of Law. While attending USC, she interned in Washington D.C. under the public policy administration program. While in law school, she studied abroad in Paris, France, and worked as an extern law clerk for the Honorable David V. Kenyon, U.S. District Court Judge, in Los Angeles. She began her legal career as a deputy district attorney with the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office. When she moved to San Diego, she worked for a civil litigation firm and became a member of the Appointed Counsel Panel. In 1991, she joined ADI.

She has served as a California State Bar Commissioner for the Judicial Nominees Evaluation Commission, as a San Diego County Judge Pro Tempore, and as an adjunct professor for Thomas Jefferson School of Law. She has been a Vice President and Board Director of Lawyers Club of San Diego, an Affiliate Governor for the California Women’s Lawyers Board of Governors and its assistant newsletter editor, and a Board Director of San Diego La Raza Lawyers Association. She is a member of the San Diego County Bar Association and its Children at Risk Committee, Women of Color in the Law, and the La Raza Lawyers Association. She is a founder and leader of Latinas in the Law of San Diego. She has also served on non-profit community boards such as the Chicano Federation of San Diego, a social service agency, and La Cuna, a foster family agency and on the school board for Stella Maris Academy in La Jolla. She has been recognized for her community service contributions, having received awards from La Cuna for Most Valuable Board Member, the San Diego Magazine for Latinos Making a Difference, and the San Diego La Raza Lawyers Association for Special Service to the Association and to the Latino Legal Community.

At ADI, she represents clients, provides supervision and guidance to appointed counsel, and assists in the administration of indigent appeals. She is ADI’s website committee chairperson.

Jog, Anita
Staff Attorney

Anita joined ADI as a law clerk in 2000. After she graduated from the University of San Diego, School of Law in 2001, ADI was honored to welcome Anita on board as a full-time staff attorney. Additionally, upon graduation from USD, Anita was awarded the prestigious Joseph P. Busch, Jr. Criminal Justice Award.

Martin, Art
Staff Attorney

Art Martin was born in Balboa Park (the Naval Hospital, not the Zoo) and graduated from Crawford High School in East San Diego. He has a B.A. in philosophy from Columbia, a Ph.D. in anthropology from the University of New Mexico, and a J.D. from the University of San Diego School of Law, Order of the Coif, where he was an Executive Editor of the Law Review and graduated magna cum laude. Art clerked at ADI during law school, was a junior staff attorney for two years, and then on the panel for 12 years before returning to ADI in 2017.

Mishkin, Cindi
Staff Attorney

Cindi Mishkin earned her bachelor's degree from Columbia University. After graduation, Cindi returned to the West Coast where she attended the University of San Francisco School of Law. While in law school, she volunteered at the San Francisco Public Defender's Office and at Legal Services for Prisoners with Children. She also externed for a semester at the California Supreme Court. There, she worked in the criminal central staff helping to process numerous petitions for review for the court's weekly Wednesday calendar. After graduating from law school, she worked in San Francisco with several attorneys on the appointed counsel panel, practicing both criminal appellate and criminal trial law, and she became a member of the SDAP panel. Ultimately, she was hired by ADI and began working in San Diego in January 1995. She is an avid practitioner of Iyengar Yoga and the proud parent of two very busy girls and one cat, Spot.

Montanez, Savannah
Law Clerk

An Arizona native, Savannah earned a bachelor’s degree in anthropology from Northern Arizona University. After undergraduate school, she moved to San Diego and worked as a paralegal. She currently attends the University of San Diego School of Law, where she is an Articles Editor for the San Diego Law Review. Before joining ADI, she served as an extern to the Honorable Justice William S. Dato and worked as a contract coordinator for UC San Diego Health. In her free time, she loves exploring beautiful San Diego with family and friends.

Olthoff, Lori
Data Management Coordinator

After attending Southern Oregon State and Pepperdine University, Lori decided to travel the West and eventually wound up joining ADI in early 1992. She maintains and troubleshoots all aspects of ADI's case management system; analyzes data and produces statistical reports; manages all archived records; coordinates staff attorney compensations claims and produces ADI's monthly invoices.

When not at ADI, she can be found on one of the Olthoff motorcycles; hiking, or in her kitchen creating a new recipe.

Palacio, Omar
Panel Management Coordinator

Born and raised in San Diego, Omar joined ADI in 1990 as an office assistant. He is a panel and staff compensation claims processor. Omar also is responsible for managing ADI’s panel attorney database, as well as processing new panel applications. He assists our Spanish speaking callers. Omar is an auto racing fanatic, likes drawing, and just spending time outside enjoying the San Diego weather.

Rankin, David
Staff Attorney, Claims Manager

A lifelong resident of San Diego, Dave first worked as a law clerk for ADI in 1990 during his final year of law school at the University of San Diego, where he previously had earned B.A.'s in English and Religious Studies. He returned to ADI as an attorney in 1994 after working for a local law firm doing bankruptcy law and occasional panel cases from ADI. Dave has argued before the California Supreme Court.

Rattner, Lindsay
Paralegal

Lindsay joined ADI as a paralegal in 2015. As a paralegal, she administers ongoing appeals, processes claims, and helps maintain the ADI website. Before entering the legal field, she worked as an international logistics specialist for a moving company. She received her bachelor’s degree from the College of William and Mary and her paralegal certificate from UC San Diego. Though she originally hails from the great state of Maryland, she reluctantly concedes that the weather in San Diego is much better.

Rogers, Michelle
Staff Attorney

Michelle Rogers graduated from UCSD in 1993, including a year studying at the University of Barcelona, Spain. She graduated from the California Western School of Law in 1998, cum laude. Ms. Rogers started as a law clerk at ADI in 1997, and was welcomed aboard as a staff attorney upon her admission to the bar. Her hobbies include spending time with her dog and husband (in that order LOL), rooting for the Chargers and traveling.

Rose, Leslie
Staff Attorney

Leslie joined ADI in 1986. She received a B.A. in Government from Pomona College in 1979 and a J.D. from the University of San Diego School of Law in 1982. In her "off time," Leslie enjoys participating in The Thursday Club (since 1996). She has a son who graduated from Cal Berkeley, started a tech recruiting business, but is now in U.C. Hastings Law School; a daughter who graduated from UCLA and USD School of Law, passed the Bar, and is now in a civil firm; a husband who is a veterinarian; three cats, and one golden retriever. She looks forward to their annual “Griswold Family Vacations” either in Montana or cruising the waterways on the Princess Line. Leslie enjoys reading all sorts of novels, exercising with friends, and taking the dog for long walks around Point Loma.

Sanchez, Cristina
Staff Attorney

Cristina Sanchez earned her bachelor’s degree from The Ohio State University. Upon moving to San Diego, she worked for a non-profit organization focused on affordable housing and community economic development. She graduated cum laude from California Western School of Law. After spending six years with the San Diego Public Defender’s Office, she worked another six years supervising a division of the Dependency Legal Group of San Diego, in both positions representing children and parents in juvenile dependency cases. After a short time on the appointed appellate counsel panel, Ms. Sanchez joined ADI in 2018. She is a Child Welfare Law Specialist, certified by the National Association of Counsel for Children.

Shetty, Siri
Staff Attorney

Siri joined ADI in November 2016, after 10 years as a panel attorney. Before joining the ADI panel, she also practiced in federal court as part of the Criminal Justice Act panel. She began her career in indigent defense in 2000, as a trial attorney with Federal Defenders of San Diego, Inc.

Spintman, Amy
Office Administrator

Amy joined ADI in 1989. She earned her bachelor's degree from Hofstra University and her master's degree from the University of West Florida. Her duties at ADI include human resources, accounting, network administration, and managing the day-to-day administrative needs of the office. Outside of the office, Amy is on the board of directors of the San Diego House Rabbit Society and shares her home with her cat and rescued house rabbits.

Swartz, Suzanne
Claims Processor

Suzanne attended the University of San Diego (B.A. International Relations, Minor in German). After graduation she spent more than 4 years living abroad in Freiburg, Germany where she worked for a Telecommunications firm. A midwest transplant, Suzanne is happy to be in San Diego enjoying the beautiful weather with her family. Suzanne is a claims processor with ADI and is now a Paralegal. Outside of the office, Suzanne likes traveling, swimming, and wine tasting.

Villa, Din
Paralegal

Din Villa joined ADI as a paralegal in 2000. He is a graduate of U.C. Berkeley and received a post-graduate paralegal certificate from UC San Diego. Before joining ADI, he worked as a paralegal intern with the San Diego District Attorney's Office in the "Lifer Hearing Unit" and as a paralegal for a debt collection firm.