Ashleigh Backman
Director Pro Bono, Partnerships, and Development
Shannon Carter
Project Coordinator
Felix Chaoulideer
Paralegal and Office Manager
Felix recently graduated from the University of Chicago with a B.A. in Philosophy and German and may pursue a legal degree in the future.
Chelsea Donaldson
Staff Attorney, Veteran Benefits & Eligibility
Chelsea began her career at CVLC as a Connecticut Bar Foundation Singer Fellow representing survivors of military sexual trauma in VA Benefits cases. Prior to her Singer Fellowship, Chelsea worked as clerk for the Connecticut Judicial Branch. Her graduate career includes clinical experience as a social worker for incarcerated people reintegrating into society. She earned her J.D., cum laude, from Western New England University School of Law and her M.S.W. from Springfield College. She is admitted to the Connecticut State Bar and Court of Appeals for Veterans’ Claims (CAVC).
Sharon Fialkovich
Staff Attorney, Veteran Benefits for Seniors
Christy Fisher
Senior Counsel
Karen Gargamelli-McCreight
Screening Attorney
At Common Law, Karen co-created an innovative model to address the foreclosure crisis through pro se training. This model worked to bridge the access to justice gap for low-income individuals and their families facing home foreclosure.
She also co-founded and co-directed Benincasa Community, a small non-profit offering hospitality and supportive services in NYC and—most recently—therapeutic farming and eco-education in Guilford, CT.
Karen earned her J.D. from the City University of New York School of Law and a B.A. in English Literature from Loyola University Chicago. She is admitted to practice in Connecticut and New York.
Cinthia Johnson
Deputy Director
Peter Katona
Paralegal
Nicola Kelsey
Paralegal
Jordan Lownsdale
Screening Assistant
Jordan holds a BS in Psychology and a minor in Anthropology from the University of Central Florida, where they were a Burnett Honors student and a National Merit Scholar. Their background in mental health, LGBTQ+ identities, at-risk youth and youth offenders, and disability supports all demonstrate their versatility. They are honored to apply these experiences to serve the veteran population of Connecticut.
Brendan Murphy
Howard R. Udell Staff Attorney
Cyd Oppenheimer
Staff Attorney
Alden Pinkham
Singer Fellow
Darren Pruslow
Supervising Attorney
Juliet Taylor
Intake and Program Access Specialist
Millie VandenBroek
Staff Attorney for Discharge Upgrades and Policy Counsel
Alison Weir
Executive Director
Alison Weir is joining Connecticut Veterans Legal Center after serving as the Benefits Policy Advocate and a staff attorney at Greater Hartford Legal Aid. Prior to her legal career, Alison was a career active duty officer in the U.S. Air Force, retiring as a lieutenant colonel after serving 20 years. Her duties in the Air Force included program management in national security space programs, instructor duty at the Air Force Academy, speechwriting for the Chief of Staff, and other assignments. In addition to her post-Air Force work at GHLA, she was at the National Diaper Bank Network for seven years where she developed and implemented the diaper distribution network programing and advocacy agenda for a network of 300+ diaper banks across 47 states. Alison has also worked as an attorney at the Wiggin and Dana law firm in New Haven; she was a clerk to the Hon. José A. Cabranes of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit; and she was a Supreme Court Fellow with duty at the U.S. Sentencing Commission. She earned her B.A. (English) and B.S. (Electrical Engineering) at Cornell University, her Ph.D. (English) from the University of Illinois-Urbana/Champaign, her J.D. from Georgetown University (magna cum laude), and her LLM (Insurance) from the University of Connecticut School of Law.
Janice Wolf
Staff Attorney
Janice Wolf is a staff attorney with CVLC's VA Benefits and Eligibility. Prior to coming to CVLC, Janice worked for the Connecticut Public Defender's Office for over 17 years in various offices including Manchester G.A., Middletown G.A., New London G.A., and the appellate unit. She also taught general and business law classes at several local colleges/universities. Her most recent position was as a staff attorney with Tang & Maravelis, PC in the area of civil defense law specializing in insurance defense.
Over the course of her legal career, Janice has represented hundreds of clients during some of the most difficult periods in their lives. She is a strong advocate for coordinating any needed mental health and/or addiction services into resolutions for her clients with the goal of giving her clients the tools they need to succeed on their own.
She is admitted to practice law in Connecticut and is a certified mediator. Janice resides on the shoreline with her husband and two children
