Our Staff

Leni Tupper

(she/her)

Executive Director & Attorney

  • Leni is the founder and Director of the CLEAR Clinic, Director of the PCC Legal Resource Center, and part-time faculty in the PCC Paralegal Program. Leni founded and developed the CLEAR Clinic to provide legal services strategically targeted at reducing barriers to success. She has collaborated with a wide variety of stakeholders to provide a thoughtful, community-centered vision for the Clinic. Leni is committed to working toward increasing access to justice for our communities, and reducing the footprint and impact of systems of oppression. Leni tries to use her privilege to walk with community members in the struggle toward liberation. Leni grew up in Northeast Portland and is proud to serve her community.

Natalie Webb

(she/her)

Immigration Justice Staff Attorney

  • Natalie Webb is an immigration staff attorney with the CLEAR Clinic. She graduated from Lewis & Clark Law School and became a member of the Oregon State Bar in 2023. She is dedicated to providing trauma-informed and compassionate care to all clients facing issues related to the threat of deportation, and especially enjoys advocating for queer and transgender asylum seekers

Cody Winger

(he/him)

Immigration Justice & Record Relief Paralegal

  • Cody is an immigration paralegal with the CLEAR Clinic. He graduated from the Portland Community College Paralegal Program with an associates in Paralegal Studies in 2018 and went on to graduate from Portland State University with his baccalaureate degree in Arts and Letters and a minor in Spanish in 2021. Cody's interest in immigration law and justice initially came from years of waiting tables and witnessing firsthand the differences in how undocumented workers were treated compared to their counterparts with citizenship. Since graduating the paralegal program, Cody worked and volunteered at a variety of different law firms and legal practices that, while gratifying, ultimately were not immigration practices. So, when the immigration paralegal position opened at the CLEAR Clinic, Cody jumped on the opportunity and hasn't left. Before his current position in full-scope representation, he worked for two years on the limited-scope immigration team where he learned the ropes of deportation defense and asylum as a paralegal. Cody is from Utah, originally, but has lived in the Pacific Northwest for over eight years. In his spare time, you'll typically find Cody outside somewhere, rain or shine.

Stefani Davis

(she/her)

Legal Resources for AICs/ Record Relief Paralegal

  • Jail/Prison Legal Resources Team & Criminal Record Relief Paralegal: Through my work at CLEAR Clinic, I have been given the opportunity to collaborate with ACLU of Oregon to receive and respond to requests for legal assistance from people incarcerated in Oregon’s prisons and jails. I am a proud member of the M110 team with the goal to tear down the legal barriers that keep our community from enjoying the benefit of participation. I also assist with the SB819 team and participate in the Eviction defense team. I am part of a team providing legal services that are limited in scope, but still life-changing, to a large number of people. I have lived experience within the legal system that I believe allows me a unique perspective in relating to our clients.

John (J.J.) Caufield

(he/him)

Record Relief Staff Attorney

  • J.J. is the staff attorney for the CLEAR Clinic’s record relief program. His work includes weekly free legal service clinics located at recovery centers throughout the Portland area as well as addressing collateral consequences and other issues related to contact with the criminal legal system. He joined the PCC Legal Resource Center while in law school, working on behalf of tenants in eviction proceedings and handling criminal record expungements. Before this he worked in the food service industry as a dishwasher, busser, and waiter. These experiences outside of academics instilled a passion for combatting wealth inequality and the ways our criminal legal system can make the real-world consequences of wealthy inequality worse. He is passionate about second chances for all people and feels strongly that the needs of underserved communities should drive all legal work.

Victor Pierce

(he/they)

Housing Justice Licensed Paralegal

  • Victor is a native Portlander dedicated to promoting equity, holistic health, and social justice. They hold a Bachelor of Science degree from the OHSU-PSU School of Public Health Education, providing a distinct perspective within the legal profession. During their undergraduate studies, Victor's research collaboration with PSU's Black Studies and Sociology departments sparked their interest to pursue a legal career focused on the intersectionality of law and the social determinants of health, leading them to specialize in tenant defense. Victor is the third landlord-tenant endorsed licensed paralegal admitted to the Oregon State Bar. Possessing substantial expertise in this specialized field, they are deeply committed to upholding and safeguarding tenants' rights.

Isabel Lara

(she/her/ella)

Immigration Justice Paralegal

  • I am an immigration law paralegal and proud Oregon native with a passion for immigration justice. I graduated from the PCC Paralegal Program and am currently pursuing my bachelor’s degree at Portland State University. Beyond my work, I serve on the board of directors for Pueblo Unido, advocating for immigrant communities and working to support those navigating the complexities of the immigration system. My commitment to justice drives both my professional and volunteer work. Outside of these roles, I cherish spending time with my family, my child, and my partner

Kelsyn Bevins

(she/her)

Housing Justice Program Development Director

  • Kelsyn is the Housing Justice Program Development Director for the CLEAR Clinic.

    Kelsyn's focus as Program Development Director is to pair legal advocacy education with direct client representation. In addition to representing tenants who are facing eviction, she presents legal skills sessions for paralegals, law students, and new lawyers; leads community partner visits to eviction court hearings; and provides litigation support and mentorship to new lawyers practicing in landlord-tenant law. 

    Kelsyn's vision at the CLEAR Clinic is to foster and promote access to legal assistance for underserved communities and alternative legal career pathways to that of the current protectionist legal education system.

George Dewey

(he/they)

Housing Justice Paralegal

  • George is a full-time paralegal on the Housing Justice team. Prior to joining the housing team, he spent a year volunteering at walk-in clinics supporting the Record Relief team. He quickly felt at home with the Clinic and its community and especially enjoyed connecting meaningfully with its participants. It quickly became the best part of his week, and he continues to be in awe of the organization and grateful for his part in it. George is a firm advocate for inclusion and accessibility in the legal system and feels most excited about his work when able to challenge inequity and reduce barriers for their clients. When not at work, George enjoys rainy walks, trashy books, weekend thrifting and a strong cup of tea.

Whitney Phelps

Immigration Justice Program Director

  • Whitney is the Immigration Justice Program Director for the CLEAR Clinic. Whitney began her career in private practice representing immigrants in removal proceedings and in affirmative applications for lawful immigration status before USCIS. After leaving private practice, she joined Metropolitan Public Defender as their Padilla Attorney where she provided advice to immigrants whose interactions with the criminal justice system could impact their ability to obtain or retain lawful status. Whitney previously managed the Community Programs at the Pennsylvania Immigration Resource Center and helped start their medical legal partnership. She now provides programmatic support to all of the CLEAR Clinic's immigration programs while representing immigrants in removal proceedings.

Leo Ariel

(they/them/elle/ellx)

Immigration Justice Paralegal

  • Leo Ariel is a trans neurodivergent first generation immigrant of the Caribbean diaspora, with roots in Cuba & the Dominican Republic. leo’s trauma informed lens and compassionate approach to collaboration stems from their work as an interpersonal violence advocate and survivor, where they first learned to provide supportive, effective assistance, and counsel to the most vulnerable members of their community. Since then, they have made it a priority to apply those principles in their work. Their desire to work in the field of immigration law is deeply influenced by their lived experience and drive to create a more just and livable world. A big advocate for shared responsibility, accountability, and support, they take pride in their compassionate communication and analytical skills. In their spare time they like to cook, dance, study astrology, craft and spend time with their cats.

Julia Braker

(she/her/ella)

Immigration Justice Supervising Attorney

  • Julia is an attorney with the Immigration Justice Project, where she represents immigrants fighting their deportation cases. Julia aims to bring compassion and care to her work and values being a part of a larger movement for immigrant and racial justice. Julia’s work experience prior to CLEAR includes defending immigrants in detention at Northwest Immigrant Rights Project, providing a range of representation at Immigration Counseling Service, and advocating against family detention at Immigrant Law Group. Julia has practiced immigration law since 2013 and represents clients in a variety of immigration matters, including appeals and federal court challenges. She is a graduate of Columbia Law School.

Vivien Lyon

(they/them)

Housing Justice Legal Services Director

  • Vivien Lyon has been advocating for tenants for a decade through legal representation in private practice as well as pro bono and volunteer efforts to mitigate the effects of eviction on vulnerable tenants. They also served on the Rental Services Commission for 4 years and have worked with various tenant advocacy groups to draft and promote legislative solutions.

Troy Ramsey

(he/him)

Community Outreach & Engagement

  • Troy Ramsey is a lifelong Oregonian

Nicole Bowmer

(she/they)

SB 819 Program Manager/Record Relief Paralegal

  • Nicole is a paralegal with the CLEAR Clinic. Her interest in the legal system might have begun in childhood when she often watched the television show, Perry Mason, with her mom and grandma. But it more likely started decades later when Nicole was a volunteer mentor at a Portland middle school where she witnessed how poverty, racism, and prioritizing police officers in the hallways instead of school counselors created the school-to-prison pipeline. Nicole is grateful to be surrounded by wonderful colleagues at the clinic who are as committed to repairing the harm of the legal system as they are working toward a future where, as Angela Davis wrote, prisons are no longer used to relieve us of the responsibility of seriously engaging with the problems of our society. When Nicole's not at the clinic, she's teaching holistic sexuality education classes to children and youth, meandering along the beautiful trails and trees around Portland, and probably heading toward last place in her family's football pool. (She's okay with this because last place gets their money back.)

Joie Bassham

(they/them)

Name/Gender-Marker Change Program Manager

  • Joie Bassham is a graduate of PCC's paralegal program and has since been working at the CLEAR Clinic on criminal record and eviction expungement, legal name & gender marker change, and immigration. They're a born-and-raised Portlander and love that this position allows them to work closely with the community they grew up in. Previously, they worked extensively in community childcare and teaching roles, including as a certified sexuality education in middle and high schools. Outside of work they like reading and creative writing and taking their cat, Pigeon, on adventures

Stevey Conover

(she/her)

Record Relief Paralegal

  • After almost two decades working as a cook, I was ready for a career change. I was drawn to the legal field and, more specifically, the opportunity to help folks understand their rights under the law. I graduated from PCC's Paralegal Certification program in 2020 and have been working in the legal field ever since. I worked for the Oregon State court system for a short time and was struck by just how many people have trouble accessing legal services and information. I was drawn to the CLEAR Clinic after my experiences with hands-on legal services clinics offering criminal record expungement and self-determination services. I have been a Portland resident for twenty years and live in outer southeast Portland with my wife, three step-children and an array of dogs, ducks and cats.

Ariandne (Ari) Araujo Alves

(she/her/ella)

Immigration Justice Attorney

  • Ariandne (she/her) is an attorney with a background in education and a current focus on immigration law. Born and raised in Brazil, she has worked in both the U.S. and her home country and has also combined work and study in Japan, bringing a global perspective to her practice. A graduate of Lewis & Clark Law School, Ariandne clerked for the Honorable Judge Darleen Ortega at the Oregon Court of Appeals, where she drafted judicial opinions and handled a wide range of legal matters. She then joined the Portland Community College Legal Resource Center, where she worked before transitioning to the CLEAR Clinic. She values collaboration and is committed to helping clients understand and exercise their rights. Outside of work, Ariandne enjoys spending time in nature, connecting with loved ones, and pursuing lifelong learning.

Maritza Ceja

(she/her/ella)

Community Outreach & Engagement Manager

  • Maritza Ceja is a dedicated Community Outreach and Engagement Manager at the CLEAR Clinic. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Social Science with a minor in Chicano Latino Studies from Portland State University in 2017 and later obtained a Master’s in Educational Leadership & Policy in 2023. Maritza’s passion for community engagement was sparked through her work as an advocate for families experiencing houselessness that had children enrolled in the school district, where she witnessed firsthand the power of outreach and partnership in creating meaningful change win her community. She firmly believes that collective strength and unity are key to dismantling systemic barriers. Proudly identifying as Chicana, Maritza comes from a family of immigrants and is deeply committed to uplifting and empowering marginalized communities through her work. In her free time, Maritza enjoys going to concerts, movie theaters, art & crafts, traveling, taking long walks, and exploring new food and coffee spots around town.

Ivan Rodriguez

(he/him/el)

Immigration Justice Paralegal

  • Ivan is an immigration paralegal with the CLEAR Clinic. Better known for being the dad to Trevi, the official CLEAR Clinic dog. Ivan was born in Colombia and moved to Jacksonville Florida, where he grew up. He began his Spanish-English interpreting work as a 9 year old, negotiating the purchase of a car for his family. Ivan has had previous experience working at a pharmacy, credit union, call center, in the food and construction industry and uses his background in the various industries to form a personalized connection with clients. Outside of work you can find Ivan taking his dog out for a walk or watching some sporting event.

John (Juan) Mayoral

(he/him/el)

Know Your Rights Coordinator & Paralegal

  • John is a dedicated social change advocate with extensive experience in community organizing, immigration advocacy, youth empowerment, and non-profit leadership. With a career span of over three decades, John has consistently demonstrated a commitment to advancing social justice and fostering positive change within marginalized communities. Starting his journey, he organized and empowered youth by establishing MEChA chapters through Oregon. He also worked closely with underserved populations to address issues of inequality, discrimination, and social exclusion as an accredited representative authorized to practice immigration law. Through strategic coalition-building, he played a pivotal role in mobilizing community members to advocate for policy reforms that protect immigrant rights and promote inclusive social practices. In the realm of immigration advocacy, John has led numerous campaigns to ensure the protection and fair treatment of immigrant families. This work has included collaborating with policymakers to advance legislation supporting immigrant communities, providing educational resources to help individuals understand their rights, and spearheading initiatives that empower immigrant youth to become vocal leaders in their own communities.

Sean Ferraro

(they/them)

Operations Manager & Licensed Paralegal

  • Sean Ferraro is a licensed paralegal and operations manager for the CLEAR Clinic. Sean, along with Victor Pierce, is one of the first three landlord-tenant licensed paralegals in the State of Oregon. They run the tenant advocacy program which provides free legal assistance to tenants facing housing issues. Prior to working as a paralegal, they worked in the restaurant industry for ten years.

Jacqueline Johnson

(she/her)

Immigration Justice Paralegal

  • Jacqueline Johnson is an immigration paralegal with the CLEAR Clinic. Working as a paralegal since 2020, Jackie is committed to making a positive impact in the lives of individuals navigating the complexity of the immigration legal system. Having navigated the system herself, she brings a unique and empathetic perspective to this work. Prior to working in immigration, Jackie devoted her efforts to educational justice, working closely with the Latinx community. Through her work, Jackie aims to empower individuals, champion their rights and contribute to building a more just and inclusive society.

Lina M. Lopez Rodriguez

(she/her/ella)

Immigration Justice Supervising Attorney

  • Limited Scope Immigration Team Supervising Attorney

    Lina is a bilingual immigration attorney with a deep commitment to providing trauma-informed legal services to immigrants in Oregon. She graduated from Lewis & Clark Law School in 2022. As a proud Colombian immigrant, Lina brings a personal understanding of the challenges faced by individuals navigating the U.S. immigration system. Since beginning her legal career, Lina has gained valuable experience through roles such as a law student extern at the CLEAR Clinic and as an attorney at Legal Aid Services of Oregon (LASO), where she represented domestic violence survivors in both family law, restraining order and immigration matters. In 2023, Lina returned to the CLEAR Clinic as a staff attorney, joining the Limited Scope Immigration Team. Passionate about advancing immigrant rights, Lina is dedicated to ensuring that those seeking safety and opportunity in the U.S. have access to the legal resources they need.

Daniel Sims

(he/him)

Record Relief Program Manager/Paralegal

  • Paralegal Dan is the program manager for record relief at the CLEAR Clinic and a graduate of PCC's Paralegal Program. After working on political campaigns during his undergrad at PSU, Dan was drawn to the CLEAR Clinic by its ability to affect positive change in his community. Beginning as a volunteer in 2021, Dan has worked on both the clinic's eviction defense program, and its record relief program. Outside of work you can catch him skiing and cycling around Oregon.

Isabela (Izzy) Romero

(she/her/ella)

Immigration Justice Paralegal

  • Izzy graduated from the University of Oregon with a Bachelor’s Degree in Family & Human Services. Izzy obtained her Associates Degree in Paralegal from Portland Community College in 2019. She has worked as a Paralegal since 2018 and has gained legal experience in Oregon State Administrative Law, Federal Immigration Law, and Estate Planning and Probate. Izzy’s dad immigrated from Veracruz, Mexico in pursuit of a better life at 18 years old. He learned how to read, write, and communicate in English. Izzy remembers growing up watching him buy international phone calling cards to speak with his family in Mexico. He became a naturalized citizen of the USA on December 1, 2005. Izzy grew up in a Spanish-speaking household and has been immersed in a bi-cultural and bilingual family since birth. Izzy remembers growing up watching her dad and his family juggle the complex American work, tax, school systems. Because of this experience, she works hard to serve the immigrant community to best understand and navigate social and legal systems. She aspires to attend Law School one day. Until then, is excited to continue work as an Immigration Paralegal with the CLEAR Clinic.

Matthew Bratek

(he/him/el)

Immigration Justice Law Clerk

  • Matt is a law student at Lewis & Clark Law School who started as a volunteer with the CLEAR Clinic during his first semester. Matt grew up in a small farming community south of Buffalo, NY, and he received his BA in Political Science from the University of North Texas in 2017. Before law school, Matt spent two years helping provide universal pro-bono "expedited removal" defense to immigrant families detained by ICE at the Karnes County detention center in rural South Texas. Matt then spent another two years working in the Houston metro with immigrant survivors of gender-based violence such as domestic violence and sexual assault. Matt is thrilled to work with such an innovative and collaborative team, and he is excited to continue exploring intersections between immigration and other areas of the law, such as Family Law. Matt's hobbies include gardening, hiking, cooking, and renting obscure films from Movie Madness.