First things first, call me “Nico”! My running joke is that only judges and my parents call me Nicole.
Outside of the world of law practice, I am a single parent of a very energetic two-year old. I enjoy growing vegetables and herbs. I collect rare and unusual succulents and love to hike in wilderness around my home near Middletown, Lake County, CA. My other interests are in astronomy, politics, and writing. I recently graduated from the fire academy and I am a firefighter with the South Lake County Fire Protection District. Other than my son and passing the bar, this is my greatest accomplishment and I am proud to serve.
As a lawyer, I favor a slightly unusual practice. Unless I’m in court, I’m dressed casually. I’m aware that if you need to speak to me, something has probably gone wrong, and you need help. I want to be an approachable human being, not just a degree in a suit. I want you to feel safe to both laugh and cry when we’re working on your case. This shouldn’t have to be terrible.
Prior to joining a family law firm, I volunteered as a pro bono attorney for the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles at the Santa Monica Domestic Violence and Family Law Clinic, helping clients obtain restraining orders, as well as dissolutions, paternity actions, spousal support, and child custody and support.
While in law school, I taught legal research classes to incarcerated persons in the San Francisco jails, worked with an environmental organization to ensure proper adherence to environmental regulations, and fought to prevent unjust evictions with a housing rights clinic.
