Pam joined the staff of NOLSW in February 2008 as the mid-Atlantic organizer.  Previously, Pam worked as a staff attorney at the Maryland Legal Aid Bureau (MDLAB).  While she was at MDLAB, Pam served on the healthcare committee and bargaining committee and also processed grievances.

As an attorney with MDLAB, Pam represented clients in federal and state public benefits cases.  Her involvement with NOLSW at MDLAB led her to an interest in labor law.  She left MDLAB in 2006 to take a position as National Negotiator for the National Treasury Employees Union where she negotiated contracts with federal agencies and prosecuted national grievances.

In October, 2012, Pam was appointed to serve as Financial Secretary/Treasurer by the National Executive Board, and was elected to that position in 2013 and 2016. Pam became President in July 2018.

Rachel began her career as a public interest attorney with Legal Aid Chicago, specializing in Family Law. While at Legal Aid Chicago, Rachel became an active member of NOLSW/UAW local 2320, serving as the local unit’s President and bargaining team member. 

Rachel joined the staff of NOLSW/UAW Local 2320 in January 2016, representing members in the Southwest and Southeast regions. She was elected Financial Secretary/Treasurer in December 2022.

Matthew Vogel (he/him) has been an attorney with the National Immigration Project of the National Lawyers Guild (NIPNLG) since 2019.  At NIPNLG, Matt focuses on litigation and legal support concerning immigrant rights, immigration enforcement and detention, the immigration consequences of criminal legal system involvement, and due process in immigration proceedings.  He is the NLG Staff Union’s steward and an active member of the bargaining committee, currently on track to win their first contract since the original was signed in 1990.  As steward, he has successfully worked to prevent layoffs, obtained tens of thousands of dollars in back pay and severance pay for members, satisfactorily resolved several potential grievances, and shored up the unit’s recordkeeping and dues collections, in addition to everyday contract administration work.  Prior to NIPNLG, Matt was a public defender in New Orleans for several years, where he provided immigration consequences advising and training, was a member of the capital and juvenile life without parole defense teams, and defended felony and misdemeanor cases.  Matt lives in New Orleans with his spouse, Tanya (a family nurse practitioner at a community clinic), their two kids, Luke and Xavier, and his mother-in-law, Bev. He became National Vice President in December 2022.

Natalie James (she/her) is a tenant attorney at Legal Services of New York City (LSNYC) of Colombian heritage.  She serves on the executive committee as the political representative of her 650-member unit, Legal Services Staff Association (LSSA).  Natalie previously worked for a nonprofit legal services organization that was not unionized, but in 2018 she changed her area of practice in order to join a union workplace.  She quickly went on to serve as a delegate and later a strike captain in LSSA’s Brooklyn Shop, and organized direct actions leading into LSSA’s bargaining cycle and through their contract vote in 2021.  Natalie supported the successful passage of One Member, One Vote, and proudly represented LSSA and NOLSW as a delegate to the 2022 UAW Constitutional Convention.  Natalie has deep organizing experience within the LGBTQ+ community that includes co-founding the Queer Liberation March, a people’s protest march without corporate funding or the presence of a police contingent, to serve as an alternative to the corporatized NYC Pride Parade. The Queer Liberation March mobilized 45,000 attendees in its first year. Natalie became the NE Region Vice President in December 2022.

Colleen is a Senior Staff Attorney at Chicago Legal Aid where she served as Unit Chair in the past and is currently on the Executive Committee. 

Jacob works at Lakeshore Legal Aid based in metro Detroit, Michigan as a hotline attorney. Jacob began his Union organizing work with NOLSW as a Bargaining Team member in November 2020. In July 2021, Jacob was elected as the unit's first Chair, and he continues to serve fellow workers in that capacity. As chair, Jacob has led the team to great victories including 10-20% raises mid-contract, winning grievances, enactment of a four-day workweek policy, and more. 

On the NEB, Jacob serves on the new Member Communications Committee. Jacob is working on NOLSW’s website and is working with the Board to create a resource bank for our members and our unit’s executive teams. Jacob attended the UAW Financial Officers Conference earlier this year and is looking forward to bringing back what he learned to our local and our members.

Vicki served as a Senior Case Manager in the Homeless Prevention program at Heartland Alliance.  Heartland Alliance is a social service agency that provides assistance to low and moderate income people in such areas as housing, medical services, supportive services to seniors and children, job training and financial assistance.  Vicki began to work for the agency in 1982 and has worked in most of the programs at Heartland Alliance.  She retired from Heartland in 2012 but continues to serve as Grievance Coordinator.

Vicki was one of the original workers that organized the program in 1984.  Since that time Vicki has served her unit as chairperson, union representative, grievance handler and on the bargaining team.  Formerly the VP for Human Resources, she is now one of the three trustees that make sure our NOLSW finances and records are in order.  Vicki is enjoying retirement and spending more time with her four grandsons and one granddaughter.

Rebekah joined the NOLSW staff as Southeast Organizer in August 2024.  

Lily joined the staff of NOLSW in October 2018, after working on several UAW higher education organizing campaigns.  She represents members in the Northeast region, primarily New York City.

Katelyn joined the NOLSW staff in February 2020. She started her legal career at Metropolitan Public Defenders in Portland where she tried over 50 jury trials with an acquittal rate of 60 percent. 

Prior to joining NOLSW, Katelyn was a staff attorney at Legal Aid Services of Oregon (LASO) just shy of 10 years. She joined her first bargaining team her second month on the job at LASO and was on every subsequent bargaining team during her time there. While at LASO she was a general practitioner with a focus on Family Law. A New Hampshire native, she has lived in Oregon for over 20 years.

Michelle developed her interest in labor law as a staff attorney at the Legal Aid Society of Northeastern New York (LASNNY).  While at LASNNY, Michelle was active in the bargaining unit Consolidated Legal Aid Workers, NOLSW/UAW Local 2320 (CLAW) and served a term as unit chairperson and bargaining committee member during intense contract negotiations.  Michelle also was a member of the labor-management and hiring committees, handled grievances, and worked to get members more involved.  

Before joining NOLSW, Michelle was Associate Counsel for CSEA Local 1000 where she assisted members challenging notices of discipline, facing administrative investigations, appealing investigation findings, and helped correct CBA violations by filing improper practice charges against State employers with New York’s Public Employment Relations Board (PERB). 

Missing negotiating contracts, helping with grievances, and working with NOLSW to help legal services workers, Michelle joined the staff in October 2021. 

Greetings NOLSW Local 2320 members! My name is Lance A. Rhines and I started my position as your Midwest Regional Organizer on July 3, 2023. I am extremely happy and excited to join you and to be part of the amazing, unselfish work that you all do on behalf of those who need your help. 

I bring with me over three (3) decades worth of knowledge and experience in every aspect of Union side Labor Relations. I decided that I wanted to be part of this movement while still in high school. I then started my lifelong adventure in 1989 when I took a job as a Mailroom Clerk at the International UAW-GM Center for Human Resources, which was a joint benefits program for GM hourly employees. Because we were employees of the UAW and GM, we formed our own Union under the Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU). I became the Bargaining Chair and Chief Steward for that 150 person Unit in 1992 and continued in those roles until I began working as a full-time Service Representative for OPEIU in 2001. I was the Senior Rep for the largest amalgamated Local Union in Lansing, Michigan for over 20 years. I have worked in manufacturing, health care, financial institutions, non-profits, the department of corrections supervisors, and many more industries over my lengthy career, in both public and private employment. Now I am just in the beginnings of learning about representing the interests of Legal Services Workers. I very much like new opportunities and challenges. Even after all these years I still jump out of bed every morning full of energy and ready to make things happen for the membership. I truly LOVE what I do.

Torrence is a 2011 graduate of Jones College where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies with an emphasis on Pre-law. He earned his Paralegal Studies Certificate from the University of North Florida Legal Studies Institute in 1996. Torrence has attended several Labor Education Seminars throughout his tenure in the labor movement such as The FMCS and George Meany Center for Labor Studies to name a few.

Torrence is the author of a published book entitled “A Layman’s Guide To Collective Bargaining Agreement Grievance Handling” and has taught workshops on Grievance Handling and also Contract Language and Negotiations. Torrence joined NOLSW as a Southeast Organizer in August 2024

Peter (they/he) is the West Coast Regional Organizer on the NOLSW staff. They have been connected to the labor movement and union organizing since they were a teenager, starting as a volunteer field organizer for United Farm Workers. While at college on the East Coast, Peter organized undergraduates, factory workers, transportation workers, artists, and tenants into unions while also studying economic and environmental justice. Prior to joining the NOLSW staff, Peter was a paralegal at the Eviction Defence Collaborative (EDC), an NOLSW unit based in San Francisco. At the EDC, Peter was a member of the bargaining team, handled grievances, and organized solidarity actions in support of EDC’s bargaining unit and their comrades in surrounding unions. As a paralegal, Peter supported attorneys and social workers providing free legal representation and advocacy to tenants facing eviction. Peter is originally from the East Bay and now lives in the Tenderloin of San Francisco.

Ellen joined the staff of NOLSW/UAW Local 2320 as an Administrative Assistant in August 2006. Prior to that time, she worked for Local 15 of the National Association of Broadcast Employees and Technicians (NABET) as an Administrative Assistant in the Pension and Welfare Funds.   Ellen was promoted to Union Administrator in 2014.  She, along with Maura, carries out the Administrative functions of the Union.