Conference Speakers

Maricela Amezola is the founder of Amezola Legal Group, APC, a California-based law firm focused on immigration law, guardianship, and federal appeals. Admitted to the California Bar in 2007, she holds a B.A. from California State University, Fresno and earned her J.D., Cum Laude, from Michigan State University College of Law. Her legal practice emphasizes deportation defense, family-based immigration, asylum, and guardianship matters. She regularly appears in immigration courts throughout the U.S. Maricela also leads Detente: Embody Your Inner Calm!, a mindfulness-based professional development company. She holds over 300 hours of certification in mindfulness and trauma-informed lawyering and teaches attorneys and law students nationwide. Recognized for her legal advocacy, mentorship, and public service, she resides in San Diego with her husband and continues to speak and train nationally.

It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something moreDr. Lia Antico, PhD, is a postdoctoral researcher at the Mindfulness Center at Brown University. She teaches the Neuroscience of Meditation course, and her research focuses on burnout, anxiety, and their neural mechanisms, with particular emphasis on mindfulness-based interventions for well-being at workplace. She is a qualified teacher of the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program, leads mindfulness practices in both secular and spiritual contexts and explores contemplative practices across various traditions.

Before coming to Boston College in August 2002, Filippa was on the faculty at Northeastern University School of Law for eleven years. Filippa is both a qualified MBSR (Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction) instructor and a certified Mindfulness Institute for Emerging Adults (formerly Koru Mindfulness) instructor. She designed a course at BC Law called Mindfulness and Contemplative Practices for Lawyers, which introduces students to the concept of mindfulness in an effort to help them develop the sustainable coping methods necessary for health and success in the legal profession. She also teaches MBSR courses for the larger university community and lectures on the lifelong benefits of mindfulness. In her career, she has taught an Art Law Seminar, Semester in Practice, Semester in Practice in Dublin, and Advanced Legal Research. Filippa received an A.B. from Smith College, a M.S.L.S. from Simmons College Graduate School of Library Science, and a J.D. from Suffolk University Law School.

Laurie Cappello is the Executive Director of the Mindfulness In Law Society (MILS) and Co-Chair of the MILS New England Chapter. Laurie spent most of her career serving in Human Resources Benefits and Well-Being Leadership roles in two AmLaw 100 Firms. She recently retired from Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, PC. Laurie received her Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) teacher training from the Mindfulness Center at Brown University.

Kenneth Chiu joined the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office (LADA) in 2005 and is currently assigned to the Compton Court Branch. Prior assignments include V.I.P. (Victim Impact Program), Sex Crimes and Central Trials. A 2024 graduate of the Warrior One, Mindfulness in Law Teachers Training (MLTT) program, he previously completed a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program, UCSD Centers for Mindfulness. As a member of the LADA Wellness Workgroup, he hosts the weekly “Wellness Wednesday” lunchtime TEAMS meditation. Mr. Chiu is a graduate of the University of California, Los Angeles and Loyola Law School. He enjoys surfing, cooking, and collecting Mid-Century Modern furniture.

Judi Cohen is an attorney, law professor, and 35-year student of mindfulness and yoga, authorized to teach in the Insight Meditation tradition. She is a lecturer at Berkeley Law where she teaches Mindfulness for the Legal Mind, a course that explores mindfulness tools for personal wellbeing and to create a more just, equitable society. Judi is also the founder of Warrior One, which offers mindfulness programs and trainings for legal professionals. She is a founding board member, past board co-president, and current Teachers Collective co-chair of the Mindfulness in Law Society, and also co-facilitates Yes World’s Law and Social Change Jam, an annual gathering of legal professionals exploring personal, interpersonal, and systemic change. Judi lives in Sonoma, California.

Alexandra Echsner-Rasmussen, known as “Cookie,” is an Attorney at Aylstock, Witkin, Kreis, and Overholtz in Pensacola, FL where she works on mass tort cases and leads weekly mindfulness meditation and movement gatherings. Cookie is also a Registered Mental Health Counseling Intern in the State of Florida with much of her clinical experience in an inpatient treatment center for addiction. Drawing upon personal and professional experience, she is an advocate for providing mindfulness based, trauma-informed services. She has written extensively about lawyer and law student well-being, mindfulness, trauma-informed communication, and has had various speaking engagements and CLE courses. She is at the helm of Lawganic / AER Counseling which contributes to sustainable wellness and healing in the legal profession and beyond.

Bella Renee Dilworth, born in Los Angeles to parents who fled the Jim Crow South during the Great Migration, pursued an accelerated path from PreK to JD. At 15, she attended the University of Southern California as a Resident Honors Scholar, and four years later, at 19, began her studies towards a Juris Doctor at USC’s Gould School of Law. In contrast, Ms. Dilworth’s “How to Live” education, and daily sadhana and dharma practices continue to this day.

As a deputy public defender in the largest public defender’s office in the U.S., Ms. Dilworth supervised, trained, and mentored young attorneys .She defended clients accused of various crimes, ranging from shoplifting to capital homicide in over 400 jury trials earning the professional badge of "Trial Animal." She discovered mindfulness in 2015 and is a 2018 graduate of the Warrior One Mindfulness in Law Teachers Training program . She has been a MILS Board Member since 2021.

Currently in semi-retirement, Ms. Dilworth represents post-conviction clients who are incarcerated in California state prisons. She spends time with her granddaughters, attends Pilates classes three times a week, and volunteers as a vegetarian cook. Although she enjoys gardening and is fascinated by dahlias— she’s more of a dilettante who quits or goes on vacation when it gets too hot.

Artemis Evangelidis is the Head of Learning Transformation at the Law Institute of Victoria, the founder of Aipeia Consulting where she serves as a Conscious Leadership Consultant & Executive Coach and the founder of the NFP, Centre for Conscious Leadership.

With degrees in Science, Law, and Psychology from Monash University in Melbourne Australia, she possesses over 20 years of experience as a corporate and commercial lawyer, encompassing private practice, in-house counsel roles, and her own consulting firm. Additionally, she completed her inner MBA in 2024.

She is a Teacher of Presence & Mindfulness, having trained with Eckhart Tolle, Dr. Tara Brach, Dr. Jack Kornfield and more, adding to her list of complementary trainings and certifications where eastern traditions, ancient wisdom and philosophy intersect with psychology, physiology and neuroscience.

Her first book ‘Life. Thoughts That Make The World Go Around’ was published in the UK in 2019.

James Fox is the founder of Prison Yoga Project. He is a certified yoga instructor who has pioneered a trauma-informed methodology derived from yoga and mindfulness for contributing to the overall wellness and rehabilitation of incarcerated people. He has trained and leads a team of skilled yoga instructors who have established programs in jails and prisons throughout the U.S., Mexico, Europe, and Australia. James has taught yoga and mindfulness classes at San Quentin Prison since 2002, and is also an experienced restorative justice and violence prevention group facilitator. He is the author of Yoga A Path for Healing and Recovery and co-author of Freedom from the Inside: A Woman's Yoga Practice Guide.

Alisa Gray is an AV-rated shareholder at Tiffany & Bosco, P.A. in Phoenix, Arizona. Her practice emphasizes probate-related litigation, administration, and mediation, representing corporate trustees, professional fiduciaries, and individuals in such matters as complicated or contested guardianships, conservatorships, estates, and trusts. Alisa also serves as an expert witness or consultant in probate-related matters. She has served on numerous State Bar Sections and Committees, including the Probate and Trust Law Section and the Mental Health and Elder Law Section (now, the Elder Law, Mental Health and Special Needs Planning Section), as well as two terms on the CLE Committee. Alisa is a certified Yoga instructor. From 2011 through 2021, Alisa taught regular classes at Desert Song Healing Arts Center in Phoenix. She also frequently offers her yoga instruction and insights to lawyers, judges and other professionals in the legal world. In addition to her Hatha Yoga training, Alisa has received advanced training in Yoga Nidra from Kamini Desai. Beginning in 2016, Alisa helped to co-create along with Judi Cohen and Gullu Singh, Warrior One’s Mindfulness in Law Teacher Training, the only mindfulness teacher training for lawyers, by lawyers.

Johanna Kalb assumed the role of Dean of the University of San Francisco School of Law. She previously served as Dean and Professor of Law at the University of Idaho College of Law and as Associate Dean of Administration and Special Initiatives and Professor of Law at Loyola University New Orleans School of Law. Her research and teaching interests include federal and state constitutional law, international human rights, and the law of democracy. She is a co-author, with Martha F. Davis, Risa Kaufman, and Rachel Lopez of the first law school textbook focused on domestic human rights, Human Rights Advocacy in the United States (West, 3d. ed. 2023). Dean Kalb is an academic fellow of the National Civil Justice Institute. She is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Law School Admission Council and a member of the Deans Steering Committee of the American Association of Law Schools. Dean Kalb is a 2024 graduate of the Warrior One, Mindfulness in Law Teachers Training (MLTT) program.

Stephanie Lewis is a national board-certified health & wellness coach and a certified mindfulness and Qigong instructor. A retired managing attorney, Stephanie understands the unique stresses of the legal profession and now helps busy professionals cultivate mindfulness, stress resilience, and balance through meditation, Qigong, and breathwork. Through her work as Founder of LiveWellFlow, she supports individuals in creating sustainable mindfulness and wellness practices that enhance both personal and professional well-being. She currently serves as MILS Co-President.

Michele Lomax is Of Counsel to Chicago-based women’s rights and employment discrimination firm, The Law Office of Tamara N. Holder. For over 20 years, Michele has practiced in large law firms, with solo practitioners, and as in-house counsel, in both corporate and litigation practice areas, allowing her decades of experience navigating the pressures of law practice. Michele is also a certified mindfulness meditation facilitator. In 2019, Michele founded, Practice Mindfully, to support lawyers deal with the challenges of life and a stressful law practice; as well as helping clients face and move beyond the harmful effects of bias, harassment and discrimination within the workplace and beyond. Michele is a graduate of the University of Chicago Law School and a frequent presenter for continuing legal education seminars on mindfulness, bias, and belonging within the legal profession.

Dr. Tracey Meyers a licensed clinical psychologist at Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers (LCL), in Massachusetts, a legal assistance program serving lawyers, judges, and law students. Tracey has a strong commitment to integrative medicine for mental health and wellness and leads mindfulness and yoga programs for groups, individuals, and professionals in the legal workplace along with mental health first aid. In addition to her background in psychology, she is also an advanced yoga teacher, certified yoga therapist, and meditation and mindful self-compassion teacher. Tracey has authored several publications including articles and book chapters around integrative medicine. She has written a new book Yin Yoga therapy and Mental Health which is an extensive guide to utilizing yoga and meditation to support mental health and well-being.

Karen Munoz is a seasoned plaintiff’s attorney, wellness educator, and the founder of Roaring Grace, a legal wellness consultancy dedicated to helping lawyers thrive. After nearly two decades practicing trauma-informed law, Karen is now pursuing a master’s in psychology with a focus on integrating mindfulness, resilience, and emotional intelligence into the legal field. Through her work as a speaker, yoga teacher, and educator, she brings a unique perspective on what it means to be both a strong advocate and a healthy human being in the legal world.

Claire E. Parsons is Of Counsel at Bricker Graydon LLP in the Cincinnati, Ohio area. She focuses her practice in the areas of school law, employment law, and litigation. Claire is also a well-known speaker on mental health, stress management, and well-being for lawyers and professionals. She is a mindfulness and compassion teacher and chairs the wellness committees for her law firm, the Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel, and the Ohio State Bar Association. Claire is also an accomplished writer, having founded the Brilliant Legal Mind blog and authored two books on mindfulness, How to Be a Badass Lawyer and Mommy Needs a Minute. She hopes to publish a work of fiction relating to mindfulness in the near future.

Christopher Punongbayan is the Executive Director of California ChangeLawyers, a community foundation whose vision is a fully-inclusive democracy led by vigilant changemakers who safeguard the humanity of all. To this end, ChangeLawyers (f/k/a California Bar Foundation) empowers the next generation through grants and scholarships totaling $1.5M annually. Over the last twenty-five years, Chris has gained deep experience in social justice issues through his work in legal aid. He profoundly believes in giving voice to the unheard, breaking down barriers, and creating strategic alliances to advance equity. Prior to ChangeLawyers, Chris was the executive director of the Asian Law Caucus, the nation’s oldest legal civil rights organization serving the AAPI community. He completed the Mindfulness in Law Teacher training in 2022, was a support teacher for MLTT in 2024, and is an RYT-500 yoga instructor.

Gulwinder “Gullu” Singh is a corporate real estate attorney and meditation teacher affiliated with Spirit Rock, InsightLA, and Sacred Mountain Sangha. He completed the four-year Spirit Rock Teacher Training and the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Teacher Training. Gullu serves on the Guiding Teacher Council at Spirit Rock, is the lead teacher for Spirit Rock’s Dedicated Practitioner Program, a core teacher in Warrior One’s Mindfulness in Law Teacher Training, and a mentor for Sounds True’s Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program. Though introduced to meditation in childhood, the intense stress of working at two top BigLaw firms deepened his commitment to practice. Gullu is passionate about sharing meditation as an antidote to stress, a support for navigating life’s challenges, and a path toward greater sanity, compassion, and wisdom—in both the workplace and the world.

Rakim Solomon serves as the Treasurer and a Board Member of the Mindfulness in Law Society. He is a member of the Pennsylvania Bar Association, actively involved in the Minority Bar Committee (“MBC”), is the Chair of the MBC’s Rising Star Subcommittee and contributes to MBC’s Houston’s Legacy newsletter. Rakim was awarded the MBC’s Houston’s Rising Star Award in 2024. He also serves as a Board Member of the Black Law Alumni Association of Kline School of Law. Furthermore, Rakim volunteers as a mentor for the Stephen and Sandra Sheller Diversity Pipeline Program, a free summer immersion program for undergraduate students from underrepresented backgrounds who are interested in attending law school. At his day job, Rakim is Trust Officer and Vice President at The Goldman Sachs Trust Company of Delaware. In his free time, Rakim enjoys birdwatching, photography, and spending time with his wife and their 2-year-old daughter.

Ron Wilcox has been a California attorney since 1995. He is a graduate of the two-year Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification program (presented by UC Berkeley, Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach), has completed the nine month Mindfulness in Law Teacher Training program, and is an mPEAK (Mindful Peak Performance and Awareness) coach. Ron is about midway through a Master of Liberal Arts at Harvard University (Div. of Continuing Education), focusing on mindfulness and human potential. He is a former Co-Chair of the National Association of Consumer Advocates. His law practice focuses on consumer protection, employment, and arbitration.

Rachel Wohl, Esq. is a lawyer, mediator and mindfulness meditation teacher. She has been meditating for over 25 years and has been teaching mindfulness for over 18 years, often in the legal community. For 12 years, she taught an annual 2.5-day professional skills workshop on mindfulness for judges, lawyers and law students at Pepperdine University Law School’s Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution. She currently teaches mindfulness in a variety of venues, including the Maryland Judicial College, law schools and prisons. In 2015, she co-authored an article, “Mindfulness in the Heat of Conflict” published in Vol. 20 of the Harvard Negotiation Law Review. She currently serves on the Board of the Mindfulness in Law Society.