Attorneys

Melissa Polk, Principal Attorney

Melissa is a Bay-Area-based attorney and mediator with a decade of legal experience. She is passionate about helping her clients navigate the legal system and protecting their rights. As a skilled negotiator, she genuinely enjoys working with people to find solutions to difficult problems. In addition to handling litigation matters, she also provides mediation services to those clients looking to avoid the stress and high cost of litigation.

Melissa graduated from John F. Kennedy University School of Law. While in law school, she interned with the Environmental Protection Agency in San Francisco assisting the attorneys with legal research and working on cases involving environmental regulations and policy matters. Melissa received a Bachelors of Science degree in Environmental Science and Policy with a minor in Political Science from the University of California, Davis.

Ms. Polk formerly worked as a Senior Associate Attorney at Beck Law Group, PC in Santa Rosa. While at the firm, she focused primarily on family law and civil litigation cases.

Melissa is committed to giving back to the local Bay Area community, which she continues to demonstrate in the following ways:

I am a member of the Alameda County Bar Association and the San Francisco Bar Association.
Representing pro bono clients through the Justice and Diversity Center of the Bar Association of San Francisco.
Volunteering at the Alameda County Bar Association's Dissolution Clinic.
Being a member of the Family Law and Alternative Dispute Resolution Sections of the San Francisco Bar Association and the Alameda County Bar Association.
Being an active member of the Family Law Section of the California State Bar.
Serving as an attorney on the family law panel for the Alameda County Bar Association and the San Francisco Bar Association's lawyer referral programs.
Being a volunteer mediator with the San Francisco Department of Police Accountability.
Being a volunteer mediator with the Alameda County Superior Court Day of Court Mediation Program.
I am the chair of the ACBA ADR Executive Committee.
I am a Member of the Academy of Professional Family Law Mediators.
Member of the Association of Family And Conciliation Courts
Speaker at APFM 2022 Conference Opening Plenary Panel

In her spare time, Melissa enjoys reading, traveling, exploring new restaurants with friends and spending time with her husband and two kids.

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Janani Ramachandran, Associate Attorney

Janani Ramachandran is a California-licensed attorney, passionate about empowering individuals through the law to make the best decisions for themselves and their families. Born and raised in the East Bay, Janani graduated from Stanford University, and received her J.D. from Berkeley Law.

Prior to law school, Janani worked as a home-visiting case manager at a community health clinic, and later managed the clinic's domestic violence advocacy program. In law school, Janani served as a Board Director at two domestic violence nonprofits, and clerked at local family law firms. Janani has previously worked as a Staff Attorney at Family Violence Appellate Project and Centro Legal de la Raza.

Janani currently serves on the California Commission for Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs, and previously served as a Commissioner on the Oakland Public Ethics Commission and Board Director at Women Lawyers of Alameda County.

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