Naoko Inoue Shatz is a Co-Founder and the Board Chair of IFJC. After years of practice in the areas of business and employment law, Naoko was approached by a Japanese woman who sought help with her divorce case about 10 years ago. Because Naoko at the time was not comfortable taking a divorce case, she declined to help her. Within a week, this Japanese woman committed suicide by jumping off the West Seattle Bridge. This incident distressed Naoko and caused her to decide to do something. Naoko started taking family law matters. Within 3-4 years of her decision to take family law cases, Naoko noticed an increasing demand for legal services not only for Japanese community but also for other immigrant communities, namely international families. Naoko along with Anthony Gipe, a business partner at the time, founded IFJC in March 2017. Naoko is the Managing Attorney of Shatz Law Group PLLC, remains to focus her practice in the areas of business and employment law, but she also takes on select Family Law matters particularly relating to the Hague Convention and international family law issues between Japan and the U.S. Naoko acts as outside General Counsel to several large Japanese organizations including Consulate General of Japan in Seattle and Japanese companies located in the U.S. Prior to founding the Shatz Law Group, Naoko practiced law at K&L Gates LLP and Perkins Coie LLP.

After graduating from the University of California Davis, with my B.A. in International Relations and East Asian Studies, Mei moved to Beijing China to learn to speak Mandarin Chinese. When she returned to the United States, I began working at a law firm in downtown San Francisco and soon realized that the legal field was the path for me. She earned her law degree from California Western School of Law in San Diego, California in 2010. There are several aspects of her experience that make her unique in the way she practices law.
As a first generation Chinese-American, Mei helped her non-English speaking parents navigate cultural barriers that affected many aspects of their lives in the United States. From an early age, she translated legal documents, explained technical terminology, and experienced first-hand the challenges that her parents faced as new immigrants. Now she has a translational skill that makes my legal practice unique.
Mei knows that dealing with legal issues can be very confusing and arduous. It is her goal to simplify the process for the clients. Mei will help them navigate through those uncomfortable topics and answer all their difficult questions. Mei is very comfortable working with individuals in the Chinese community. She is here to serve the Seattle Chinese market with spoken fluency in three Chinese dialects: Mandarin, Cantonese and Taishanese.

婚姻代表了责任、义务、和权利。离婚往往是万不得已的选择。你必须充分的了解你的合法权益。我叫伍美琴。我是一名在西雅图处理各种离婚案例的專業律师。我能帮助您了解、分析、和处理你将会面对的有关法律问题，从而争取最大的权益。我會說普通語，廣東話以及台山話。

Alice Bagirova is a Washington state attorney practicing in King, Snohomish and Pierce Counties. She obtained her juris doctorate degree in law at Seattle University in 2014 and has been building her practice ever since. Prior to passing the bar, Alice: volunteered in a domestic violence clinic at Santa Monica’s Courthouse in the state of California; completed an externship at the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles; and worked through the family law fellowship program at East Side Legal Assistance Program (ELAP). For ELAP, Alice represented clients in family law matters and protection order hearings pertaining to Domestic Violence.
Alice’s professional focus is in the areas of family law, personal injury, traffic tickets, and DUI’s.

She has been an active participant in an array of different organizations in Washington. For the last three years she served on the Washington Young Lawyers Committee created by the Washington State Bar Association. Alice is currently the vice president of the East King County Bar Association, and a board member of the International Families Justice Coalition.
In addition to English, she is fluent in Russian. When not working Alice enjoys hiking, traveling, and spending time with family and friends.

Francis Adewale is one of the attorneys that helped establish Spokane Community Court. Francis commitment to community lawyering is epitomized by his work on several community based board and activities in Eastern Washington. He has served as chair of Refugee Connections Spokane, co-chair of Spokane Homeless Coalition, Spokane County Regional Law & Justice Council’s Racial Equity Disparity Committee, member/trustee of Spokane County Bar Association and the Volunteer Lawyers Program. He is current chair of Access to Justice Board and member of Washington State Supreme Court’s Interpreters Commission and Board member of Northwest Immigrant Rights Project (NWIRP). He has been founding member of the Washington Statewide Reentry Council having been reappointed thrice by Governor Jay Inslee. Francis is the elected WSBA 5th District Governor for Eastern Washington.
Francis is a distinguished H. George Frederickson Honors Graduate of Eastern Washington University and adjunct faculty at Whitworth University. Francis was admitted to the Washington State Bar in June 2000 and has since practice as assistant public defender for the City of Spokane. A Fellow of Washington State Bar Association Leadership Institute (WLI) and ATJ Equal Justice Leadership Academy. He is also a recipient of City of Spokane Human Rights Award, Washington Criminal Defense Lawyers’ President Award and Spokane County Bar Association Smithmoore P. Myers Professionalism Award. Francis, along with other team members of Spokane Community Court are recipient of 2018 WSBA Apex Award. He is the 2021 recipient of the Washington Defenders Association’s President Award.

Carmen was born and raised in Coalcomán, Michoacán (México). She is a proud Alumni of Marywood University graduating with a double major in Computer Systems and Telecommunications plus International Business with a minor in French. Carmen is the Administrative Director at MacDonald Hoague & Bayless, an Immigration, Employment, and Civil rights law firm. Aside of being an active member of the IFJC Board of Directors, she is also a member and volunteer for the Latina/o Bar Association of Washington (LBAW), the QLAW – LGBTQIA+ Bar Association of Washington, the Puget Sound Chapter ALA, the Loren Miller Bar Association (LMBA), the Catholic Community Services – Seniors’ program, the Women’s Health Outreach program, and the Greater Seattle Business Association (GSBA). Carmen is also recognized as an Honored Listee for Marquis Who’s Who.