About

Attorneys and Staff of Seminole County Legal Aid

Our Mission

Our mission is to provide free legal assistance to low-income and vulnerable residents of 

Seminole County, ensuring equal access to justice in civil matters.

 

We strive to empower our community by helping individuals understand their rights and navigate critical legal issues, including housing, domestic violence, guardianship, and child custody. Our dedicated team of attorneys, paralegals, and staff work tirelessly to offer compassionate and effective legal support. Our main office is located in historic Longwood, Florida with Satellite offices in Casselberry and at the Seminole County Courthouse in Sanford. 

Our Team

Attorney McLain, our Executive Director, oversees our operations and strategy, bringing legal expertise and a commitment to promoting equal access to justice for residents of Seminole County. McLain is bilingual. silviam@scbalas.com
Attorney Green is a Seminole County native and University of Florida JD. Greene has worked in public and private practice and now helps seniors and veterans with Advance Directives, guiding clients in preparing essential documents for peace of mind. evang@scbalas.com
Aryan is attending Seminole State College and will be transferring to the University of Central Florida to pursue a Bachelor's degree in Accounting. He enjoys working with numbers and looks forward to growing his skills as an Accounting Assistant. aryanr@scbalas.com
Christopher is a paralegal specializing in family and housing matters, based at our Casselberry office. A UCF graduate with a degree in psychology, he manages intake for our Seminole State College Legal Clinic. christopherg@scbalas.com
Abigail, a Central Florida native and Dr. Phillips HS grad, holds an AA and AS in Legal Studies and works as Senior Intake Specialist at Seminole County Legal Aid. abigails@scbalas.com
Senior Managing Attorney Selsky has been advocating for clients at Seminole County Legal Aid for over 21 years with family and housing issues. Selsky manages our monthly Veterans Legal Advice Clinics. sues@scbalas.com
Attorney Todd grew up in Seminole County. Todd obtained her undergraduate degree from the University of Florida and her Juris Doctor from Wake Forest University School of Law. Todd spent three years working for Legal Aid of North Carolina in the Charlotte office. emiliat@scbalas.com
B.F.A. in Communications from Valdosta State University specializing in brand strategy, copywriting, and social media marketing. Regan manages our college/law student volunteers and interns. regans@scbalas.com
Boris Coronado graduated from University of Central Florida majoring in History and Legal Studies. He is assigned to the housing Law project and works alongside attorney Smythe in assisting clients. borisc@scbalas.com
Kellen Mathews is a Rollins College student who grew up in Seminole County and is passionate about giving back to his community. He is an Intake Specialist conducting applicant interviews. kellenm@scbalas.com
Senior Staff Attorney Alonso joined our legal aid team in June of 2007. She currently handles family law and landlord tenant housing matters. Alonso manages the Casselberry Office. yvonnea@scbalas.com
Attorney Rosenbluth offers guidance and resources for individuals seeking help with veteran benefits as well as housing challenges. Rosenbluth is an accredited attorney with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). debrar@scbalas.com
Charity joined SCBALAS in 2011, graduated with an AA in legal studies in 2016, and assists families with guardianship matters and helps manage our IT and Admin issues. charitys@scbalas.com
Alyssia is a 2023 University of Central Florida graduate and Seminole County native. She has spent the past two years teaching in Seminole County Public Schools and looks forward to giving back in new ways! alyssiaa@scbalas.com
Raoh is a student at the University of Central Florida, where he will be majoring in Computer Science. He is passionate about technology, coding, and innovation, and looks forward to building solutions that make a positive impact. raohc@scbalas.com
Senior Staff Attorney Gripp is a dedicated staff attorney assisting residents of Seminole county in family and housing legal matters. Gripp oversees the Seminole State Legal Advice Clinics. matthewg@scbalas.com
Julian is a graduate of Auburn University, and Barry University School of Law. He manages our Pro Bono attorney programs, legal education program, and outreach services. He also assists in both our housing and guardian advocate projects. julians@scbalas.com
Denice, paralegal to Sue Selsky, has been with SCLA for over 18 years. Passionate about serving Seminole County residents, she specializes in family law and landlord/tenant matters, ensuring access to justice. deniceg@scbalas.com
Sophia, a bilingual Florida Registered Paralegal since 2021, advocates for clients, bringing a unique perspective and a passion for community service and professional growth. sophiau@scbalas.com
Audyn is attending the University of Florida and assists the intake department, aids staff attorneys, and designs and manages our website. audynk@scbalas.com
Attorney Shannon Smythe focuses on housing law and is a Barry Law graduate with degrees from UF and UCF. She is a dedicated advocate for vulnerable communities. Smythe is located in our Sanford office, at the courthouse. shannons@scbalas.com
For 23 years, she has dedicated herself to non-profit organizations, witnessing the impact of community involvement. With 17 years of experience in accounting, Tunala is trilingual and views numbers as her fourth language, though her true passion lies in serving those in need. tunalac@scbalas.com
Chloe, paralegal working alongside Yvonne Alonso, has been a part of our team since 2024. She currently handles family law and landlord tenant housing matters. chloem@scbalas.com
Justice is a 2026 graduate of the University of Central Florida, where he majored in Legal Studies and minored in Philosophy. He looks forward to expanding access to justice for veterans in Seminole County. justicer@scbalas.com
Isabella is a first-year law student at FAMU College of Law and prior summer fellow through FFLA. A first-generation college and law student, she's passionate about advocating for families and vulnerable communities through compassionate, hands-on legal advocacy. isabellap@scbalas.com
Attorney McLain, our Executive Director, oversees our operations and strategy, bringing legal expertise and a commitment to promoting equal access to justice for residents of Seminole County. McLain is bilingual. silviam@scbalas.com
Senior Managing Attorney Selsky has been advocating for clients at Seminole County Legal Aid for over 21 years with family and housing issues. Selsky manages our monthly Veterans Legal Advice Clinics. sues@scbalas.com
Senior Staff Attorney Alonso joined our legal aid team in June of 2007. She currently handles family law and landlord tenant housing matters. Alonso manages the Casselberry Office. yvonnea@scbalas.com
Senior Staff Attorney Gripp is a dedicated staff attorney assisting residents of Seminole county in family and housing legal matters. Gripp oversees the Seminole State Legal Advice Clinics. matthewg@scbalas.com
Attorney Shannon Smythe focuses on housing law and is a Barry Law graduate with degrees from UF and UCF. She is a dedicated advocate for vulnerable communities. Smythe is located in our Sanford office, at the courthouse. shannons@scbalas.com
Attorney Green is a Seminole County native and University of Florida JD. Greene has worked in public and private practice and now helps seniors and veterans with Advance Directives, guiding clients in preparing essential documents for peace of mind. evang@scbalas.com
Attorney Todd grew up in Seminole County. Todd obtained her undergraduate degree from the University of Florida and her Juris Doctor from Wake Forest University School of Law. Todd spent three years working for Legal Aid of North Carolina in the Charlotte office. emiliat@scbalas.com
Attorney Rosenbluth offers guidance and resources for individuals seeking help with veteran benefits as well as housing challenges. Rosenbluth is an accredited attorney with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). debrar@scbalas.com
Julian is a graduate of Auburn University, and Barry University School of Law. He manages our Pro Bono attorney programs, legal education program, and outreach services. He also assists in both our housing and guardian advocate projects. julians@scbalas.com
For 23 years, she has dedicated herself to non-profit organizations, witnessing the impact of community involvement. With 17 years of experience in accounting, Tunala is trilingual and views numbers as her fourth language, though her true passion lies in serving those in need. tunalac@scbalas.com
Aryan is attending Seminole State College and will be transferring to the University of Central Florida to pursue a Bachelor's degree in Accounting. He enjoys working with numbers and looks forward to growing his skills as an Accounting Assistant. aryanr@scbalas.com
Public Relations Specialist with a B.F.A. in Communications from Valdosta State University specializing in brand strategy, copywriting, and social media marketing. She manages our college/law student volunteers and interns. regans@scbalas.com
Charity joined SCBALAS in 2011, graduated with an AA in legal studies in 2016, and assists families with guardianship matters and helps manage our IT and Admin issues. charitys@scbalas.com
Denice, paralegal to Sue Selsky, has been with SCLA for over 18 years. Passionate about serving Seminole County residents, she specializes in family law and landlord/tenant matters, ensuring access to justice. deniceg@scbalas.com
Chloe, paralegal working alongside Yvonne Alonso, has been a part of our team since 2024. She currently handles family law and landlord tenant housing matters. chloem@scbalas.com
Christopher is a Florida registered paralegal. He specializes in family and housing matters. He is located at our Casselberry office. christopherg@scbalas.com
Boris Coronado graduated from University of Central Florida majoring in History and Legal Studies. He is assigned to the housing Law project and works alongside attorney Smythe in assisting clients. borisc@scbalas.com
Alyssia is a 2023 University of Central Florida graduate and Seminole County native. She has spent the past two years teaching in Seminole County Public Schools and looks forward to giving back in new ways! alyssiaa@scbalas.com
Sophia, a bilingual Florida Registered Paralegal since 2021, advocates for clients, bringing a unique perspective and a passion for community service and professional growth. sophiau@scbalas.com
Justice is a 2026 graduate of the University of Central Florida, where he majored in Legal Studies and minored in Philosophy. He looks forward to expanding access to justice for veterans in Seminole County. justicer@scbalas.com
Abigail, a Central Florida native and Dr. Phillips HS grad, holds an AA and AS in Legal Studies and works as Senior Intake Specialist at Seminole County Legal Aid. abigails@scbalas.com
Kellen Mathews is a Rollins College student who grew up in Seminole County and is passionate about giving back to his community. He is an Intake Specialist conducting applicant interviews. kellenm@scbalas.com
Raoh is a student at the University of Central Florida, where he will be majoring in Computer Science. He is passionate about technology, coding, and innovation, and looks forward to building solutions that make a positive impact. raohc@scbalas.com
Audyn is attending the University of Florida and assists the intake department, aids staff attorneys, and designs and manages our website. audynk@scbalas.com
Isabella is a first-year law student at FAMU College of Law and prior summer fellow through FFLA. A first-generation college and law student, she's passionate about advocating for families and vulnerable communities through compassionate, hands-on legal advocacy. isabellap@scbalas.com

BOARD MEMBERS

Matthews Bark, J.D. President
Julianna Ross J.D. Vice President
Thomas G. Freeman, J.D. Treasurer
Jonathan Paul, J.D. Secretary
A. Bryant Applegate, J.D. Director
J. Marc Jones, J.D. Director
Erin Greene, J.D. Director
Nancy Freeman J.D. Director
Robert McIntosh, J.D. Director
Scott Ballou, J.D. Director
Steven Kramer, J.D. Director
Maria Espinosa, J.D. Director