Joanna Parnes

As Managing Attorney in BayLegal’s Social Security Disability/SSI Practice, Alameda County, Joanna supervises and supports the attorneys and advocates in the Alameda County SSI Unit providing day-to-day support, mentorship and guidance to help them excel in providing high quality impactful client services. Joanna has expertise in county, state, and federal public benefit programs.

Joanna joined BayLegal as a staff attorney in December 2011, providing direct legal services to low-income adults and children with mental and physical health disabilities. She began providing mentorship and support to the growing SSI team as a Project Coordinator in 2016 and has been a supervising attorney since 2018. Joanna has represented numerous clients in their SSI/SSDI cases, from initial applications through federal district court appeals, and regularly trains advocates across California on Social Security law and advocacy.

Prior to joining BayLegal, Joanna worked at the East Bay Community Law Center, where she assisted low-income clients with state and county benefits. Before law school, she worked as a researcher at the Urban Institute in Washington, DC, evaluating programs and policies that impact poor families.

Education: University of California, Berkeley School of Law; University of Michigan, BA, Women’s Studies and Organizational Studies

Bar Admissions: California; U.S. District Court, Northern District of California

Practice Areas: County, state, and federal public benefits