Prior to joining VLI, Mr. Gales spent six years as an attorney at Public Counsel Law Center in Los Angeles. Through his work at Public Counsel, Mr. Gales was a leader in the formation of the Los Angeles Veterans Court, served on the Court’s steering committee, was directly involved in writing veteran specific alternative sentencing legislation, and served on various state wide committees related to veterans and criminal justice with leading Veterans Court judges from across California. Mr. Gales has also personally helped hundreds of veterans resolve criminal justice problems and other legal issues, was a leader in developing a veteran misdemeanor diversion program with the Los Angeles City Attorneys’ Office, has published various articles focused on Veterans Courts and more.