Executive Board

Biographies of MENA JOC's Executive Board

Hon. Michael Pulos (President)

Judge Pulos serves on the San Diego Superior Court.  He received his bachelor's degree in foreign service from Georgetown University and his law degree from UCLA School of Law.  

Before his appointment to the bench, Judge Pulos was a Supervising Deputy Attorney General at the California Department of Justice, Office of the Attorney General; a Legal Adviser at the Iran-United States Claims Tribunal in The Hague; an associate at an international law firm; and a law clerk to Syrian-American judge, the Honorable Rosemary Barkett, at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.  

Judge Pulos serves on the Judicial Council of California's Court Interpreter's Advisory Panel, on the judicial vetting committee of the California Judges Association's LGBT Judicial Officers of California section, and on the Executive Committee of the San Diego Appellate Inn of Court.  He is a member of the Hellenic Law Society of California and the Armenian Bar Association, and he is active in the Greek and Armenian communities.

Hon. Nadia Jamil Keilani (Vice President)

Judge Nadia Jamil Keilani was born in Baghdad, Iraq, and immigrated to the United States at the age of nine.  She received her bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of California, San Diego, in 1994, and her Juris Doctor from the University of San Diego School of Law in 1997.  Judge Keilani has volunteered with and helped lead numerous non-profit organizations over the course of her career, including the Arab-American Anti-Discrimination Committee, the National Association of Women Judge’s Fairness and Access Committee and the Ensuring Racial Equity Committee.  She is a judge of the Superior Court of California in San Diego.

Hon. Sylvia Hanna (Secretary)

Judge Sylvia Hanna is a first generation Egyptian-American.  Prior to her appointment to the bench, Judge Hanna served as the Chief Deputy Public Defender in Tulare.

In November of 2021, Governor Newsom appointed Judge Hanna to the California Superior Court in Tulare County.  Judge Hanna presided over the Drug Court, Recovery Court, South County Veteran Diversion, and misdemeanor calendars.  Since April 2023, Judge Hanna has presided over Juvenile Justice and Dependency matters.  Judge Hanna serves on the Appellate Division of her court, as well as on the Library Board.

As one of the founding members of the Tulare County Unity Bar, Judge Hanna has been a proponent of diversity and inclusivity on the bench.  She currently serves on the Tulare County Judicial Mentorship Committee designed to mentor those who are seeking judicial appointments.  Judge Hanna is the first Egyptian-American appointed to the Tulare County bench.

Hon. Tony Raphael (Treasurer)

Judge Tony Raphael was born in Beirut, Lebanon and immigrated to the United States at the age of 15.  

Prior to his appointment to the bench, Judge Raphael clerked for a United States District Judge, was in private practice, and served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Criminal Division of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California.  

In May of 2017, Governor Jerry Brown appointed Judge Raphael to the California Superior Court in San Bernardino County.  From 2018 through 2022, Judge Raphael presided over a felony trial department at the Victorville courthouse.  Since May of 2022, Judge Raphael has presided over a juvenile justice department at the San Bernardino Juvenile Division.  Judge Raphael served on the Appellate Division of his court from July of 2021 to June of 2023.  

Judge Raphael has been a proponent of diversity and inclusivity on the bench and mentors individuals who are seeking judicial appointments.  He serves on the board of directors of the Arab American Lawyers Association of Southern California, the Judicial Council’s Access, Ethics, and Fairness Curriculum Committee, and on the faculty of the New Judge Orientation program.  

Hon. Isabel Apkarian (Director at Large)

Judge Apkarian is a first-generation Armenian-American whose mother was born in Egypt and whose father was born Syria. Her family immigrated to the United States from Montreal, Canada when Judge Apkarian was a toddler. 

Judge Apkarian was appointed to the Orange County Superior Court by Governor Newsom in March 2021 where she was is assigned to the juvenile law division presiding over abuse and neglect cases in juvenile dependency. Previously, Judge Apkarian served as a Commissioner at the Orange County Superior Court presiding over the family support calendar. From 2003-2021, she was an Assistant Public Defender at the Orange County Public Defender’s Office. 

Judge Apkarian serves as a judicial mentor in Orange County as part of the California judicial mentor program to promote a diverse and inclusive judiciary. She is also a member of the Orange County Association of Affinity Judicial Officers (OCAAJO), a group committed to improving the administration of justice and promoting diversity in the legal profession. Since taking the bench, Judge Apkarian has served on the California Judge’s Association Diversity & Inclusivity Committee. 

Hon. Nahal Iravani-Sani (Director at Large)

Judge Nahal Iravani-Sani is a Superior Court Judge presiding in Santa Clara County, California. She has dedicated her entire professional career to public service.  She currently serves on the Superior Court’s Community Outreach Committee, Equality and Social Justice Committee, and is the co-chair of the Judicial Mentorship Program with the goal of recruiting and developing a highly qualified and inclusive judicial applicant pool reflective of the state’s rich diversity.

Prior to joining the bench, Judge Iravani-Sani was a Deputy District Attorney for 23 years, representing the People of the State of California through all phases of the criminal justice system, including Violent Felonies, Domestic Violence, Narcotics, Environmental Crimes, Consumer Fraud, and the Sexual Assault Unit. 

In 2017, California Governor Edmund G. Brown appointed Judge Iravani-Sani as the first Iranian-American judge to serve on the Santa Clara County Superior Court. She is currently presiding on the Felony Trials unit of the Criminal Division. 

In 2019, in collaboration with the Iranian American Bar Association, the Judge Iravani-Sani Public Interest Scholarship was established to support law students pursuing careers in public interest law. 

Judge Iravani-Sani has been the recipient of numerous awards for her commitment to social justice and the promotion of diversity, equity, and inclusion.