Description of your practice: 

I’m an immigration attorney and my firm handles all types of U.S. immigration law. My team and I represent some of the world’s leading musicians, artists, athletes, multinational and U.S. companies, innovative entrepreneurs, in addition to assisting individuals and families with their U.S. immigration needs.

On any day you can find me advising an international band on visa requirements for Lollapalooza, counseling the Irish government about current U.S. immigration trends or giving an interview on MSNBC about a new Trump Administration immigration policy. Never a dull moment!

Why are you a member of the WBAI? 

I’ve been a member of the WBAI for over a decade. Little did I know that this membership would come with the added bonuses of lifelong friends, fantastic business opportunities, solidarity, camaraderie, and lots of fun!

What do you think is the best way to empower women in law? 

I love nothing more than seeing women supporting other women! In my firm, I empower my female team members by providing tailored mentorship to each of them. I also try to empower them by ensuring they get recognition for great work. For example, when we get a fantastic result on an immigration case, I make a particular effort to let our clients know how hard they worked and how much passion, energy, and dedication they put into the case. This is one way to make sure my team members feel rewarded and valued. Our clients also really appreciate how committed we are to them so it’s truly a win/win!

What are you most looking forward to in the following year, personally/professionally?

I’m so excited to share that my first book has just been published! It’s a children’s book on immigration called Our American Dream.

As an immigrant, immigration lawyer, and mom of two young children, I wrote Our American Dream to help explain the importance of a diverse and welcoming America. I also want to help change the narrative around immigration, and to steer the dialogue away from the hateful, inaccurate anti-immigrant rhetoric to one that accurately portrays immigrants as coming from all walks of life, each with a different version of the American dream, no one dream being more important than another. Our American Dream highlights different immigrant stories and is inspired by my real-life clients, family, and friends.

It’s available now for purchase on our website and I can sign copies too if you note it at checkout: www.ouramericandreambooks.com. Otherwise, you can pre-order it on Amazon and it will ship on the official release date in January.

Finally, we’re hosting a launch party and reading on December 5th. I would love to see some WBAI members there. Kids are welcome too and a few of the immigrant stories from the book will be there like my wonderful sister-in-law, Faith, and my amazing Russian artist client Yulia. https://www.ouramericandreambooks.com/events 

Tell us something interesting about you.

Unsurprisingly, I love politics! What might surprise you though is learning that women make up only 23% of Congressional Representatives and only 25% of state legislatures nationwide. I was shocked when I learned that less than 5% of people in Congress are mothers with young children.

I’ve decided to help try to change this by joining the Advisory Committee for Vote Mama, the first political action committee devoted to supporting Democratic moms running for office all over the U.S.

Vote Mama endorses and fundraises for female candidates with children under 18. Candidates must be progressive, pro-choice, and support both paid family leave and universal pre-K. I’ll be helping to train the endorsed candidates on immigration issues and will also be giving them tips about speaking to the media on these issues. Stay tuned for a VoteMama event in Chicago in 2020 and if you’re interested in getting involved or in running for office, please get in touch!