I grew up in suburban Milwaukee and moved to Madison to attend the University of Wisconsin in 1997. I received my Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Mass Communications in 2002. During my undergrad, I took a year off to study Mandarin Chinese in Beijing. I interacted with many brilliant students attempting to get visas to study in the United States. Our conversations about their consular interviews and frequent visa denials laid a framework for my eventual fascination with immigration law.
Several years later, I began working in an industry with a lot of undocumented immigrants, and my interest in the U.S. immigration system grew. I later went through a complicated immigration process to obtain a relative’s legal status, and even when that process was over, my interest in immigration law did not wane. Through that experience, I realized the need for immigrants and their families get good legal advice and excellent representation.
In 2008, I decided to turn my interest with immigration into a career. I returned to Madison to study law at the University of Wisconsin Law School. During law school, I focused on immigration law and criminal law, striving to make the most of every opportunity to work with immigrants or learn about immigration law and practice. In addition to working as a student attorney assisting inmates at the law school’s Frank J. Remington Center, I interned for several Madison-area immigration attorneys. I also worked as a bilingual legal assistant at Jewish Social Services, where I assisted a Board of Immigration Appeals Representative with a wide array of immigration cases.
I graduated from law school in December of 2010 and opened my practice in January of 2011. Although I work in many areas of immigration law, my primary practice areas are waivers and consular processing, and humanitarian relief such as U visas, VAWA claims, and benefits of executive action such as DACA. I also work as a volunteer attorney conducting free legal clinics at Voces de la Frontera, an immigrant advocacy organization based in Milwaukee. I have also volunteered at the Dilley Pro Bono Project, assisting asylum seekers with their credible fear interviews near the U.S.-Mexico border.
I am a member of the State Bar of Wisconsin, the American Immigration Lawyers Association, and the National Immigration Project of the National Lawyer’s Guild. I have written articles and spoken at various immigration conferences around the country regarding waivers of inadmissibility, issues related to advance parole, general family immigration topics, as well as at community forums in the Milwaukee area. I speak English and Spanish.
“I cannot say enough wonderful things about Laura. She successfully handled every single step of my husband’s I-601A waiver case. Her communication with us was simply outstanding! She often responded to emails within hours (sometimes even minutes), and I felt comfortable asking her to clarify or re-explain things when I needed some reassurance. She was patient and approachable from beginning to end. Compiling our evidence and filling out all the forms was a breeze, thanks to her excellent organization and precise instructions. In addition, Laura was pro-active and always on top of things involving our case. She was professional, yet friendly and down to earth. I have recommended Laura to all of our friends who are thinking of going through the immigration process. She is simply the best of the best! ”