JENNIFER ANSAY, NORTHERN ILLINOIS Jenny Ansay, the daughter of once-undocumented immigrants from Poland, has been working to keep immigrants in the United States since 2005. Currently Jenny is the Regional Attorney for Justice for Our Neighbors - Northern Illinois, a legal aid agency that provides free legal services to individuals in a variety of immigration cases. Prior to that, she was the supervisor of the DePaul Asylum and Immigration Clinic's inaugural U Visa Summer Volunteer Project, a student in DePaul's Asylum and Immigration Clinic, and a volunteer at the South Texas Pro Bono Asylum Representation Project (ProBAR). Jenny is also an active member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, the Chicago Bar Association, NLG Chicago's Next Gen Committee, and NLG's National Immigration Project. She received her bachelor's degree from Northwestern University in 2005 and her Juris Doctor from DePaul University College of Law in 2010.
LIZ BALCK, WEST MICHIGAN Liz Balck graduated from St. Mary s College in Notre Dame, Indiana with a degree in Psychology, and Thomas M Cooley Law School in Auburn Hills, Michigan. Ms. Balck served as Senior Editor on the school s Law Review. Before attending law school, Ms. Balck spent two years as an Americorps/Catholic Charities volunteer co-directing an after-school program for immigrant children and interning with the Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights. During law school, she externed at the Immigrant & Refugee Appellate Center in Alexandria, Virginia. After graduation, while practicing at a civil litigation firm, she volunteered at the Immigration Law Clinic at the University of Detroit Mercy Law School. Ms. Balck became Site Attorney for Justice for Our Neighbors West Michigan in April 2009 and Senior Regional Attorney for National Justice for Our Neighbors in October 2013. Ms. Balck is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, Michigan Chapter s Pro Bono and Membership & Socialization Committees. Ms. Balck lives in Grand Rapids, Michigan with her husband Marty Monsma, and their two sons, Henry and George.
NANCY CARDOZA, NEBRASKA Nancy was born in Durango, Mexico and raised in Liberal, Kansas. She received her bachelor s in Political Science from the University of Kansas and her law degree from Florida Coastal School of Law. During her time in law school, she interned at the Florida Coastal School of Law Immigrant Rights Clinic, where she gained experience working with U-Visa, VAWA, and Asylum cases. Nancy is fluent in both Spanish and English.
CHARLES SHANE ELLISON, NEBRASKA Charles Shane Ellison graduated magna cum laude with a BA in Philosophy from Trinity College, and cum laude from Hofstra University School of Law with a concentration in International Law. After law school, he worked in the New York Asylum Office, within the Department of Homeland Security, where he adjudicated asylum claims and provided counseling and training to Asylum Officers on developing areas of asylum law. In February of 2011, he relocated to Nebraska to join Justice for Our Neighbors- Nebraska (JFON-NE). He is the Legal Director of JFON-NE and one of the Regional Attorneys for National JFON. He is licensed to practice law in New York, Nebraska, the U.S. District Court for the District of Nebraska, and the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals. He serves as the ICE Liaison and Pro Bono Liaison for the Iowa/Nebraska Chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association. He is also the Chair of the Nebraska State Bar Association's Immigration Law Section. Shane is married to Jennie Ellison and they have two daughters: Charlotte and Maura.
JULIE FLANDERS, AUSTIN Julie Flanders is native Texan. She started travelling to Central America during high school and continued her studies of Latin American culture while at Gordon College in Massachusetts. She volunteered with various organizations assisting immigrants and refugees during college, and ultimately decided to attend law school in order to study immigration law. During law school at the University of Houston, she interned at the university s Immigration Clinic, and also clerked at the Houston Immigration Court. Upon graduating and becoming licensed in 2009, Julie started her own immigration law firm in New Braunfels, Texas, and held a wide variety of cases. In December of 2011 Julie went to work for the Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services (RAICES), in San Antonio. There she served as a supervising attorney in the Unaccompanied Minor Program, representing detained minors who entered the country without a legal guardian. Julie joined Austin Justice for Our Neighbors in 2014. Julie is married to Jonathan Flanders and their son, Nathan Samuel, is six months old.
MELANIE D. GOLDBERG, SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN Melanie D. Goldberg has been practicing Immigration Law in the Detroit area for more than 15 years. Through the years she has both maintained her own practice and associated with trusted colleagues. She graduated from New York Law School and is admitted to practice in Michigan and New York. She is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) and serves on the Executive Committee of the Michigan Chapter. Melanie is actively involved in AILA s National Day of Action (lobbying for better immigration laws). She frequently educates on issues of immigration as a guest speaker to any group willing to listen.
BRYNNE L. HOWARD, IOWA Brynne L. Howard is the Western Iowa JFON Site Attorney and a General Board of Global Ministries Church and Community Worker. Brynne graduated magna cum laude from St. Olaf College with a BA in Political Science and Women s Studies. She graduated with highest honors from Drake Law School and was inducted into the Drake Law School Order of the Coif. During law school Brynne served on the Drake Law Review and represented individuals in the Criminal Defense Law Clinic. Prior to law school, Brynne worked for a domestic abuse shelter and as a case manager with Iowa JFON. Brynne is licensed to practice law in Iowa. She is fluent in Spanish. Brynne lives in Des Moines with her husband, daughter and their dachshund Marley.
ADRIENNE S. KITTOS, NASHVILLE Adrienne received her undergraduate degree in English from Vanderbilt University in 2006, and her law degree from Vanderbilt University Law School in 2009. In the summer of 2007, Adrienne worked as an intern at the Tennessee Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence Immigrant Legal Clinic in Nashville, Tennessee. In the summer of 2008, Adrienne worked as a law clerk at Rose Immigration Law Firm in Nashville, Tennessee. She joined Tennessee Justice for Our Neighbors in the fall of 2009. In 2012, she was honored as the New Advocate of the Year by the Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services.
MARIA E. MACIAS, DALLAS-FORT WORTH Maria E. Macias received her bachelor s degree from the Baylor University and her Juris Doctor from DePaul University College of Law. While in law school, Ms. Macias was a member of the Latino Law Student Association, and expressed an interest in immigration and international law. She participated in DePaul s Immigration & Asylum legal clinic where she successfully represented clients with their asylum claims. She also completed international law coursework at Universidad Pontificia Comillas in Madrid, Spain and at Pontifica Universidad Catolica de Argentina in Buenos Aires, Argentina. From 2011 to 2013 she worked at Catholic Charities of Dallas as a supervising attorney for their Citizenship & Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals programs. She started working as a staff attorney for Justice For Our Neighbors DFW in September 2013. Ms. Macias is admitted to practice law in the State of Texas. She is a member of the Dallas Bar Association and partakes in its Pro Bono Activities Committee and the Immigration Outreach Sub-Committee. She is also a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association. She is fluent in Spanish.
VIRGINIA MAYNES, NEBRASKA Virginia grew up in the suburbs of Chicago, IL. She attended Brigham Young University, earning degrees in Political Science and American Studies. She then graduated with honors from the law school at Washington University in St. Louis. While at Washington University, Virginia earned the Charles Trobman Memorial Award for her performance in Immigration Law. She is proficient in Spanish, having lived for a time in Spain. She previously interned for the U.S. immigration court in Kansas City and for the Scottish parliament in Edinburgh, Scotland.
THOMAS J. MILLS, NEW YORK T.J. Mills graduated with majors in Spanish and Government from Georgetown University and from University of Connecticut Law School. He has practiced immigration law with Justice For Our Neighbors (JFON) since 2000. He has practiced in the area of immigration law since 1986, helped resettle Central American refugees, clerked in San Diego and Oakdale, Louisiana with the Department of Justice Attorney Honors Program, and served as an Asylum Officer with the Department of Justice in Los Angeles and New York City. He is the Legal Manager of JFON-NY and a Regional Attorney for National JFON. He is licensed to practice law in Connecticut, the U.S. District Courts for the Eastern and Southern Districts of New York, and the Second and Ninth Circuit Courts of Appeals. He and his partner Lauris Wren and have a son, Max Mills-Wren.
JOY MOORE, IOWA Joy graduated from Georgetown Law School and received her BA in Spanish at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. Before joining JFON-Iowa, she worked with Justice for Our Neighbors Nebraska as well as at the Center for Legal Immigration Assistance in Lincoln, NE.
MARGARET MEG MORAN, PORTLAND, MAINE Margaret Moran ( Meg ) graduated from St. John Fisher College in 1984 and from Cornell Law School in 1987. After law school, Meg was an associate at the New York office of Winthrop, Stimson, Putnam, and Roberts (a predecessor firm to Pillsbury Winthrop) until 1991, and was then Assistant Counsel, Corporate Staff, at Bristol-Myers Squibb Company in New York. After relocating to upstate New York in 1994, Meg volunteered at community organizations and church, served on municipal boards and committees, and homeschooled her three daughters. She founded and directed a community homeschool program in Kinderhook, NY until her family moved to Maine in 2011. Since 2012, Meg has been a volunteer attorney with the Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project in Portland, Maine. In 2013, Meg began representing asylum clients of JFON in Portland, Maine.
ANN NAFFIER, IOWA Ann Naffier was most recently an associate attorney in the Immigration Department of the Davis Brown Law Firm in Des Moines, where she worked for two and a half years. She practiced family-based and employment-based immigration law, and removal defense. Ann graduated from Drake University Law School in 2011. Before law school, she worked for the American Friends Service Committee, a Quaker non-profit agency in Des Moines, for 12 years. There she was a BIA accredited representative and provided immigration counseling and legal services to immigrants and refugees. Before that, she worked for several years on the U.S.-Mexican border with refugees from Central America at Annunciation House in El Paso, and Casa Marianela in Austin, Texas. Ann is married to Oscar Porras, who is originally from Nicaragua, and they have two sons: Etienne (17 years old), and Seth (13 years old).
MAYURIS PIMENTEL, WASHINGTON, DC- MARYLAND Mayuris Pimentel received a BA in History of African Americans from the George Washington University in 1994, a JD from the Howard University School of Law in 1997, and a Masters of Divinity from Wesley Theological Seminary in 2008. Since graduating from law school she has dedicated her professional life to serving underserved communities through her work in various not for profit agencies. She is the Attorney for the DC-MD Justice for Our Neighbors. She is licensed to practice law in New Jersey and Maryland. As a life-long United Methodist, she has also served the church in various capacities on local, conference, and national levels. Mayuris lives in the Washington, DC metropolitan area with her daughter, Sofía.
LINA M. RESTREPO, FLORIDA Lina Margarita Restrepo graduated with a BA in Spanish Literature, and Masters degree in Latin American Studies with a concentration in Anthropology from the University of Florida. She graduated with a J.D. degree from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University School of Law in May 2008. After law school, she worked as Staff Attorney in the Refugee and Asylee program at Catholic Charities of Central Florida. In June of 2011, she joined Justice for Our Neighbors-Florida (JFON-FL). She is the Staff Attorney of JFON-FL. She is licensed to practice law in Florida. She serves as the Pro Bono Liaison for JFON-FL. She is also a member of the Central Florida Refugee Task Force Program. Lina is married to Eric A. Castleson and they have three daughters: Laura, Eva, and Ester.
MERCEDES RODRIGUEZ, MASSACHUSETTS Mercedes Rodriguez is an AmeriCorps member attorney serving at Central West Justice Center in Springfield, MA. She is a site attorney for the Justice For Our Neighbors clinic at Trinity United Methodist Church in Springfield. Mercedes is a graduate of the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law. Prior to becoming a lawyer Mercedes was a professional journalist, working at a daily newspaper for several years.
JAMES JAIME WAGNER, PORTLAND, MAINE James "Jamie" Wagner graduated magna cum laude with a BA in Political Science from Boston University. He graduated from Georgetown University Law, where he was Legislation Editor on the Georgetown International Environmental Law Review. After law school, Jamie worked at Anderson Kill Olick & Oshinsky in their New York and Washington, DC offices. Also in DC, he worked at Dickstein Shapiro, then had his own solo practice, then was a Partner at Howrey Simon Arnold & White. In his many years at big law firms, Jamie always worked on asylum cases with the Lawyers Committee for Human Rights (now Human Rights First). After a hiatus in Latin America, in 2007, Jamie and his wife Jennifer (an immigration attorney) packed up their family and moved to Jamie's home State of Maine, where Jamie opened a solo law practice. Jamie is licensed to practice law in New York, DC, Maine, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, the Southern District of New York, the District of Columbia, the District of Maine, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals. Jamie is a Town Councilor in Cape Elizabeth, Maine and serves on the Board of Directors for EcoMaine. Jamie also has a local cafe/bar/bistro called the local buzz. Jamie and his wife Jennifer have two boys, Liam and Marcus, and a daughter, Viviana.
GARY WALTERS, NEBRASKA Gary received a B.A. in Archaeology from the University of Missouri. After college, he volunteered with Peace Corps in Togo, West Africa, specializing in community health and AIDS prevention. Then, he graduated from Creighton University Law School, in Omaha, Nebraska, with honors and a focus in international law. He worked as a JFON attorney for JFON Iowa for five years before starting at JFON Nebraska in November 2013. He speaks Spanish and basic French.
SHARRON SK WILLIAMS, SAN FRANCISCO Sharron SK Williams is attorney at Bay Area Justice for Our Neighbors/Bay Area Immigration Taskforce (BAIT) and National JFON s Regional Attorney for Immigration Reform. She is a graduate of Fordham University School of Law in New York City. Sharron received a bachelor's degree in fashion design and marketing from Fashion Institute of Technology State University of New York and a second bachelor's degree in political science and Latin American and Caribbean Studies from Hunter College City University of New York. She worked in New York fashion industry from 1983-1990 prior to attending law school. While working in the fashion industry Sharron volunteered with Catholic Charities as an immigration advocate and assisted many industry sweat shop workers to secure legal immigration status under the 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA). She also worked as a human rights and migration advocate in Guatemala and Honduras during the summers of 1988 and 1989. During law school she worked both as a human rights and migration advocate and as a reproductive rights advocate at the United Nations with the Unitarian Universalist UN Office and the Center for Reproductive Rights respectively. Sharron has practiced immigration law since graduating from law school. She is originally from Belize and was raised in Belize, Guatemala and New York City. She is a member of the Garifuna ethnic group and the mother of two daughters (Troy 16, Rhys 14) and a son, Nathan 12. She lives in Richmond, California.