As the daughter of immigrants who greatly sacrificed to afford her the privilege of education and opportunity, Vanessa (she/her) is personally committed to defending the rights and dignity of immigrants.

Vanessa joined Pangea in July 2021. Prior to Pangea, Vanessa worked at The Bronx Defenders for two and a half years, defending low-income immigrants facing deportation. Additionally, she advised immigrants through their criminal, family, or civil proceedings to help them make fully informed and strategic decisions to best protect their immigration status. In applicable cases, Vanessa also took proactive steps to help immigrants obtain or improve their immigration status by screening their eligibility for affirmative benefits such as citizenship, adjustment of status and green card renewals, and employment authorization. 

During law school, Vanessa assisted clients seeking affirmative asylum through the California Asylum Representation Clinic. She was also a member of the Death Penalty Clinic, where she worked on behalf of a client on death row. During her law school summers, Vanessa interned at the Contra Costa County Public Defender’s Office and Pangea Legal Services.

Vanessa studied Literature and Legal Studies at the University of California, Santa Cruz (’14). A recipient of the Thelton E. Henderson Center Public Interest and Social Justice Certificate and the Francine Diaz Memorial Prize, Vanessa earned her law degree from the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law (’18).

Vanessa is licensed to practice law in New York. She speaks English and Spanish.