Diana Serrano
Atlanta,GA
Summary
Highly skilled immigration paralegal with 8 years of experience providing direct legal and psychosocial services to diverse immigrant communities, and supporting research and policy work on migration issues. Holds a master’s degree in law and diplomacy with a focus on migration and human rights.
Overview
8
8
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Senior Immigration Paralegal
Kids in Need of Defense (KIND)
01.2024 - Current
- Onboard, train, mentor, and co-supervise immigration paralegals in collaboration with Senior and Managing Attorneys.
- Provide quality assurance of referrals, intakes, filings, and pleadings.
- Conduct legal research, complete immigration forms (I-485s, I-360s, I-589s, I-765s), and draft affidavits and motions for immigration and state court proceedings in consultation with attorneys.
- Support the onboarding of Pro Bono attorneys and the creation and distribution of legal materials.
Intern
HIAS Costa Rica
06.2023 - 07.2023
- Support the delivery of initial legal and psychosocial services for migrants in transit and asylum seekers in Costa Rica.
Field Research Assistant
Leir Institute For Migration & Human Security
06.2023 - 07.2023
- Conduct in-depth interviews with 23 migrants and asylum seekers transiting through Costa Rica to learn more about their journeys, the information available to them, and how they process and respond to it.
- Document field observations and interactions with community members and key informants.
- Collect, record, and organize data to assist with initial data analysis.
Project Manager - HFI Program
Leir Institute For Migration & Human Security
02.2023 - 06.2023
- Support the design of the IRB application process and the research protocol.
- Conduct background research on participatory research and academic methodologies for working with vulnerable populations.
- Manage the logistics for site visits and research sites in Mexico and Costa Rica.
Research Intern
Migration Policy Institute
05.2022 - 09.2022
- Conduct a literature review on unaccompanied children's mental health, effective interventions, and services available in U.S communities.
- Collect and organize qualitative data.
- Assist with legal research on non-citizen eligibility criteria for SNAP, Medicaid, and CHIP.
Research Intern
The Boston Foundation
10.2021 - 04.2022
- Collaborate on a public policy research study on Boston's early childhood education workforce to identify providers' backgrounds and barriers to equitable training and employment opportunities.
- Interview 30 Spanish-speaking participants.
- Collect, record, and organize data.
Immigration Paralegal
Kids In Need Of Defense
07.2021 - 09.2021
- Assist Attorneys in conducting legal research and preparing affidavits, motions, and forms for humanitarian immigration benefits, including applications for Asylum, SIJs, U-visas, T-visas.
- Assist with office administration/operations and case management.
- Monitor court dates, immigration law developments, and procedural changes to improve client service quality and case outcomes.
- Ensure appropriate processing and data entry for referrals and intakes.
Immigration Paralegal - ORR Emergency Influx Site
Kids In Need Of Defense (KIND)
05.2021 - 07.2021
- Direct and conduct group Know Your Rights presentations for unaccompanied children in The Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) custody.
- Collaborate with the Deputy Director of Child and Youth Legal Programming to create, update, modify, and translate legal materials for Spanish-speaking clients.
- Screen and conduct intake interviews with unaccompanied children in ORR custody, conduct legal research, and draft Office on Trafficking in Persons (OTIP) Referrals with the supervision of a staff attorney.
- Identify special language needs and coordinate logistics for delivering special Know Your Rights Presentations in Mayan languages and dialects.
- Manage data entry regarding Know Your Rights presentations and legal screenings and assist with daily reports.
- Train and supervise volunteers and rotating staff.
- Assist the supervising attorney in compiling data and drafting the final report summary of all activities and
services provided on the site.
Program Assistant
Kids In Need Of Defense (KIND)
07.2020 - 04.2021
- Conduct comprehensive intake interviews with unaccompanied children and sponsors to identify service needs and potential forms of humanitarian immigration relief.
- Prepare case summaries and comprehensive memorandums for each intake and assist attorneys in preparing
immigration cases based on humanitarian relief, including applications for Asylum. - Assist with office administration and operations, case management, data entry, and customized data reports.
- Provide interpretation for Spanish-speaking clients and translate documents.
Immigration Paralegal
Vazquez & Servi, PC
06.2018 - 06.2020
- Prepare cases for family-based and humanitarian immigration benefits, including Humanitarian Deferred Action, Temporary Protected Status (TPS), Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), U-VISA petitions, Adjustment of Status, Waivers of Grounds of Inadmissibility, and Permission to Reapply for Reentry into the U.S After Deportation and Removal.
- Meet with clients to prepare affidavits and gather documentation.
- Monitor immigration law developments and procedural changes to improve client service quality and case outcomes.
- Translate foreign official documentation and verbal statements (Spanish and English).
- Train and oversee the performance of new hires, legal assistants, law clerks, and interns.
Director UNEP
GSUMUN
10.2018 - 11.2018
- Provide an assessment of the participants' knowledge of the mandate of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
- Evaluate participants’ position papers based on their critical thinking skills and knowledge of international policy concerning climate change and environmental protection.
- Direct the course of the dialogue and evaluate participants' performance during sessions.
Assistant Director
GSUMUN 2018 - UNEP Simulation
01.2018 - 10.2018
- Create a background guide describing the mandate of The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and providing background information on the topics being discussed in the conference.
Immigration Administrative Intern
International Rescue Committee
09.2017 - 12.2017
- Assist immigration caseworkers in completing forms and applications for various immigration benefits and provide administrative support and translation services for Spanish-speaking clients.
Education
Master of Arts in Law And Diplomacy -
The Fletcher School At Tufts University
Medford, MA05.2023
Cross-registered -
Harvard University
Cambridge, MA12.2022
Bachelor of Arts: Political Science: International Affairs -
Georgia State University
Atlanta, GA05.2018
Skills
- Bilingual Spanish/English (Read, Write, Speak)
- Strong analytical and writing skills
- Knowledge of US immigration law
- Excellent organizational and time management skills
- Cultural competence
- Proficient in Microsoft Office and Adobe
- Experience using legal software (LegalServer, Practice Panther, Clio, Immigrant Pro, and ETO)
Certification
Social & Behavioral Research
Timeline
Senior Immigration Paralegal
Kids in Need of Defense (KIND)
01.2024 - Current
Intern
HIAS Costa Rica
06.2023 - 07.2023
Field Research Assistant
Leir Institute For Migration & Human Security
06.2023 - 07.2023
Project Manager - HFI Program
Leir Institute For Migration & Human Security
02.2023 - 06.2023
Research Intern
Migration Policy Institute
05.2022 - 09.2022
Research Intern
The Boston Foundation
10.2021 - 04.2022
Immigration Paralegal
Kids In Need Of Defense
07.2021 - 09.2021
Immigration Paralegal - ORR Emergency Influx Site
Kids In Need Of Defense (KIND)
05.2021 - 07.2021
Program Assistant
Kids In Need Of Defense (KIND)
07.2020 - 04.2021
Director UNEP
GSUMUN
10.2018 - 11.2018
Immigration Paralegal
Vazquez & Servi, PC
06.2018 - 06.2020
Assistant Director
GSUMUN 2018 - UNEP Simulation
01.2018 - 10.2018
Immigration Administrative Intern
International Rescue Committee
09.2017 - 12.2017
Master of Arts in Law And Diplomacy -
The Fletcher School At Tufts University
Cross-registered -
Harvard University
Bachelor of Arts: Political Science: International Affairs -
Georgia State University
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