Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
OTHER ACTIVITIES
Timeline
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Luis E. Homes

Rancho Viejo,USA

Summary

Experienced law school educated immigration advocate with a passion for helping people build a better future for themselves.


In my 35+ years of legal experience, I co-founded and owned my own law firm with my business partner, and also helped establish the contemporaneous Venezuelan-equivalent of the IRS (SENIAT). Although NOT currently licensed to officially practice law in the U.S (only 'barred' in Venezuela), I've had the privilege in the last 7 years of guiding and educating vetted individuals and families navigate the immigration system so they can settle and contribute to this great nation. In 2 of those 7 years, I advocated before the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) and United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)

Overview

31
31
years of professional experience

Work History

Senior Immigration Advocate

St Joseph, Legal Orientation Project and Immigration Service
01.2023 - Current
  • Design and manage initiatives that provide legal assistance, community outreach, and support services for immigrants.
  • Engage with policymakers, legal experts, and community leaders to advocate for immigrant rights and influence immigration policies.
  • Build relationships with immigrant communities to ensure their needs are met, and foster trust through culturally sensitive services.
  • Ensure the organization adheres to immigration laws, nonprofit regulations, and ethical standards.
  • Maximize mission goals by fostering a collaborative environment when managing teams and recruiting volunteers.
  • Create and manage processes and procedures to coordinate documentation for visa processing on immigrant and non-immigrant applications.
  • Liaised with coworkers and immigration candidates to answer questions, resolve issues, and explain immigration policy.
  • Personally communicate with and guide clients frequently and predictably, aiding and educating them on immigration procedures, such as those involving Green Cards and other processes.
  • Build productive relationships with business partners to facilitate immigration program activities.
  • Maintain public access files to facilitate compliance, documentation and execution of immigration policies and procedures.
  • Collaborate with outside counsel to interpret and apply technical immigration policies and procedures.
  • Manage refugee and asylee education projects by fundraising and developing program opportunities.
  • Work with public and private agencies to refer and educate immigrants on laws, community resources and options for various needs.
  • Collaborated with individuals and families to evaluate applications and determine eligibility for resettlement transitions.
  • Developed strategies for court proceedings and negotiations.
  • Counseled clients on potential outcomes of legal matters.
  • Interviewed witnesses and gathered public record research relevant to each case.
  • Prepared and filed pleadings, motions and other legal documents in court proceedings.
  • Communicated with clients and collected information to research cases and prepare settlement offers.
  • Presented key evidence and exhibits during civil trials.
  • Researched, wrote and filed motions, writs and briefs for each case.
  • Analyzed legal documents and identified pertinent issues for clients.

DOJ Accredited Representative

South Texas Pro Bono Asylum Representation Project (ProBAR)
10.2022 - 09.2024
  • Delivered educational “know your rights” presentations to non-detained individuals at the Harlingen Immigration Court for two years.
  • Processed participant intake at the Immigration Court Helpdesk program.
  • Provided counsel to participants that were pro se or those that received direct representation.
  • Represented clients in various immigration legal matters, including: asylum, cancellation of removal, VAWA, U Visas, family petitions, Cuban Adjustment Act, employment authorization documents, as well as waivers before EOIR and USCIS, drafting motions, PD requests, briefs, and other documents.
  • Worked as primary counsel in cases 2023 – 2024, and granted two cases of 42B, two cases U Visa and one case of asylum.

Paralegal

American Bar Association
06.2019 - 09.2022
  • Principal case worker as a DOJ-accredited representative for the Pro Bono Asylum Representation (ProBar) non-profit organization.
  • Assisted Staff Attorneys handling cases, including filing immigration forms and documents for their review.
  • Thoroughly researched clients’ cases and delivered “know your rights” presentations for detained and non-detained populations.
  • Responsible for the granting of 5 asylum cases while acting as principal case worker

Case Manager

Southwest Key Program
05.2018 - 06.2019
  • Processed the intake of unaccompanied minors recently arrived in the U.S to initiate the family reunification process.
  • Completed sponsor background checks.
  • Interviewed South American families to establish the reasons why they left their home country.
  • Prepared and submitted individualized cases to the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) for family reunification approval and met with government officials to complete this process.
  • Facilitated educational sessions for both individual and group settings.
  • Monitored clients' progress and tracked client services to provide crisis interventions.
  • Mentored staff by developing training programs.
  • Developed and implemented training programs for staff.
  • Engaged with the public through our community events and provided them with information about the services we provided.
  • Referred clients to appropriate team members, community agencies and organizations to meet treatment needs.
  • Provided leadership, guidance and support to staff members.

Independent Foreign Legal Consultant and Tax Plann

Self Employed
08.2013 - 05.2018
  • Provided families and individuals with tax-planning services while living and working in the U.S and Venezuela
  • Practiced Venezuelan law in Florida as an authorized Foreign Legal Consultant for the Florida Supreme Court
  • Provided future migrants with legal orientation about their potential immigration status in the U.S

Law Firm Founder and Senior Partner

Homes Urdaneta & Asociados, Despacho De Abogados
01.1998 - 06.2013
  • Supervising eighth staff attorney in the area of corporate and taxation.
  • Tax and estate planning.

General Manager

Servicio Nacional Integrado De Administración Aduanera Y Tributaria
05.1995 - 12.1997
  • Supervising the collection and revenue for federal taxes in the Zulia State, Venezuela.
  • Supervising the auditing process for taxpayers in the area on income tax and value added tax.
  • Educating the taxpayer on the social responsibilities of paying taxes timely.

National Tax Manager

Servicio Nacional Integrado de Administración Aduanera y Tributaria
06.1994 - 05.1995
  • Leading and supervising the legal representation of Venezuela before the Tax Court and the Supreme Court of Justice. Representing the Venezuelan tax administration before national state authorities. Preparing drafts for tax law and regulation to submit to the Congress or Minister of Finance

Education

Master’s in Law (LLM), -

Harvard University
Cambridge, MA
01.1992

International Tax Program - Harvard Law School, Kennedy School of Government

Harvard University
Cambridge
01.1992

Master's Degree in Political Science -

University of The Zulia State in Venezuela (LUZ)
Maracaibo, Venezuela
01.1990

Bachelor's Degree in Law -

University of The Zulia State in Venezuela (LUZ)
Maracaibo, Venezuela
01.1984

Skills

  • Extensive legal expertise and knowledge
  • Experienced in legal counseling extending decades
  • Diligent, responsible and honest
  • Practicing of continuous empathy and compassion with clients, influenced by my pastoral care experience
  • Substantial experience working with families, minors and other vulnerable populations
  • Providing legal education through presentations and public speaking
  • Involved in community advocacy
  • Advanced problem-solving and critical thinking skills
  • Multiculturally sensitive and aware
  • Able to read, write, translate and speak fluently in Spanish
  • Passionate and experienced in mentoring
  • Vigorous client representation
  • Individualized case preparation
  • Negotiation skills
  • Formally educated on corporate law
  • Processing, reviewing and reporting legal documents
  • Supporting attorneys
  • Understanding of tax law
  • Thinking analytically

OTHER ACTIVITIES

  • Profesor en Titular de Derecho en Venezuela: Universidad del Zulia, Universidad Rafael Urdaneta, Escuela Nacional de Hacienda Pública, Universidad Simón Bolívar, Instituto de Estudios Superiores de Administración (IESA), Instituto de Gerencia del Zulia. Subjects: Impuesto Sobre la Renta y Valor Agregado, Derecho Tributario, Tributación Nacional, Derecho Financiero, Tributación Internacional, Negociación para Gerentes y Abogados. Venezuela 1985 - 2017
  • Founder of the Non – Profit and Tax-Exempt Organization “St Joseph, Legal Orientation Project and Immigration Services” (St Joseph – LOPIS) Brownsville, 2022
  • Diocese of Brownsville. St. Thommas University Houston. Deacon Formation Program. Deacon Aspirant. January 2022 – Current
  • Clergy. Migrant Minister. San Felipe Catholic Church January 2018 – Current
  • Author of the Novel: “Por Alli Viene el Licenciado”. Amazon 2020.

Timeline

Senior Immigration Advocate

St Joseph, Legal Orientation Project and Immigration Service
01.2023 - Current

DOJ Accredited Representative

South Texas Pro Bono Asylum Representation Project (ProBAR)
10.2022 - 09.2024

Paralegal

American Bar Association
06.2019 - 09.2022

Case Manager

Southwest Key Program
05.2018 - 06.2019

Independent Foreign Legal Consultant and Tax Plann

Self Employed
08.2013 - 05.2018

Law Firm Founder and Senior Partner

Homes Urdaneta & Asociados, Despacho De Abogados
01.1998 - 06.2013

General Manager

Servicio Nacional Integrado De Administración Aduanera Y Tributaria
05.1995 - 12.1997

National Tax Manager

Servicio Nacional Integrado de Administración Aduanera y Tributaria
06.1994 - 05.1995

Master’s in Law (LLM), -

Harvard University

International Tax Program - Harvard Law School, Kennedy School of Government

Harvard University

Master's Degree in Political Science -

University of The Zulia State in Venezuela (LUZ)

Bachelor's Degree in Law -

University of The Zulia State in Venezuela (LUZ)

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Luis E. Homes