Rhiana Ferguson
San Francisco,CA
Summary
Experienced administrative professional motivated to continually improve and extend my personal skills and knowledge to attain increased responsibility and opportunities for professional growth.
Overview
5
5
years of professional experience
Work History
Paralegal II
Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP
08.2021 - 02.2024
- Oversaw the preparation of high-volume corporate and pro bono immigration petitions for USCIS including O-1, EB-1, H-1B, and L-1 petitions.
- Maintained a database of electronic and physical files with over 125 active cases.
- Served as the main point of contact for all clients, using clear communication to provide critical customer service and maintain positive relationships with clients and companies.
- Wrote complex legal arguments and prepared evidence in response to government challenges in favor of clients.
- Maintained public access files to facilitate compliance, documentation and execution of immigration policies and procedures.
Business Immigration Analyst
Fragomen
08.2020 - 08.2021
- Assisted in the preparation of corporate immigration petitions for USCIS including O-1, O-3, and H-1B petitions.
- Drafted government forms and persuasive and complex reference letters.
- Maintained a broad database of electronic files with over 100 active cases at each time.
- Served as the main point of contact for clients and recruiters via email, phone, and video call.
- Trained the incoming paralegals on policy, casework, and client relations.
Research Assistant
UCSB Department of Political Science
09.2018 - 06.2020
- Researched the intersection of environmental policy and the rise of populism in democratic countries
- Codified reports via Excel and wrote detailed case studies about individual states, focusing on the Philippines
- Wrote weekly reports detailing progress of the project, looking at emissions standards and public policy
- Presented findings in weekly meetings to research assistants and professors on the project.
Data and Communications Intern, Foreign Policy
The Brookings Institution
06.2019 - 08.2019
- Managed the media phone line and email for the Foreign Policy department
- Compiled contact lists via Excel and transferred them into QuickBase to build a database of over 5000 people.
Education
Bachelor of Arts - Political Science And Art History
University of California Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, CA06.2020
Skills
- Google Scholar, JSTOR, and LexisNexis
- Proficient in MS Office
- File and Records Management
- Administrative Support
- Adobe Office Suite
- Legal writing
Volunteer Experience
UCSB Planned Parenthood Generation Action, Santa Barbara, CA, 09/2017, 09/2019, Organized events on campus and in the Santa Barbara community to mobilize advocates for reproductive justice, Worked in Santa Clarita for the election of Katie Hill
Timeline
Paralegal II
Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP
08.2021 - 02.2024
Business Immigration Analyst
Fragomen
08.2020 - 08.2021
Data and Communications Intern, Foreign Policy
The Brookings Institution
06.2019 - 08.2019
Research Assistant
UCSB Department of Political Science
09.2018 - 06.2020
Bachelor of Arts - Political Science And Art History
University of California Santa Barbara
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