Alejandra Gonzales is a 3L student born in Lima, Peru and raised in Miami, Florida. Over the summer, she worked at Ansbacher Law in Jacksonville, Florida. Currently, she is the President of the Immigration Students Law Association, First-Generation Law Association, and Miami Law Women. Her involvement with the clinic has included representing a client in an asylum interview and working in a coalition with statewide partners to better conditions at Baker County Detention Center in Macclenny, Florida.
Amelia Anderson is a 2L student originally from Ohio. Over the summer, Amelia worked with Legal Services of Greater Miami in the Tenants’ Rights Unit. Currently she is volunteering with the ACLU of Florida to monitor treatment of immigrants in detention centers throughout Florida. She is also a Miami Public Interest Scholar and a Junior Staff Editor on the University of Miami Law Review. Amelia's work in the Immigration Clinic has included requests for prosecutorial discretion for immigrants in removal proceedings, green card applications, and asylum relief.
Anthony Mena is a 2L from Cuba. Over the summer, Anthony worked at a family law firm handling matters of divorce and adoption. Currently, he is a junior staff editor for the University of Miami Law Review. With the Immigration Clinic, Anthony is currently helping clients in matters of cancellation of removal and asylum.
Benjamin Brooks is a 3L student from North Carolina. After completing the clinic as a student intern last year, he joined the Immigration Clinic this year as a student fellow. For the past two years, Brooks served as a David P. Catsman Research Fellow at the Center for Ethics and public Service on the Housing and Community Economic Development Project. This past summer, he interned at the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office. Ben is also a member of the Charles C. Papy, Jr. Moot Court Board and is the Vice President of the Immigration Students Law Association. His involvement with the clinic has included working on an amicus brief filed with the United States Supreme Court, representing a client in an asylum interview, and working in coalition with statewide partners to better conditions at Baker County Detention Center in Macclenny, Florida.
Daphna Jimenez is a 2L student from Miami, FL. Last winter break, Daphna interned at Catholic Charities Legal Services where she worked on asylum cases and drafting motions for administrative closure. Over the summer, Daphna interned in-house at Darden Restaurants and will be participating in an externship at Bacardi over the Spring semester. Daphna is a member of the University of Miami International and Comparative Law Review and serves as the Treasurer of the Tech Law Club and Miami Law Women. As part of her work with the Immigration Clinic, Daphna will be representing clients in removal proceedings in front of an Immigration Judge.
Fiona Tianjin Zhang is a 2L student born and raised in Beijing, China. Over the summer, Fiona worked as a law clerk at Barakat+Bossa, a boutique commercial litigation firm in Coral Gables. Currently, she is the President of the Asian Pacific American Law Students Association and Member of the Honor Council. At the Immigration Clinic, Fiona focuses on helping clients with criminal convictions stay in the United States. Through her close personal connections with the Ukrainian community in the U.S., Fiona also helps people fill out the Uniting for Ukraine applications in her own capacity.
Gabriela Rivero is a 2L student from Newark, Delaware. Over the summer, Gabi was a summer law clerk with the Litigation team at the Center for Gender and Refugee Studies as a HOPE Fellow. On campus, Gabi is a Miami Public Interest Scholar and serves as the Secretary of both the Immigration Students Law Association and National Lawyers Guild. She is also a founding member of the UM-ACLU Detention Database Team. As part of the Immigration Clinic, Gabi is working on asylum, TPS, and humanitarian parole cases, as well as an LPR cancellation/adjustment of status case with an individual hearing scheduled for March.
Isabella Gonzalez is a 2L student from Venezuela. She spent the summer of 2022 working with a law firm called Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe and with a financial services company called Chime. This upcoming summer, she will be splitting her summer between two firms: Simpson Thacher & Bartlett and Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe. She is the Secretary of Miami Law Women. Currently, Isabella is working with a client in removal proceedings to prepare for an upcoming Individual hearing.
Kelsey McGonigle is a 2L from Kansas City. Since November 2021, Kelsey has been volunteering with the ACLU of Florida working on the Florida Detention Database, a compilation of complaints from individuals detained in Florida gathered to raise awareness and support efforts to shut down immigration detention centers in the state. During summer 2022, she served as a HOPE fellow with Oasis Legal Services in Berkeley, California, working on asylum applications for LGBTQIA+ immigrants. As an Immigration Clinic Intern, Kelsey is working on the Asylum and Cancellation of Removal case for a client in removal proceedings with a merits hearing in the fall.
Sandra Lackmann is a 2L originally from North Carolina. She is a member of the Miami Scholars Public Interest Program and has over five years of experience working in immigration advocacy. Before joining the Immigration Clinic, Sandra clerked at Catholic Charities Legal Services of the Archdiocese of Miami, focusing on removal defense, asylum, and Special Immigrant Juvenile Status petitions for unaccompanied refugee minors. This semester, she clerks at Nero Immigration Law, P.L. in Coral Gables and serves as a PIN Pal mentor. As a Clinic Intern, Sandra is working on the Asylum and Cancellation of Removal case for a client in removal proceedings with a merits hearing in the fall.
See former student interns
