Benjamin Pena

As a child, I always knew I wanted to defend others. I was born and raised in Harlem, a neighborhood found uptown in New York City. I am the first in my family to be born in the United States. My siblings and parents were born in Dominican Republic. I lived with my family in Section 8 housing and went to public school in Harlem. It was not until college that I left Harlem.

I earned my Bachelor of Arts from Hamilton College in upstate New York and my Juris Doctor from Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law in New York City. During law school, I participated in the Criminal Defense Clinic, the Civil Rights Clinic, and interned at various public defender offices throughout Lawrence, Massachusetts, and New York City. During law school, I also had the privilege to serve as the President of the Black Law Student Association.

After graduating law school, I began my legal career as a public defender in New York City. There, I represented clients who could not afford to hire an attorney and were facing misdemeanor charges in Manhattan Criminal Court. Unfortunately, I failed the bar exam two times. I was let go and unable to continue working as a public defender. I did not allow this to be the end and took the bar exam a third time. Sadly, I failed the bar exam once more. I decided to sit for the exam a fourth time. On my fourth attempt, I was able to finally pass the bar exam. This marked my return to the legal profession. I was admitted to practice law in New York and Massachusetts. With that, I moved to Lawrence, Massachusetts to join my family who had moved there while I was in school.

After moving to Lawrence, I worked as an attorney at a prominent immigration office in Boston. I had the opportunity to represent clients in asylum and bond before the Immigration Court. While I learned a lot during my time there, I was motivated to find ways clients could be better served and appreciated. Without many answers, I left the office in search of a change of pace. I found work as a corporate attorney for a very brief time. Feeling underappreciated, I left that position and returned to immigration law.

I returned to my work as an immigration attorney at another prominent immigration law firm in Boston. During my time there, I had the opportunity to represent clients in a wider range of immigration matters including asylum, family based petitions, applications for permanent residence, consular processing, waivers and naturalization. After a few years, I was made Director of Litigation. As the Director of Litigation, I managed and supervised a large volume of the Immigration Court cases at the office. It was during this time that I began to envision opening a law firm that aligns with things I find important: transparency, empathy, and respect. The law firm would exist as a space where clients were seen, heard, and equipped with information and tools they need to navigate their immigration journey. As the attorney, I would be there to defend them and make sure their story is heard. With that vision in mind, I founded a Lawyer from Harlem.

I have had the privilege to be able to help individuals and families navigate very complex immigration situations. I have successfully litigated and secured legal status and protection for hundreds of individuals. I have advised clients on their current immigration situation, recommended ideal legal courses of action and reviewed criminal convictions that could impact their immigration status. I am dedicated to serving the immigrant community with honesty, transparency, grit, and grind. I founded A Lawyer From Harlem so that I could have more freedom in how I serve you as an attorney.

In my spare time, I enjoy playing video games, reading manga, and practicing boxing. I’m a big fan of the Golden State Warriors and I love fashion. My goal in life is to reflect Jesus Christ in everything I do. I am here to listen, encourage, and help you in any way I can.