Paola Ivonne Neri

PAOLA I. NERI-MICHEL

FOUNDER AND MANAGING PARTNER | NERI LAW OFFICES

Paola I. Neri-Michel is an immigration attorney that specializes in Immigration and Nationality Law. Paola has a great depth of knowledge and experience in U.S. immigration services and handles family-based immigration and removal defense cases. She established her law firm in February 2020 convinced that organization, communication, and exceptional case management are essential keys to success. As an immigration attorney, she has successfully represented clients in family-based visa petitions, waivers, U.S. citizenship, U Visas, VAWA, DACA and in immigration court matters. She represents clients in removal proceedings at the Los Angeles Immigration Court and beyond. Paola has a solid reputation for being honest, reliable, and treating each case with dedication and a personal touch.

Paola grew up in San Diego, after immigrating from Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico, at the age of five and was raised by a single mother in a working-class home, so she fully understands the obstacles many immigrants face in this country. As an attorney sensitive to immigration issues, she is committed to zealously representing her community. Before law school, Paola had already defined her vocation of service and volunteered her time at the Legal Aid Society of San Diego, Inc. at the Conservatorship Clinic in Probate Court translating for participants requesting guardianship or conservatorship of a family member who was developmentally disabled, seriously impaired, incapacitated, or suffered mental health issues.

Paola holds various positions in both a volunteer and leadership capacity. She is an active member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), the largest immigration attorney organization with over 15,000 members across the United States and abroad, where she served as a Law Student Liaison from 2018 to 2019. Currently, she is the Vice Chair on the Executive Committee for the AILA Southern California Chapter 2020 to 2021 and is a volunteer for AILA’s Military Assistance Program where she takes pro bono cases to help military service members in need. Paola is an active member of the National Lawyers Guild where she serves as Co-Chair of the Steering Committee for the Los Angeles Chapter’s Immigration Committee, 2020 to 2022. She is also a volunteer for the Los Angeles LGBT Center’s Legal Clinic where she provides free consultations and is an active member of the Los Angeles County Bar Association (LACBA). In 2021, Paola joined the Executive Committee of the Immigration Section for the LACBA.

Paola is an immigration attorney who cares about the immigrant community as an immigrant herself. She speaks Spanish and English and takes cases all over the United States and abroad. Paola is admitted to the United States District Court, Eastern and Southern District of California. In January 2020, Paola was voted by her colleagues as one of the best immigration lawyers, a “Top Attorney” in Pasadena, California for Pasadena Magazine. She was also selected to the 2021 and 2022 Super Lawyers Southern California Rising Stars list, an honor reserved for only 2.5% of attorneys in Southern California. Paola spends her free time cooking, hiking, and boxing.

EDUCATION
• Loyola Law School, Los Angeles, J.D., May 2012, Admitted to the State Bar of California
• University of California, Irvine, Bachelor of Arts, Criminology, Law, and Society, Phi Beta Kappa, magna cum laude
JURISDICTIONS ADMITTED TO PRACTICE LAW
• Admitted to the State Bar of California, Practices immigration law in all 50 states
• United States District Court for the Central District of California
• United States District Court for the Southern District of California

PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES
• Author, Latinas Who Boss Up, 2021
• Co-Chair, National Lawyers Guild, Steering Committee for the Los Angeles Chapter Immigration Committee, 2020-2022
• Vice Chair, American Immigration Lawyers Association, Executive Committee for the Southern California Chapter, 2021-2022
• Executive Committee, Los Angeles County Bar Association, Immigration Section, 2021-Present
• Treasurer, American Immigration Lawyers Association, Executive Committee for the Southern California Chapter, 2020-2021
• Secretary, American Immigration Lawyers Association, Executive Committee for the Southern California Chapter, 2019-2020
• Liaison, Law Students, AILA Southern California Chapter, 2018-2019
• Member, American Immigration Lawyers Association, 2015-Present
• Member, Los Angeles County Bar Association, 2015-Present
• Member, Business Network International, 2020-2021
• Volunteer, AILA Military Assistance Program, 2020-Present
• Volunteer, Legal Clinic, Los Angeles LGBT Center, Hollywood, 2020-Present

RECOGNITIONS
• Super Lawyers, Southern California Rising Star, 2021
• Top Lawyers, Pasadena Magazine, 2020
• Client’s Choice Award, Avvo.com, 2020
• Client’s Choice Award, Avvo.com, 2019