Vanessa Alonso, founder of the Texas-based immigration law firm Alonso & Alonso, knows what it’s like to stand in the shoes of the people who walk through her law firm’s doors, seeking her help. As the daughter of immigrants and a first-generation Mexican-American, she grew up in a single-wide trailer in El Paso, Texas, armed with dreams of a better life and a determination to beat the odds. This determination led her to the University of Toledo’s College of Law, where she graduated with a juris doctor degree in 2010.
While in law school, she had the opportunity to visit several agricultural work camps, witnessing the conditions under which many immigrants worked. Experiences such as these, as well as her roots as part of an immigrant family, strengthened her connection to the Latino community, reinforcing her desire to work in immigration law. Although she initially landed a job at a large immigration law firm, she took issue with the way clients were often treated.
“Clients were often treated as just another case number,” she remembers. “I saw firsthand how the legal process–especially in immigration–can feel cold, overwhelming, and impersonal for individuals and families who are already facing some of the most vulnerable moments of their lives.”…