Mariela earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Law and Society from the University of Calgary in Calgary, Alberta Canada in 2003. She then attended Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Law School where she received several scholarships and awards including the Hispanic Law Society Leadership award. She graduated with a Juris Doctor degree from Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Law School in 2008.
After graduating law school, she began her career in immigration law. She is highly skilled at drafting effective legal briefs, and motions for cases that deal with a variety of federal and state criminal issues. Mariela has successfully represented clients in removal/deportation defense, appeals to the Board of Immigration Appeals, family-based visas, nonimmigrant visas, employment-based visas and humanitarian-based petitions. Mariela also served as a guest lecturer for several years at the University of Denver for the Masters of Social Work program. During her professional career, Mariela has gained not only nationwide legal experience but also international experience. In 2013, she was chosen as a participant in an exclusive delegation in Guatemala through the Guatemalan Human Rights Commission. In 2015, Mariela traveled to Asia to work on issues of trafficking and immigration.
Mariela understands the challenges of her clients personally. She was born in Guatemala and her family was forced to flee their native country. Her father was eventually successful in seeking refuge in Canada. Because of her own personal experience, Mariela has dedicated her career to assisting other immigrants with their legal issues.
