Kathleen Rivas

Kathleen Rivas is joining Public Counsel’s Immigrants’ Rights Project as a Justice Catalyst Fellow for 2020-2021 where she will be working on a project to combat notario fraud in Los Angeles’ immigrant community.Kathleen will be assisting vulnerable populations of low income immigrants who have been defrauded by a “notario,” a notary public or immigration consultant who engages in the unauthorized practice of immigration law, through direct representation and community education. In addition, Kathleen will be continuing the work she began in law school as a clinical student of Loyola’s Immigrant Justice Clinic, to engage in collaborative efforts to tackle this issue with community partners, including local governmental agencies and non-profit legal service providers. Kathleen has been dedicated to assisting Los Angeles’ immigrant community since entering Loyola Law School. As a clinical student for two years, Kathleen offered direct legal services to victims of serious crime and asylum seekers who were facing deportation. Kathleen has interned for Kids in Need of Defense (K.I.N.D.) where she assisted unaccompanied minors who were forcibly separated by the government from their parents at our southern border and are now facing deportation. Kathleen also volunteered with the CARA Pro Bono Project where she assisted women and their children who were being detained in South Texas and were seeking asylum. Kathleen looks forward to being an ally and an advocate for Los Angeles’ immigrant community.

Fellowship type: Justice Catalyst

Organization: Public Counsel

Project name: Combatting Notario Fraud in our Immigrant Community