Our Team
Helen Lawrence
she/her
Managing Attorney
Helen Lawrence is the Managing Attorney of this practice which she started in 2011. She is the Chapter Chair of the American Immigration Lawyers Association’s Northern California Chapter. Prior to starting her own practice, Helen worked with criminal defense attorneys on the intersection of immigration and criminal law and completed a fellowship at the Immigrant Legal Resource Center focused on immigrant youth, juvenile justice and gangs. She graduated from Harvard Law School in 2009, where she was involved in the school’s International Human Rights Clinic and Immigration and Refugee Clinic. Helen received her Bachelor of Arts from the University of California, Los Angeles where she majored in international development studies and minored in Spanish. She is inspired by immigrants’ contributions, strength and resilience.
Laura Jones
she/her
Supervising Attorney
Laura Jones graduated from UCLA
School of Law, specializing in the David J. Epstein Program in Public Interest Law and Policy as well as Critical Race Studies. At UCLA, Laura participated in the Immigrants’ Rights Policy Clinic and was a law clerk with the Dilley Pro Bono Project, working with women and children detained in the family detention center. Laura also served as a publications editing assistant for the Immigrant Legal Resource Center and was a Discourse Editor for UCLA Law Review. Prior to law school, Laura was a fourth-grade transitional bilingual teacher in Houston, Texas. She received her Bachelor of Arts from Scripps College, where she majored in sociology and legal studies. Laura is dedicated to social justice and immigrants’ rights and feels privileged to work with inspiring clients every day.
Leslie De La Torre
they/them
Legal Fellow
Leslie is a Legal Fellow at the Law Office of Helen Lawrence. They hold a J.D. from UC Davis School of Law, where they received their Immigration Law Certificate. Leslie is passionate about ensuring client autonomy and working to reduce the harm clients face within the immigration legal system. During their time at UC Davis School of Law, Leslie gained experience as a trauma informed practitioner with the Urban Justice Center, the UC Davis Immigration Law Clinic, NorCal Resist, and the California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation. Prior to law school, Leslie received their bachelors degrees in both Legal Studies and Latin American/Latino Studies from UC Santa Cruz. Leslie continues to be inspired by their parents, originally from El Grullo, Jalisco, who have taught them to work hard, care for others and approach others with humility.
Virginia Rose La Puma Lebel
she/her
Legal Fellow
Virginia Rose La Puma Lebel is a Legal Fellow at the Law Office of Helen Lawrence. She holds a J.D. from Stanford Law School and a Masters in International Policy from the Stanford Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies. Through her academic and professional work, she has sought to focus on policy-based responses to the issues of immigration, human rights, and climate justice. As a law student, she served in leadership roles for the Stanford Human Rights Law Association, Stanford Advocates for Immigrants Rights, Stanford Environmental Law Journal, and the Disability and Mental Health Network at Stanford. She has worked previously for a variety of nonprofits in the philanthropic and legal space, including Kids in Need of Defense, Hispanics in Philanthropy, the Advocates for Human Rights, and Catholic Relief Services. She received a B.A. in International Relations and a minor in Creative Writing from Stanford University. She is humbled daily by our clients' resilience and strives to do work that honors the trust they place in her.
Esmeralda Morales
she/her
Senior Paralegal
Esmeralda Morales is a senior paralegal at the Law Office of Helen Lawrence. She focuses on affirmative adjustment of status, naturalization, DACA and U-visa applications. She also provides legal support in defensive immigration cases. Esmeralda has worked with undocumented crime victims, unaccompanied minors, DREAMers, and immigrants escaping violence and persecution for 7 years. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Literature from the University of California, Santa Cruz. Esmeralda is committed to defending and promoting immigrants’ rights through her work as a paralegal.
Faith Kersey-Bronec
she/her
Office Manager/Legal Assistant
Faith Kersey-Bronec is an Office Manager/Legal Assistant at the Law Office of Helen Lawrence. Faith received her Bachelors of Arts in Chemistry from College of St. Benedict in Central Minnesota. After graduating, Faith joined the Jesuit Volunteer Corps in Tacna, Peru where she worked as an English teacher and assisted social workers in their work with adolescent mothers. Faith has multiple years of experience as a case manager in the Bay Area for recently arrived immigrants from Central and South America. Faith is dedicated to supporting immigrants in achieving their dreams and goals. Faith is inspired by clients' resilience, strength and fortitude and is honored to work with them.
We believe that black lives matter
The Law Office of Helen Lawrence strongly condemns the recent murders of Breonna Taylor, Amaud Arbery, and George Floyd and the countless others who have been murdered by police brutality and racism in the United States.
As a law practice that advocates for the rights of immigrants and routinely challenges law enforcement’s illegal conduct, we vehemently oppose police brutality and racism in our community and broader nation. We stand in solidarity with the black community and acknowledge their leadership in the fight against racism. We will continue fighting for social justice. In the meantime, we are looking for ways that we can be stronger allies to the black community. Please do not hesitate to reach out to us.