Legal training and practice provide a strong foundation in critical thinking, analysis, and advocacy. These skills drive the talks I give, the stories I tell, and the art I make.
Legal aid lawyers represent diverse clients to achieve justice. This requires them to engage both in self-examination, and examination of the social, economic, and legal structures which stand in the way of equity. Legal aid representation on behalf of limited-English proficient and undocumented clients, clients struggling with generational poverty and dispossession, and clients from marginalized communities requires an advocate to build empathy and awareness for the conditions that shape clients’ lives.
As lawyers, we are trained to understand that the words we choose and the way that we communicate matter. Our practice requires effective listening, careful negotiation, and the efficient synthesis of new information and changing dynamics. All of these are done in a highly regulated professional environment, where missteps are corrected by colleagues, arbiters, regulators, and the bar. Because of her training and background, Sofia brings an even, empathetic, and rigorous commitment to the truth to each story she tells.
Combining the analytical skills of a lawyer with the gift of storytelling, Sofia’s trainings offer unique perspectives and lasting insights.
Education
Northeastern University School of Law, J.D.
New College of Florida, Social Sciences, Gender Studies, B.A.
Legal Experience
Prairie State Legal Services, Rockford, IL
Attorney
Language Access Director
American Bar Association, Chicago, IL
Assistant Counsel
Community Legal Services, Philadelphia, PA,
Director, Child Care Law Project
Co-Director, Language Access Project
Attorney, Public Benefits Unit
Massachusetts Superior Court, Boston, MA
Law Clerk
Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Boston, MA
Legal Intern
Greater Boston Legal Services, Boston, MA
Legal Intern
Community Organizing and Leadership
Member, Human Rights Equity and Advisory Committee, ***** District School Board, 2023-2026
Judge, New American Voices Book Award
Anti Jewish/Muslim Bias Committee, Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom
Board Member, Assoc. for Public Religion & Intellectual Life
Founding Vice Chair, Council on American Islamic Relations-Philadelphia (CAIR-Philly)
Moderator, Muslim Women in Sacred Spaces Symposium
Contributing Editor, Altmuslimah.com
Founder/Director, Philadelphia Chinatown Medical-Legal Initiative
Board Member, Pennsylvania Immigrant and Citizenship Coalition
Advisory Board Member, Liberty Center for Survivors of Torture
Staff Researcher on Gendered Violence, Women’s Project
Children’s Advocate, Advocates for Battered Women
Intern, Gateway Ranch Cultural Exchange Center and on-reservation Diné-led School
Founder and Organizer, Sarasota Chapter of National Clothesline Project