ABOUT US
OUR STAFF
Jill Martin Diaz, Esq. (they/them/ELLE)
Executive Director
Jill is an immigration attorney licensed to practice in New York, Vermont, and the District of Vermont. They come to VAAP from Vermont Law and Graduate School where they taught doctrinal and clinical immigration law and directed the Center for Justice Reform Clinic. Previously, Jill practiced as a Vermont Poverty Law Fellow at Vermont Legal Aid and an Immigrant Justice Corps Fellow at Sanctuary for Families New York. Jill partners with Connecting Cultures–New England Survivors of Torture and Trauma (NESTT) as their legal director and also serves on the Vermont Judiciary’s Access to Justice Coalition, the Vermont Legal Aid and Legal Services Vermont Board of Trustees, the Migrant Justice Junta de Apoyo, and the Vermont Queer Legal Professionals co-founding leadership team. The National LGBTQ+ Bar Association recognized Jill’s achievements by honoring them as one of 2023’s Top 40 Lawyers Under 40.
MARNIE AVILA ALVAREZ, LLM (She/Her/ELLA)
Program Coordinator and Paralegal Advocate
Marnie is a Cuban lawyer who is completing Vermont Law Office Study. She earned her law degree from the Havana University Faculty of Law, graduating Magna Cum Laude in 2014. She completed her LLM as a Global Energy Fellow at Vermont Law and Graduate School’s Institute for Energy and the Environment in 2023. Marnie's legal career focuses on energy law and policy and US immigration law. Marnie has been deeply involved in legal research, writing, and case management related to renewable energy projects, regulatory compliance, and environmental law. In addition, she has experience handling immigration cases, providing support to individuals navigating the immigration system, and advocating for fair and just immigration policies. In 2022, Marnie co-founded Alviera Group LLC, assisting immigrants in establishing themselves legally, economically, and socially in the United States, while supporting clean energy access and energy efficiency solutions for the immigrant community. Marnie serves as adjunct faculty at Vermont Law and Graduate School’s Institute for Energy and the Environment, teaching their Global Sustainability Field Class to Cuba every year.