EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Jill (they/them, elle/ellx) is an immigration attorney licensed in New York, Vermont, and the District of Vermont. Since becoming VAAP’s first paid staff member in January 2024, they have expanded the organization to include multiple staff, eleven board members, numerous volunteers, and a growing supporter base. They also teach social work part-time at the University of Vermont. Previously, Jill taught immigration law and directed the Center for Justice Reform Clinic at Vermont Law and Graduate School, and practiced at Vermont Legal Aid and Sanctuary for Families in New York. Jill serves as Legal Director for Connecting Cultures–New England Survivors of Torture and Trauma and holds leadership roles with state and national legal organizations. In 2023, the National LGBTQ+ Bar Association named them among its Top 40 Lawyers Under 40.

IMMIGRANT JUSTICE CORPS FELLOW

Emma (she/her, ella) is a 2023 graduate of American University Washington College of Law and practiced with California’s Immigration Center for Women and Children. During law school, Emma worked with immigration firms and nonprofits in the DC area with a focus on affirmative and defensive asylum casework, VAWA, U-Visa, and SIV applications, and humanitarian parole. She was a student attorney at the American University Washington College of Law Immigrant Justice Clinic where she worked on asylum defense and naturalization cases. Her work focuses on assisting unaccompanied minors in removal proceedings as part of IJC’s unaccompanied children program. She is particularly excited to help fill this much needed service void in Vermont, a state in which she has family and has spent a lot of time, and holds dear.

IMMIGRANT JUSTICE CORPS FELLOW

Cam (she/her, ella) is a 2024 graduate of Vermont Law and Graduate School and is honored to join Vermont’s inaugural class of IJC Fellows. During law school, Cam worked as a law clerk for Legal Services Vermont, and provided direct immigration services and community advocacy to as a student clinician at the Center for Justice Reform Clinic. She played a part in reinstating her school’s National Lawyers Guild chapter and has been active in other movement advocacy projects on campus and beyond. Cameron has always prioritized community-driven work, which leads her to IJC. She is honored to join VAAP as their Unaccompanied Children Program Justice Fellow and is eager to work and grow alongside the amazing team!

CONTRACT STAFF ATTORNEY

Leah (she/her) is an attorney licensed to practice in Vermont. She is joining VAAP from May through November 2025 on a part-time, consulting basis to drive VAAP's Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) practice in Vermont Family and Probate Courts to help incubate her vision for a queer-competent family law firm for Vermont.  Following her first career as a professional actor, she pursued a law degree to have a more tangible impact on justice for queer and trans communities. She is a 2024 graduate of Vermont Law and Graduate School's J.D. and Restorative Justice programs. As a law student and clinician, her work focused on queer asylum and youth immigration relief, queer family law and policy, and advocating for housing and victims' rights. Most recently, she provided national and state-based legal support to LGBTQ+ people across the country through her work with the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR). With gratitude to indigenous wisdom, she supports restorative practices as an alternative to legal systems when possible.

IMMIGRANT JUSTICE CORPS SENIOR FELLOW

Bria (she/her, ella) is a graduating Immigrant Justice Corps Fellow and rising Senior Fellow, and former Winooski school district educator who is moving back to Vermont to join VAAP’s growing legal practice. She joins VAAP from the Chacón Center for Immigrant Justice in Maryland and you can read more about her IJC fellowship experience here: https://justicecorps.org/news/a-zealous-advocate-bria-leigh-yazic/.

IMMIGRANT JUSTICE CORPS FELLOW

Catalina (she/her, ella) is a graduating lawyer from Vermont Law and Graduate School, class of 2025, and an incoming Katzmann Justice Fellow at the Immigrant Justice Corps, class of 2025-27. Originally from New Jersey, Catalina now calls Vermont home. Her passion for immigration rights stems from her undergraduate studies in World Religion and Arabic as well as her own Colombian community and roots. In law school, Catalina worked as a Peggy Browning Fund Fellow at Migrant Justice/Justicia Migrante and as a student clinician and intake specialist at the Center for Justice Reform Clinic. Catalina hopes her experience as a VAAP legal fellow will allow her to expand her work protecting the rights of immigrant workers facing injustice while extending her advocacy to safeguard the vulnerable undocumented community in Vermont.

CONTRACT PARALEGAL

Bio coming soon!

CONTRACT PARALEGAL

Bio coming soon!