Locations in San Diego, CA & Corpus Christi, TX

Debra Marti Rodriguez

(361) 548-1132 (phone)
(361) 857-8783 (fax)

San Diego Immigration Law

Licenses

5/98	Member, Texas State Bar
6/93	Member, California State Bar
8/93	U.S. District Court, Southern District of California
4/94	U.S. District Court, Southern District of Texas
9/96	U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit
11/96	U.S. District Court, Northern District of Texas
Education
9/89 - 2/93	National University School of Law, San Diego, California Magna Cum Laude	J.D.
1/88 - 8/89	National University, San Diego, California Summa Cum Laude	A.A.

Professional Organizations

Corpus Christi Bar Association
President, 2002–03;
Other positions held: President-Elect, 2001–02; Vice Pres., 2000–01; Secretary, 1999-00

Mexican Consulate
Special Counsel, Immigration Issues since 1997.

State Bar of Texas, Immigration and Nationality Section
Board Member, 2001-2002

State Bar of Texas, Grievance Committee
Panel Chair, 2001-2002, Panel Member since 2000.

Corpus Christi Young Lawyers Association, Corpus Christi, TX
Recipient of Outstanding Young Lawyer of the Year, 2000

Corpus Christi Young Lawyers Association, Corpus Christi, TX
Treasurer, 1996-97, 1998-99; Board Member, 1995-96, Member, 1994 - 2001.

Coastal Bend Women Lawyers Association, Corpus Christi, TX
President, 1998-99, Vice President, 1997-98, Secretary, 1996-97; Treas., 1995-96.

Inns of Court
Associate Member, 2001

Professional Affiliations

• State Bar of Texas (Member since 1998)
  
• State Bar of California (Member since 1996)
  
• Inns of Court (Member since 2001)
  
• American Immigration Lawyers’ Association (1997 – present)
  
• Catholic Social Services, Immigration Program (Volunteer since 1997)
  
• Coastal Bend Women Lawyers Association (Member since 1994)
  
• Federal Bar Assn. (Member since 1993)
  
• Board Certified - Immigration and Nationality Law, Texas Board of Legal Specialization
  

Community Workshops / Speaking Engagements

Naturalization Workshop (1997, 1998), Catholic Social Services.

Selena Avance Program, March 1999.
Guest Speaker: Issues surrounding the Immigrant Family

Legal Secretaries Association (April 1, 1999)
Guest Speaker: Immigration: A Historical Perspective

First United Methodist Church (May 4, 1999)
Guest Speaker: Women Asylees: Where do they come from?

Coastal Bend Women Lawyers Association (10/99)
Guest Speaker: Immigration Update

Corpus Christi Young Lawyers’ Association (1999)
Guest Speaker: How a client’s immigrant status can impact your area of practice.

Rotary Club, Downtown (Feb. 21, 2000)
Guest Speaker: Immigration Update

Y.W.C.A., (Oct. 2000 and October 2001)
Violence Against Women’s Act.

L.U.L.A.C., (2000 and 2001)
Speaker: Immigration Updates

C.C.I.S.D.(2000)
Panel Chair and speaker for seminar entitled: “Grandparents Raising Grandchildren."

A & M Kingsville, First Annual Professional Women's Conference
Guest Speaker: Immigration Issues

Public Forum, Del Mar College (Oct. 1999, 2000, Oct. 2001)

Publications

Corpus Christi Lawyer, Winter 1998
Establishing U.S. Citizenship of Foreign Born Persons

Special Achievements / Community Service

2002	President, Corpus Christi Bar Association (900 members)
2001	President-Elect, Corpus Christi Bar Association State Bar of Texas, Grievance Committee Panel Chair, 2001-2002, Panel Member since 2000.
2000	C.C.B.A. Volleyball Tournament, Chairperson. Raised $4,000 for charity. First Book, Founding Member and Chairperson, Corpus Christi Young Lawyers Association Recipient of the 2000 Outstanding Young Lawyer Award
1999	First Book, Local Chapter (Founding Chairperson). Helped establish the local chapter for Nueces County. By doing so, we received 5,000 free books to be distributed to qualifying program.. First Book is a national non-profit organization whose primary goal is to identify tutoring programs with low-income children and to distribute new books to these children in order to foster excitement for reading, high self-esteem and a respect for education. Coastal Bend Women Lawyers Association. (President) Some of the accomplished during my presidency: raised $7,500.00 for Y.W.C.A.'s pregnancy prevention program; collected donations of gifts and money for 28 Rainbow House residents; and collected 1,800 books for the Literacy Program. Chairperson, American Heart Association (Heart Ball 1999; raised over $165,000.); Chairperson, Y.W.C.A., Yuletide Market, Preview Party (Dec. 1999). Chair, Lawyers for Literacy. Collected over 1,800 books for the Corpus Christi Literacy Council. Immigration Seminar, Public Forum, Del Mar College. A free public forum for questions about the new immigration laws and other immigration issues. Chair, C.C.B.A. Volleyball Tournament. Raised $2,000 for Make A Wish Foundation and $250.00 for Y.W.C.A.
1998	Citizenship Clinic. Helped organize a citizenship clinic at Catholic Social Services; processed more than 60 applications for citizenship.
1997	American Heart Association, Chair, Auction Committee (raised $35,000.)
1996	Y-Teens Program. Received grant from Texas Young Lawyer’s Association to implement pilot program by Y.W.C.A. for three high risk middle schools to conduct bi-monthly meetings dealing with serious topics such as teen pregnancy, racial and social issues. In 1996, Nueces County had the highest teen pregnancy rate in the nation: 9.7% This program is now in over 17 schools and has recently been expanded to the grade schools.

 

K. Freeman Lee Associate (858) 560-8448 (phone) (858) 560-8217 (fax) San Diego Immigration Law

• Korea University Statistics (B.A in Economics)
• School of Law at University of Nottingham, England LLB
• California Western School of Law LLM
• A member of San Diego Korean-American Immigration Lawyer Association
• A member of America Immigration Lawyers Association
• A member of American Bar Association(ABA)

 

Amy Apostol Of Counsel (361) 548-1132 (phone) (361) 857-8783 (fax)