Debra Marti Rodriguez
361-883-8900 (office)361-883-6609 (fax)
361-548-1132 (emergency cell)
San Diego Immigration Law
Licenses
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5/98 |
Member, Texas State Bar |
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6/93 |
Member, California State Bar |
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8/93 |
U.S. District Court, Southern District of California |
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4/94 |
U.S. District Court, Southern District of Texas |
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9/96 |
U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit |
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11/96 |
U.S. District Court, Northern District of Texas |
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Education |
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9/89 - 2/93 |
National University School of Law, San Diego, California Magna Cum Laude |
J.D. |
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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
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2002 |
President, Corpus Christi Bar Association
(900 members) |
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2001 |
President-Elect, Corpus Christi Bar
Association |
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2000 |
C.C.B.A. Volleyball Tournament,
Chairperson. Raised $4,000 for charity. Corpus Christi Young Lawyers Association Recipient of the 2000 Outstanding Young
Lawyer Award |
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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. |
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1998 |
Citizenship Clinic. Helped organize a citizenship clinic at Catholic Social Services; processed more than 60 applications for citizenship. |
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1997 |
American Heart Association, Chair, Auction Committee (raised $35,000.) |
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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. |
Heather Moretzsohn(361) 883-8900 (office)(361) 883-6609 (fax) |
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Ms. Moretzsohn was born on the island of Saipan, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, in the Western Pacific, where her father was employed with the U.S. Department of the Interior in Palau and Saipan. Several years later, Ms. Moretzsohn's family moved to Honolulu, Hawaii where she was raised.
Ms. Moretzsohn has always felt that it was extremely important to learn about other countries and their languages. In her second year of college, Ms. Moretzsohn moved to Guadalajara, Mexico to study Spanish. She subsequently received a full scholarship from the International Rotary Foundation to study German and European history in Salzburg, Austria. Upon completion of her studies in Austria, Ms. Moretzsohn moved to Washington, D.C. to complete her undergraduate degree at the George Washington University in International Relations with a special focus in Economics and German. While in Washington, D.C., Ms. Moretzsohn worked for the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs, processing Chinese and Russian visas. She also worked with U.S. Senator Daniel K. Inouye from Hawaii as a Constituent Liaison handling various legislative issues including immigration and foreign policy.
After several years in Washington, D.C., Ms. Moretzsohn received an award from the Japanese government to work in Japan and was promoted to Coordinator for International Relations. She subsequently received a Fulbright Scholarship from the Fulbright Foundation to study Japanese and Asian history in Japan.
While in Japan, Ms. Moretzsohn also received an award from the American University in Cairo, Egypt to study Arabic. She subsequently moved to Brazil to study Portuguese and learn about Latin America. While in Brazil, she worked at the American Consulate in Sao Paulo, Brazil processing visas for Brazilians and third-party nationals. After her time in Brazil, Ms. Moretzsohn returned to Hawaii to be with family. While back in Hawaii, she completed a double Master's Degree in International Relations/Pacific Islands Studies, and subsequently attended law school. During this time, she also received a grant from the American Association of University Women (AAUW) to conduct field research on the islands of Palau, Saipan, Yap, Ponape, Kusaie, and Kawejelein, investigating the impact of the Japanese in Micronesia between WWI and WWII. During the investigation, Ms. Moretzsohn conducted oral interviews of the local people to get a collective assessment of their experience between the world wars, researching issues such as slave labor and military aggrandizement in the Pacific. After graduating from law school, Ms. Moretzsohn received a full fellowship from the National Security Education Program (NSEP) to study at Waseda University in Tokyo, Japan to continue her research pertaining to the Pacific and WWI and WWII.
After obtaining her law degree, Ms. Moretzsohn has focused on the field of Immigration Law, and worked in the Immigration law firm with her father, James Stanton, in Honolulu, Hawaii. Ms. Moretzsohn subsequently moved with her family to Corpus Christi, Texas. Since coming to Corpus Christi, she has been the President of the Corpus Christi Sister City Committee where she set up a new Sister City between Corpus Christi, Texas and Playa Del Carmen, Mexico. She has also been the lead attorney in the Corpus Christi satellite office of the Immigration law firm of Reina, Bates & Kowalski. Ms. Moretzsohn subsequently began her own law practice and is currently a partner in the law firm of Rodriguez & Moretzsohn, PLLC which specializes in Immigration Law.
International Awards:
- Japan - U.S. National Security Foundation Scholar (2000-2001)
- Micronesia - American Association of University Women Scholar (1995-1996)
- Egypt - American University in Cairo, Arabic studies (1993)
- Japan and Micronesia - Fulbright Scholar, Fulbright Foundation (1992-1993)
- Japan - Japan Ministry of Education, AET/Coor. Int'l Rel. (1991-1992)
- Austria - Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar, International Rotary Foundation (1987-1988)
Education:
- Japan - Waseda University, School of International Law, Tokyo, Japan (2000-2001)
- USA - University of Hawaii at Manoa, International Law/PIS (M.A. 2001)
- USA - William S. Richardson School of Law, University of Hawaii at Manoa (J.D. 1999)
- USA - University of Hawaii at Manoa, Political Science (M.A. 1996)
- Japan - Ryukyu University, Japan (1992-1993)
- USA - George Washington University, Washington, D.C. (B.A. 1991)
- Austria - University of Salzburg, Austria (1987-1988)
- Mexico - Goethe Institute, Guadalajara, Mexico (1987)
Professional Experience:
- Rodriguez & Moretzsohn, PLLC (2010 - present)
- Reina, Bates & Kowalski, P.C., Corpus Christi, Texas (2008-2010)
- Harris & Greenwell, L.L.P., Corpus Christi, Texas (2005-2008)
- Stanton, Clay, Tom, Chapman, Crumpton & Iwamura, Honolulu, Hawaii (2001-2004)
- Nishi Law Firm, Tokyo, Japan (2001)
- The Honorable Gail Nakatani, Hawaii State Judge, Honolulu, Hawaii (1999-2000)
- U.S. Consulate São Paulo, Brasil (1994)
- U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs, Russian and Chinese Visa Section, Washington, D.C. (1991)
- U.S. Senator Daniel K. Inouye, Washington, D.C. (1988-1991)
Professional Memberships:
- President, Corpus Christi Sister City Committee (2006-2008)
- Member, Coastal Bend Women Lawyer's Association (2006-present)
Fields of Practice:
- U.S. Immigration Law
Languages:
- Spanish
- Portuguese
- Japanese
- German
Background:
- Born on Saipan, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
- Raised in Honolulu, Hawaii
