Urban Justice Center
Melissa Portillo is an experienced legal advocate specializing in immigration law, currently serving as a DOJ Accredited Representative and Legal Advocate at the Urban Justice Center since July 2019. Melissa has a strong background in providing legal support to immigrant families, having previously worked as an Immigration Legal Advocate in the Domestic Violence Project at Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New York from May 2017 to July 2019, where responsibilities included screening for eligibility and managing immigration cases. Prior experience includes roles as an Immigration Paralegal at Immigration Advocacy Services, where case processing was conducted under attorney supervision, and as a Communications & Outreach Associate at Vita Center, Inc., coordinating community initiatives. Melissa's early career included an internship with the New York City Council, where assistance was provided on immigration-related matters. Education includes a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and Government from Baruch College, earned between 2013 and 2015.
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Urban Justice Center
True pioneers often set out with limited resources, no clear path and no instructions. Nonetheless, they move boldly forward. In 1984, Douglas Lasdon launched the Urban Justice Center (UJC) in much the same way, from a burned out building in East Harlem, with almost no funding. He took his legal expertise to soup kitchens, jails, and shelters (places others would not go) and set up free legal clinics. Forty years later, in spite of social opposition and division, UJC remains a champion of change. Today, UJC is composed of many longstanding Anchor Projects, who serve tens of thousands of people a year, on critical issues ranging from homelessness, to discrimination, to seeking asylum, to escaping intimate partner violence. Each Project is led by experts in the field, who devise their own strategy for making change, often combining free direct legal services to those in need with impact litigation, social services, community organizing, legislative advocacy, “know your rights” trainings, and more. As well, through our Social Justice Accelerator, we incubate groundbreaking new projects that are fighting new wrongs or bringing new approaches to longstanding issues. By providing them with material support, guidance, and a community of fellow advocates with hundreds of cumulative hours of experience, we help them leap over the early, difficult stages of nonprofits growth, and get directly to affecting change in their issue area. This two-pronged approach allows us to meet the ongoing advocacy needs of our clients, while allowing us to stay nimble and meet new and emerging social justice issues. To find out more, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram; check out our website (www.urbanjustice.org); or sign up for our Justice Elerts newsletter (https://www.urbanjustice.org/newsletter/).