 |
|
Karla R. Bustamante
Karla R. Bustamante was raised in a loving family where her parents instilled the values of hard work, loyalty, dedication and perseverance. She is the first in her family to pursue higher education by graduating high school, college and law school. Growing up she always knew she wanted to be an attorney and her parents infused the discipline required to go from being an ESL (English as a Second Language) student to an honor roll and AP student.
After high school graduation Ms. Bustamante attended the University of California at Riverside where she earned a double Bachelors of Arts in Political Science and Spanish Linguistics/Literature. While completing her undergraduate studies Ms. Bustamante was involved with campus activities, working and volunteering at the Cesar Chavez Student Center, Families First Project, International Student Services and the ALS Association; she also worked as an intern for the Riverside District Attorney's Office Victim/Witness Unit and studied abroad in Spain. She attended Whittier College, School of Law where she earned her JD while working full time.
As an immigrant herself, Ms. Bustamante has a deep rooted passion for helping the immigrant community. She is an associate at Valencia & Associates, APC in Santa Ana, California practicing immigration law exclusively. Her focus is on deportation defense and family-based immigration ranging from, parole in place for military families, adjustments of status to consular process and VAWA (violence Against Women Act), U visas for victims of crime and naturalization. Her pro bono work includes naturalization fairs, DACA workshops, immigration information workshops, mentoring law students and know your rights clinics.
Ms. Bustamante is a member of the Los Angeles Bar Association, specifically immigration section where she proudly works alongside fellow immigration attorneys who zealously represent the immigrant community. Ms. Bustamante serves on the Board of Directors of the Hispanic Bar Association of Orange County which focuses on scholarship fundraising to support future generations of Latino lawyers. She is also a member of the Orange County Bar Association, Orange County Bar Association Young Lawyers Division, and Orange County Hispanic Bar Association. She is licensed to practice before all courts in the State of California as well as the United States District Court for the Central District of California.
|