Veronica Serrato Explained

Veronica Serrato is an American immigration lawyer. She is a recipient of the Ohtli Award, the highest award given by the Mexican government to people serving Mexicans abroad.^[1]

Education and early life

Serrato was born in Chicago;^[2] her parents immigrated to the US from Moroleon, Guanajuato, Mexico.^{[3] [4]} Serrato attended Harvard University for her undergraduate degree (A.B. in 1984) and Boston University School of Law for her J.D, graduating in 1988. She was the first in her family to attend college.

Career

Serrato was the founding executive director of Project Citizenship, a non-profit focused on helping legal permanent residents (green card holders) become American citizens.^{[5] [6] [7]} Under her leadership, 8,300 immigrants achieved US citizenship. According to Congresswoman Katherine Clark (D-MA), it is the largest citizenship provider in New England.^[8] They are "unapologetically pro-immigrant."

In 2019, Project Citizenship and Ropes and Gray sued USCIS for their plan to remove fee waivers for the naturalization process.^[9]

Prior to Project Citizenship, Serrato served as a Senior Attorney at Volunteer Lawyers Project. She served as a Clinical Instructor and later, Domestic Violence Specialist, at the Legal Services Center of Harvard Law School, where she handled domestic violence cases.

Awards and honors

• Ohtli Award, Mexican government, 2018^[10]
• Silver Shingle Award, Boston University School of Law, 2017^[11]
• Guest of Congresswoman Katherine Clark, State of the Union Address, 2017^[12]
• Sarah B. Ignatius Award for Excellence in Law, PAIR Project, Boston, June 2020
• Spirit of Boston award, Mayor Martin Walsh, November 2019
• Massachusetts Association of Hispanic Attorneys, 2019 Organization of the Year Award
• Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Top Women in the Law Award, October 2014
• Boston University School of Law Public Interest Attorney Award, April 13, 2014
• Victor Garo Public Service Award, Boston University School of Law, 2015^[13]
• Community Hero, ABCD^[14]

References

1. Web site: Member Notes. bostonbar.org. 2020-01-25.
2. Web site: uMass Amherst-grad-helps-immigrants-chart-course-citizenship. 2018-06-04. Lowell Sun. en-US. 2020-01-25.
3. Web site: Paving the Way to Citizenship. Boston University. en. 2020-01-25.
4. Web site: Citizenship applications soar in Mass. - The Boston Globe. BostonGlobe.com. en-US. 2020-01-25.
5. Web site: Through these doors, a path to citizenship. 2019-05-04. Lowell Sun. en-US. 2020-01-25.
6. Web site: Should Boston allow non-citizens with legal status to vote? Boston.com. www.boston.com. en-US. 2020-01-25.
7. Web site: 2021-01-12. Veronica Serrato Project Citizenship. 2021-01-16. en-US.
8. Web site: Clark to Bring Project Citizenship Director as Guest to Trump Address. 2017-02-27. Congresswoman Katherine Clark. en. 2020-01-25.
9. Web site: Ropes & Gray and Project Citizenship Sue USCIS to Protect Access to Citizenship for Low-Income Immigrants. www.ropesgray.com. 2020-01-25.
10. Web site: Verónica Serrato Honored with the Ohtli Award. 2018-05-07. Project Citizenship. en-US. 2020-01-25.
11. Web site: Immigrants' Rights & Human Trafficking Mentorship Program Breakfast School of Law. www.bu.edu. 2020-01-25.
12. News: In Their Choice of Guests, Trump and Congressional Democrats Sent Dueling Messages. Buchanan. Larry. 2017-02-28. The New York Times. 2020-01-25. Parlapiano. Alicia. en-US. 0362-4331.
13. Web site: Pro Bono Kickoff Honors Veronica Serrato ('88) School of Law. www.bu.edu. 2020-01-25.
14. Web site: Veronica Serrato. ABCD Community Heroes Celebration. en-US. 2020-01-25.