LAW OFFICES OF SHIRLEY SADJADI - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Legal Assistant
- Legal Assistant View Bio
- Paralegal With the Law Offices of Shirley Sajadi
Hugo Salas has been a bilingual paralegal with the Law Offices of Shirley Sajadi since 2017. Hugo manages the waiver (or "perdon") document caseload, ensuring all documents are complete and index is created before the attorney finalizes the package. Hugo received his bachelor's degrees in business administration, administrative law and Law Office Administration from Robert Morris College, where he also studied to become a paralegal ("Auxiliar en Derecho").
It was through his legal studies, together with all that was happening with immigration in this country, that Hugo found his passion, helping immigrants navigate our complex immigration system. Working as a paralegal at an immigration law firm allows him to not only work in the legal field, but also to work directly with immigrants and make a difference in their lives. His commitment to immigrants and justice has allowed to thrive at the Law Offices, ultimately working his way up to become the managing paralegal for our waiver workload, which is one of the main types of cases our office handles.
As an immigrant, Hugo is passionate about fighting the injustices he sees in our communities and against negative stereotypes of immigrants. He believes that we can NEVER stay silent and MUST challenge people who support people and policies that deny who he is, what he does, or who he loves. In other words, it's okay to disagree that you like pickles, but it's not okay to disagree about racism or the basic humanity of immigrants.
Hugo actively participates in community protests and calls for action demanding change, using his experience and education to move the conversation forward. He believes that only through community pressure can our nation begin to build a better future for all.
Hugo enjoys being active and outdoors, so loves to swim, bike and rollerblade.
Job Titles:
- Associate Attorney Schedule a Consultation
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Jasmine Pedraza graduated summa cum laude from Northern Illinois University College of Law. She received a graduation award for her community service and interest in protecting the civil rights of the underprivileged members of our community.
Ms. Pedraza's passion to practice immigration law and fight for the rights of immigrants is fueled by her background. She compassionately recognizes the issues that immigrant families face because she comes from a family of immigrants herself. She takes pride in her diverse cultures- American, Iranian, Dutch, and Mexican. Prior to law school, she graduated from Elmhurst University with a Bachelor of Science in Biology and a minor in Spanish. Ms. Pedraza is admitted to practice law in Illinois. She is fluent in English and Spanish.
Job Titles:
- Administrative Staff Support
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Member of the Chicago Chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association
- Partner Schedule a Consultation
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Kate Radder is a partner with the Law Offices of Shirley Sadjadi. Kate obtained her bachelor's degree in Spanish and Business from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2003. She received her law degree from Marquette University in 2009.
Kate's passion for immigration law began when she was living in Madrid, Spain, as an immigrant herself. While in Spain, Kate lived with a family from Ecuador. She witnessed them go through the Spanish immigration process and was there when the father received his citizenship. Obtaining his Spanish citizenship brought him and his family to tears. It was this joy that inspired Kate to become an immigration attorney in the United States.
Kate knows how it feels to be in a foreign land and serves all clients with compassion and respect. She has worked on hundreds of immigration cases, representing clients before various government agencies, such as the Executive Office for Immigration Review, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, and various foreign consulates. Kate is fluent in Spanish and English.
Kate is a member of the Chicago Chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, where she serves as co-chair of the USCIS District Director liaison committee and as a member of the Illinois Secretary of State Committee. She is also the vice-chairperson of the Board of Directors for The Immigration Project, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping immigrants in central and downstate Illinois. Kate is admitted to practice law in Illinois and the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Attorney
- Associate Attorney Schedule a Consultation
- Associate Attorney View Bio Call for a New Client Consultation
Maritza Cabrera is an Associate Attorney with the Law Offices of Shirley Sadjadi, and has been practicing exclusively in the area of immigration law since 2001. She is admitted to practice law in Illinois and The U.S. District Court for The Northern District of Illinois. Maritza practices in all areas of immigration law the firm provides and is the principal attorney handling U Visa and VAWA petitions.
Prior to her current position, Maritza worked with the National Immigrant Justice Center where she supervised its Citizenship and Naturalization Project and office in the Pilsen neighborhood of Chicago. Maritza spearheaded outreach to immigrant communities and community-based organizations on naturalization issues, and provided trainings to community based organization members and pro bono attorneys.
Prior to life as an immigration lawyer, Maritza worked with Prairie State Legal Services where she represented low-income individuals with general civil litigation in state circuit court, federal court and administrative hearings in the areas of family, landlord-tenant, unemployment insurance, social security, public benefits law and assisting domestic violence victims to obtain orders of protection and divorce.
Maritza is a member of the Chicago Chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, served as co-chair of Illinois Coalition for Immigration and Refugee Rights Naturalization Task Force, and provided editing assistance to Citizenship Now, a Guide for Naturalization a McGraw Hill/Contemporary guide. Maritza has appeared on television regarding immigration issues; assisted channel 44 by answering hotline for "Lunes de Inmigracion" segment and was also interviewed by HOY and the Chicago Tribune regarding notario fraud.
Immigration issues are an important aspect of Maritza's life as she immigrated from Ecuador as a child, so has experienced first hand the negative and positive aspects of the United States immigration laws. Maritza is bilingual in English and Spanish.
Maritza obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree in criminal justice with equivalent course work completed in psychology from the University of Illinois, Chicago, Illinois. She received her law degree from Hamline University School of Law, St. Paul, Minnesota in 1994. She also studied at Colegio Mayor Universitario San Pablo in Madrid, Spain.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Attorney
- Associate Attorney Schedule a Consultation
- Associate Attorney View Bio Call for a New Client Consultation
Marlén obtained her Paralegal Certification with Elgin Community College, working as a Paralegal at ROS Law Firm and then Global Immigration Associates. In 2019, Marlén graduated from Northern Illinois University College of Law where she received an award for her work in public interest. As a law student, Marlén interned at Law Offices of Shirley Sadjadi, Chicago Immigration Court, and Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project. Marlen worked as a Staff Attorney for National Immigrant Justice Center before returning to our Law Offices.
Job Titles:
- Senior Legal Assistant
- Senior Legal Assistant View Bio