Lilia Velasquez

Immigration Attorney and Adjunct CWSL Professor

Lilia Velasquez is an attorney in practice since 1982.  As a certified specialist in Immigration and Nationality Law, her practice is devoted entirely to immigration cases. She received her Masters in Law degree (LL.M.) in International Law from the University Of San Diego School Of Law, her Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from California Western School of Law, and her Bachelor’s (B.S.) degree in Social Work from San Diego State University. Ms. Velasquez is also the consulting attorney in Immigration Law for the Mexican Consulate in San Diego and an adjunct Professors at California Western School of Law.  In addition, she trains judges and lawyers throughout Latin American in trial skills and media advocacy.

 Ms. Velasquez is an internationally known speaker and lectures regularly on immigration, human rights, refugee, and human trafficking issues. She has presented at the Hague Appeal for Peace, the U.N. Human Rights Commission, the U.N. Women’s Conference in China and numerous international conferences and forums.  She was a member of a Legal Study Delegation to the Soviet Union, China and India, and has traveled on human rights missions to South Africa, Israel, Guatemala, Cuba, Iraq, Yugoslavia, Afghanistan, Nepal, Kenya, Iran, Cambodia, and most recently to Mali and Senegal.

Ms. Velasquez has been recognized as one of the best attorneys in San Diego in Immigration Law by the San Diego Union Tribune and been lauded for her human rights work by California Lawyer magazine and other lawyering periodicals. She is featured regularly on national and international news programs.  For seven years, she was featured weekly in “Despierta San Diego” of Univision TV on a variety of immigration issues. In addition, she participates in legal clinics where she provides free legal advice to immigrants.

Her many awards include induction into the “Women’s Hall of Fame” of San Diego County, the Excellence Achievers’ Award by Today’s Youth Asia Nepal, Latina of the Year by Adelante Mujer, the Helen Marston Award by the ACLU, the Fay Stender Award by the California Women Lawyers Association, the Local Hero Award by KPBS/Union Bank, the San Diego County Bar Association’s Community Service Award, the Phenomenal Woman Award from the San Diego Ethnic Minority Bar Association, the Presidents Pro Bono Service Award by the State Bar of California, the Anne Hoiberg Human Rights Award, and the highest honor given by the government of Mexico for service to the Mexican American community, the Ohtli Award.  Ms.Velasquez lectures regularly to jurists, international organizations, bar associations and community activists.