Join us for a best practices training with the Virginia Poverty Law Center focused on strengthening support for undocumented victims and witnesses of crime. This session is designed specifically for victim advocates and will include:

• A plain-language breakdown of key immigration-related legal processes and terminology (e.g., U-Visas, T-Visas, VAWA petitions)
• Guidance on how to navigate your role without crossing legal boundaries
• Model policies to help programs minimize risk and maximize safety for undocumented survivors and those who serve them
• Strategies to reduce harm and ensure ethical, trauma-informed advocacy

Participants will leave with practical tools to better support undocumented survivors, navigate confidentiality and safety concerns, and advocate for just policies in their organizations.

Speakers:

Vanessa Paster is an immigration attorney for Virginia Poverty Law Center (VPLC). Vanessa has a demonstrated passion for and commitment to prevention and intervention initiatives for the disadvantaged. As attorney manager of LA VIDA (Legal Assistance to Victim-Immigrants of Domestic Abuse), Vanessa provides legal representation to victim immigrants of domestic violence, sexual assault and trafficking and conducts outreach and training on immigration rights advocacy throughout Virginia. Prior to joining VPLC in 2018, Vanessa was a public defender in Wisconsin, advocating for indigent clients in criminal, juvenile and civil proceedings. Vanessa received her B.A. from the University of Oregon and her J.D. from Marquette University Law School, where she was the Managing Editor of the Marquette Benefits and Social Welfare Law Review.

Naomi Cordova is the Legal Administrative Assistant at Virginia Poverty Law Center (VPLC) for LA VIDA (Legal Assistance to Victim-Immigrants of Domestic Abuse). With a background in immigration and workers’ rights, Naomi has served in legal support roles, including Immigration Paralegal and Legal Program Coordinator. Raised in a Guatemalan Salvadoran household, Naomi brings personal insight and cultural fluency to her work with immigrant survivors. Ms. Cordova received her B.A. in Religious Studies, with an internship at the Interfaith Action for Human Rights, from Virginia Commonwealth University.