Rafael Pichardo Email and Phone Number

Pichardo Immigration Paralegals is a virtual paralegal service serving solo and small firm immigration attorneys. Our mission is to provide solo and small firm immigration firms the ability to grow their business by integrating trained paralegals into their business without incurring significant costs. We understand how difficult it can be to grow when you have to pay the full cost of a full-time employee, or even a part-time employee.

Dominican Republic office for Pichardo Immigration Associates, LLC. We provide clients in the Dominican Republic, and in many circumstances their family members in the US, with immigration legal serivces. Including Tourist Visas, Post-Deportation Relief, Waiver Applications, and Student Visas.

Enhanced the Hartford Public Library's immigrant integration services by establishing a one of a kind immigration legal services program. Assisted in the preparation of the BIA (Board of Immigration Appeals) application and developed the program policies and procedures needed to run a busy immigration legal services program in its first year. Served over 150 low-income immigrants with Naturalization services and LPR related issues. Successfully represented Naturalization Applicants and successfully obtained Naturalization for complicated applications. Supervised and trained 2 part-time staff and 2 volunteers including a legal intern.

Immigrant Legal Assistance is a law practice dedicated to providing quality affordable legal services to Immigrants. The practice will focus, initially, on Immigration and Nationality law but hopes to address, in a holistic manner, the concerns affecting immigrants. In addition to legal services, Immigrant Legal Assistance will provide consulting services to non-profit and community based organizations that work with or support the Immigrant community to help strengthen programming and services.

Assisted attorney with a focus on wage and hour litigation before Federal court. Gained significant knowledge about Fair Labor Standards Act, Family and Medical Leave Act. Drafted Family and Medical Leave Act complaint, affidavit in support of a motion for summary judgment, and correspondence to clients. Assisted attorney in proceedings in Federal District Court and the Connecticut Commission on Human Rights. Communicated case updates to Spanish speaking clients. Served as interpreter for attorney and clients in attorney-client meetings. Translated legal documents from English to Spanish.

Conducted research on the representatives legislation - including constitutional limitations on residency restrictions for sex-offenders and pension-padding legislation. Interacted with committee staff to track legislation.Gained significant knowledge about the legislative process in Connecticut. Attended weekly presentations by by legislative and executive leadership. Prepared testimony for public hearings on co-sponsored legislation.

Direct representation of low-income people in housing and summary judgment eviction matters. Conducted legal research on issues including attorney fees statutes, disclosure of youthful offender records, Section 8 termination procedures. Drafted legal memorandum and letters to clients. Negotiated with housing providers to facilitate successful resolutions to clients’ cases. Engaged in direct advocacy with housing provider to request a reversal of denial of section 8 housing application. Successfully advocated for homeless client to obtain reconsideration of application to elderly/disabled housing. Attended housing court proceedings with supervisor and observed attorney negotiations with opposing counsel. Clinic lasted for 13 weeks during which I worked an average of 15-20 hours per week while enrolled in a full course load.

Developed partnerships with state, local, and tribal governments; community-based organizations; faith-based groups; schools; media outlets; businesses; and other grassroots entities in communities within the greater Hartford area. Provided support to census field operations (such as Recruitment, Be Counted, Questionnaire Assistance Centers, Non-Response Follow-Up) as needed. Frequent travel throughout the state of Connecticut, New York, Massachusetts. Regular interaction with a diverse population, many of which exhibited a significant distrust of the federal government. Selected to receive technology training on Salesforce website with subsequent assignment to train field operations staff in Connecticut and New York field offices.

Lead intern responsible for organization's pilot- Immigration Court monitoring project- whose goal it was to identify detained individuals who were eligible for free/low-cost legal representation. Attended master calendar proceedings to identify potential clients; Communicated with court personnel to get accurate detainee information; Created a detainee case tracking database. Acquired significant knowledge about immigration justice system and immigration laws. Selected to receive Goldstein Fellowship.Client Case Work in Immigration Unit- Drafted letters to clients with updates and followup information. Researched Haitian Convention Against Torture deportation defense. Conducted legal research for supervising attorney. Drafted legal memorandum in support of detained immigrant, a research memorandum on stay of civil proceedings once a criminal prosecution has been initiated. Participated in weekly unit meetings to assess new intakes and pending actions. Attended client consultation with supervising attorney at the Federal Detention Center in Rhode Island.

Responsible for investigation, outreach, education, and tester training for civil rights organization. Investigated complaints by conducting interviews, collecting and reviewing client documentation, analyzing data, and preparation of fair housing tests. Wrote reports for staff attorney, executive director. Maintenance of statistics via database. Conducted outreach to community groups and local governments to increase fair housing law awareness. Organized and facilitated several trainings per month for various organizations, including housing providers, non-profits and libraries. Trained 40 fair housing testers in fair housing law and related testing methodologies. Redesigned center website (has since been redesigned.)

Supervised and staffed Bronx housing court information table. Provided legal information and referrals to tenants before they entered courtrooms. Served as liaison between tenant’s rights advocates and supervising judge of the Bronx Housing Court. Coordinated monthly task force meetings with housing advocates. Conducted trainings for grassroots organizations and non-profit organizations and local government. Answered telephone hotline for tenants with housing problems, assisted with referrals to agencies, and application instructions.