Cindy S. Woods Email & Phone Number

Anchorage, Ak, Us

Miami, Florida, United States

• Monitor legal and policy changes impacting asylum law and border processing, working closely with staff to ensure that AIJ’s policy work is grounded in the needs and experiences of the immigrant community they serve, and advocate for policy positions that reflect AIJ’s values and mission.• Advise the Executive Director, the Board of Directors, and AIJ staff on forthcoming and new policy changes and related litigation and provide recommendations regarding AIJ’s response.• Work in partnership with AIJ’s Communications staff and Management team to develop key messaging, facilitate strategic external communications and conduct media work, including by serving as a media spokesperson and representing AIJ in working group meetings, stakeholder meetings with the immigration agencies, and the community at-large.

Anchorage, Ak

• Provided direct legal services and case management to victims of human trafficking and other non-citizens throughout the state of Alaska, including by: conducting prescreening and consultation with potential clients; preparing applications for T nonimmigrant status, VAWA self-petitions, affirmative and defensive asylum, Temporary Protected Status, Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, adjustment of status, and work authorization; providing support services for trafficking victims; liaising with law enforcement officers on behalf of clients; and participating in state and federal human trafficking coalitions/taskforces.• Developed and managed the Asylum for Afghans project, which placed pro bono attorneys with Afghan parolees to prepare their affirmative asylum applications and provided mentorship through monthly office hours; review of documents; and a series of curated CLEs to assist attorneys in the project.

San Antonio, Texas, United States

• Launched PASA, which provided remote legal services to asylum-seekers subjected to the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP), including hiring and managing attorneys and paralegals; setting priorities and creating internal systems for applicant screening; and implementing various strategies to amplify the impact of a small team, including by launching multiple remote, volunteer-based projects.• Provided representation to asylum seekers before the Immigration Court and BIA, USCIS, and CBP, including in parole requests, asylum applications, motions to change venue, and T42 exemptions.• Monitored reforms to U.S. immigration policies and their impact, including by leading a collaboration of mid-Texas borderland attorneys and service providers in regional and border-wide policy and advocacy discussions; and representing the Mid-Texas Welcoming Committee in White House civil society calls.• Provided legal orientation to hundreds of asylum seekers, including through managing mass WhatsApp groups; creating original video content explaining current law; collaborating with national and local legal service providers in the development and management of AyudaInfo, a communication platform for asylum-seekers previously subjected to MPP; and developing content for and managing the provision of critical paperwork and information to released MPP-enrollees in person at migrant shelters in Eagle Pass and Laredo, Texas.• Engaged directly with staff from the Biden Administration; ICE, CBP, UNHCR and U.S. and Mexican non-profits on the winding down of MPP; and its re-instatement along the Southern border.• Drafted comments to political bodies regarding immigration policy, including in federal notice and comment requests; identified plaintiffs for impact litigation and assisted in declaration drafting; and authored and contributed to amicus briefs and expert declarations in relevant litigation.

Dilley, Texas

Represent asylum seeking mothers and their children in credible and reasonable fear proceedings at the largest family detention center in the United States. Prepare clients for credible fear and reasonable fear interviews before the Asylum Office, and represents clients in Immigration Court during their Immigration Judge review of negative fear findings. Drafts and files motions and submissions before the Immigration Court for credible fear review and with the Asylum Office in the form of Requests for Re-consideration or Reinterview. Provide guidance and supervision to pro-bono attorneys and legal assistants and know your rights presentations to detained asylum seekers. Prepare bond motions, and briefing for BIA appeals;Monitor reforms to U.S. immigration policies and their impact to clients; participate in group of immigration attorneys across the Southern border representing individuals subject to the Migrant Protection Protocol (MPP) program; Draft comments to U.S. political bodies regarding immigration policy, including the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights;Identify potential plaintiffs for impact litigation to challenge various illegal immigration policies;Spearhead recruitment of volunteers for remote legal services project, including a new project to provide non-refoulement interview preps for clients detained in Mexico awaiting court proceedings in the U.S.

Washington, Dc

• Led ICAR’s engagement in the G7 and G20 processes, especially through the C20, including by coordinating the Business and Human Rights G7/G20 Taskforce, and serving as international co-chair of the Responsible Investment Working Group of the Civil-20 engagement group of the 2017 G20. • Represented ICAR at various high level UN convenings (e.g. Intergovernmental Working Group for Binding Treaty on Business and Human Rights, Human Rights Council Sessions, Committee on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights General Discussion Day). Spoke on various panels at the UN Forum on Business and Human Rights. • Managed the multi-componential National Action Plans (NAPs) on business and human rights portfolio, including advising civil society and governments (including Colombia, Mexico, Guatemala, Mozambique, and Thailand) on NAP creation and implementation, organized rightsholder convenings across Mexico and in Guatemala, assessed existing NAPs, and authored various thematic and sector specific guidance reports on NAPs. • Coordinated ICAR’s advocacy with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for increased human rights reporting through direct petition for rulemakings, drafted submissions to SEC requests for comment, and co-lead collaboration with broad ESG disclosure NGO coalition. As a consultant, provided expertise relating to non-financial reporting on human rights disclosures at the SEC in preparation for proposed rulemaking, and drafted proposed legislation that was introduced in the House Financial Services Committee.• Led the state-level access to remedy program, including drafting, introducing, and providing expert testimony for corporate accountability legislation; collaborated with law school clinics in Massachusetts, New York, and Washington state on research and advocacy for these bills, including creating research assignments for clinic students and providing detailed comments on legal memos.

Washington D.C. Metro Area

•Compiled case law on M&A issues, researched cooperatives and flexible/multipurpose corporations and produced memos on benefit corporation legislation in the US for forthcoming casebook on Social Enterprise•Compiled research regarding nonprofit organization theories, social accounting metrics, materiality in SEC report and risk aversion for journal articles

Washington D.C. Metro Area

Researched and briefed emblematic cases from the Guatemalan department of San Juan Sacatepéquez for a fact-finding mission co-sponsored by the American Bar Association into the Criminalization of Human Rights Defenders.

Washington, Dc

•Spearheaded research and data collection on reprisals against civil society for filing complaints before the World Bank Inspection Panel or International Financial Institutions Compliance Advisory Ombudsman, including compiling mass data from complaints lodges since 2000, conducting mass email solicitation, liaising with international NGOs, conducting interview with affected civil society members and representing Human Rights Watch at the World Bank Annual Meetings in Washington, D.C.•Conducted media monitoring on human rights issues regarding international financial institution-funded projects for the Bank on Human Rights

New Haven, Ct

•Conducted research and produced memos pertaining to issues of international organization immunity/accountability in the Americas; spearheaded research project with partner NGO in Myanmar regarding rule of law reform and land grabs•Produced Board of Immigration Appeals reply brief in Convention Against Torture claim case; compiled Humanitarian Parole and Connecticut Pardon applications; organized press conference; communicated with media, including Al Jazeera America television interview

Criminal Division--Human Rights And Special Prosecutions

• Researched and produced memos pertaining to human rights violations, immigration crimes and military extraterritorial jurisdiction; including conflict minerals legislation, spousal privilege, conspiracy requirements and the Atrocities Prevention Board

Washington D.C. Metro Area

• Produced memos on UN Periodic Review, global implementation of the UN Guiding Principles, the Federal Acquisition Regulations, and barriers to judicial remedy in Delaware and Colorado• Edited The Third Pillar: Access to Judicial Remedy for Human Rights Violations by Transnational Business • Served as delegate at UN Forum on Business and Human Rights in Geneva, Switzerland

Research and draft weekly news articles on current human rights issue in Latin America. Synthesize and translate news articles from Latin American news sources into English.

Lima, Peru

Conduct legal research and writing on Amazonian corporate accountability cases, monitor and explore developments in international human rights and environmental law, research mechanisms of corporate accountability, help to coordinate with and assist groups bringing domestic or international cases, and assist in the development and application of legal training to indigenous leaders and communities in the Amazon.

Created and maintained applicant and program databases; counseled prospective students; processed applications; created and revised brochures and educational material; maintained web content; assisted in the creation of new website; communicated with potential and existing partner universities; led weekly information sessions; participated in publicity events, international student orientations, and re-integration sessions; performed clerical tasks, including reception, phone lines, filing, information requests, data entry and e-mail maintenance.

Doctor Of Law (Jd), International Human Rights

Activities and Societies: Georgetown Journal of International Law, Legal Research and Writing Program Law Fellow, 1L Peer Advisor, Human.

Master Of Philosophy (M.Phil.), Latin American Studies

Activities and Societies: Women's Varsity Volleyball Club

Bachelor Of Arts (B.A.), Spanish/ International Security Studies, Summa Cum Laude

Activities and Societies: Pi Beta Kappa, Norman Fair Trade, Student Organization for Fair Trade, Oklahoma Students for Microfinance, OU.

Semester Abroad, Peruvian Amazonian And Andean Ethnography, Peruvian Social Reality

Summer Intense Spanish Program, Latin American Literature, Spanish History

Intensive Spanish Language Course