Title: Senior Immigration Attorney
Company: Capital Area Private Defender Service
Location: Austin, Texas, United States
Adela D. Meraz, Senior Immigration Attorney at Capital Area Private Defender Service, has been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Top Lawyers for dedication, achievements, and leadership in Immigration Law.
Ms. Meraz is a senior immigration attorney and the owner of The Meraz Firm PLLC in Austin, Texas. Establishing her business in 2024, she focuses her practice on consulting and representing clients on immigration and criminal cases. She also devotes a portion of her time to researching, writing and preparing filings for the immigration courts or agencies that review the applications and memos for defense attorneys who speak on behalf of their clients. Ms. Meraz’s expertise in family-based immigration, naturalization and citizenship, humanitarian, and removal defense cases throughout her career has been pivotal to her success.
Passionate about her work, Ms. Meraz leverages over 15 years of relevant success in her practice. She was a senior immigration attorney at Capital Area Private Defender Service in Austin from 2016 to 2024, representing indigent clients facing various criminal charges. She previously gained expertise in immigration law as an associate attorney at Morales & O’Connor PLLC in Austin between 2014 and 2016 and as an immigration attorney at the Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee Inc. from 2010 to 2013.
Earlier in her career, Ms. Meraz excelled as a bilingual questionnaire assistance center representative with the U.S. Census Bureau in 2010 and as an AmeriCorps VISTA attorney pro bono coordinator and pro bono attorney with the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota between 2008 and 2010.
In preparation for her future, Ms. Meraz received a Bachelor of Arts in comparative literature at the University of Chicago in 2004 and a Doctor of Jurisprudence from the University of Saint Thomas School of Law in 2007. She has been admitted to practice by the Texas and Wisconsin Bar Associations. She is also fluent in English and Spanish.
Recognizing her dedication and leadership in her field, Ms. Meraz is an active member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association and the criminal immigration committee of the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association. These organizational memberships have provided her with insight and expertise into her area of the law.
As a well-known community member, Ms. Meraz has given back her time in various ways. From 2006 to 2006, she served on the board of La Escuelita. She also served as a bilingual advocate for the National Domestics Violence Hotline from 2013 to 2014 and as a pro bono attorney for American Gateways between 2013 and 2022.
Ms. Meraz’s decision to pursue a career in law was influenced by her family’s experiences with immigration, particularly her grandparents and father’s experiences immigrating from Mexico. Reflecting on her success, she is most grateful for her accomplishments in preparing criminal defense attorneys, educating individuals about their rights and helping protect them. Additionally, Ms. Meraz emphasizes her steadfast dedication to ethical practices, particularly when representing those who have made mistakes, to her many accomplishments.
In light of her generosity, Ms. Meraz received a Pro Bono Award from American Gateways in 2022. She credits much of her success and tenure to the support of her colleagues, who have significantly encouraged and supported her professional ambitions.
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