Stephanie Baez is Director of Pro Bono for the ABA Commission on Immigration (COI). Stephanie obtained her undergraduate degree from the University of Southern California, and received her Juris Doctorate from Fordham University School of Law, where she graduated Magna Cum Laude.
Stephanie began her legal career as a litigation associate in the New York office of Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson, LLP. While at Fried Frank, Stephanie was actively involved in the firm’s pro bono program. Her first pro bono case was an asylum case with ProBAR, and she traveled to Harlingen, Texas to represent her client at his merits hearing. Stephanie was also selected to spend one year as the Fried Frank Fellow to Her Justice, Inc., a nonprofit in New York that provides family law and immigration assistance to low-income women. After her fellowship, Stephanie was honored by Her Justice with the John Geiger Award for Commitment to Justice. Stephanie next served as a judicial clerk in the United States District Court, Southern District of New York. Following her clerkship, Stephanie moved to San Diego where she worked at the San Diego Volunteer Lawyer Program, providing direct representation to low-income individuals in need of domestic violence and family law assistance. As a Supervising Attorney, Stephanie also managed the family law pro bono program and developed initiatives to recruit, mentor and engage pro bono volunteers. Stephanie’s extensive pro bono experience, both as a volunteer attorney and as a program manager, guide her as COI’s Director of Pro Bono.
Stephanie works out of the Immigration Justice Project office in San Diego. She is licensed to practice law in California and New York.