About Me

Maria C. Chavez, Esq.

Maria C. Chavez, the daughter of Salvadoran immigrants, received her J.D. from the University of Maryland, Francis King Carey School of Law in 2009, and her B.A. in Criminology and Criminal Justice from the University of Maryland, College Park in 2004, where she graduated with Phi Beta Kappa honors. While in law school, Maria was the vice president of membership for the Immigration Law and Policy Association, the treasurer of the Latino Law Student Association, and she interned with the Maryland Department of Labor and Licensing Regulation as a student attorney in the Consumer Protection Clinic.

Maria worked under and trained at one of the most well-respected immigration firms in San Diego for many years.  She decided to take her knowledge and experience to directly represent immigrant seeking to live in the United States.

She primarily handles removal defense in immigration court, handling complicated asylum cases for foreign nationals from around the world and applications for cancellation of removal.  She also handles family-based cases including waivers of inadmissibility, petitions under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), petitions for U and T nonimmigrant status, naturalization, requests for humanitarian parole, and appeals before the Board of Immigration Appeals and Administrative Appeals Office.

In addition to her work with MCL, Maria also works as the Legal Director with Partnership for the Advancement of New Americans (PANA) a local non-profit organization dedicated to advancing the full economic, social, & civic inclusion of refugees. She is also a tireless advocate for DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) issues, she prides herself in uplifting BIPOC and women attorneys.  She mentors many law students and maintains long-term mentorship relationships with them.  In her spare time, works to promote and pass laws that treat immigrants with dignity and respect and provide pathways for legal migration.

Because of Maria’s vast knowledge and experience in immigration law, she is frequently invited to speak at regional and national immigration law conferences. She served as a faculty member for the American Immigration Lawyers Association online Naturalization course. Maria is the co-author of many practice advisories on different areas of immigration law, and frequently writes articles on DEI and immigration-related issues.

Maria is admitted to the State Bar of Maryland, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, the Supreme Court of the United States, and is licensed to practice law before the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration Courts nationwide. She is fluent in Spanish.

Bar Association Membership:

• San Diego County Bar Association

  • Executive Committee, DEI Division

  • Chair, Immigration Section

• Lawyers Club of San Diego

  • Co-Chair, Diverse Women’s Committee

• American Immigration Lawyers Association

  • Immediate Past Chair, San Diego Chapter

  • Member, National DEI Committee

  • Member, National Nominating Committee

  • Member, Distance Learning Committee

  • Faculty, Naturalization Course, AILA University

Awards:

• 2023 - National American Immigration Lawyers Association, DEI Award

• 2023 - San Diego Business Journal, Women of Influence in the Law

• 2023 - Super Lawyers, Rising Star in Immigration Law

• 2014 - Immigration Justice Project, Pro Bono Attorney of the Year

Volunteer Work:

• San Diego Immigrant Rights Consortium

• California Western School of Law, Community Law Project

• Various opportunities throughout San Diego