ELISA RUANO VELASQUEZ
(SHE/HER)

Associate & DCALF Fellow

Elisa Ruano Velasquez joined DC Affordable Law Firm in August 2023. She came to DCALF with a background in criminal and immigration law and a deeply rooted passion for representing individuals who otherwise wouldn’t have a voice in this justice system. Elisa, born in Montevideo, Uruguay, and the daughter of two Guatemalan parents, has always envisioned herself helping bridge the gap in the immigration system. Elisa earned her Bachelor of Arts in Government and Politics, with a Minor in Spanish Language and Literature from the University of Maryland, College Park. After spending a year working as a legal assistant for a criminal defense attorney, Elisa applied to law school to pursue a career in public interest law. 

Elisa graduated magna cum laude from the University of the District of Columbia, David A. Clarke School of Law with a J.D. While earning her law degree, Elisa served as a research and teaching assistant for Civil Procedure. She also served as a certified student attorney for UDC’s General Practice Clinic, assisting in housing matters in which she helped disabled tenants receive reasonable accommodations from the DC Housing Authority (DCHA). Elisa also served as student attorney in UDC’s Immigration and Human Rights Clinic (IHRC). As a student attorney in the IHRC, Elisa and her co-counsel won an asylum case at Hyattsville Immigration Court for a family of five from El Salvador, granting them a pathway to citizenship and safety in the U.S. This particular heartwarming and gratifying experience reassured Elisa that she is meant to be in a courtroom fighting for immigrants’ legal rights and helping keep families together in this country. Throughout law school, Elisa also focused her internship experience in the public sector by interning at the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office and CARECEN (Central American Resource Center). Elisa served as the Secretary for UDC’s Latino Law Student Association (LLSA). Elisa is continuing her education at Georgetown University Law Center, where she will earn an LL.M in Advocacy.