ABOUT ME
Lauren Cusitello serves as Immigration Counsel within the Civil Rights practice group. She joined us after serving as the Legal Director, and then the Director, of the ABA Immigration Justice Project in San Diego. She has been defending immigrants, asylum seekers, and people accused of federal crimes since 2008.
Lauren began her career as an Assistant Public Defender at the Miami-Dade Public Defender’s Office. During her time there, she was awarded Best Advocate at the Florida Public Defender College. She returned to her hometown of Sacramento, California, where she worked as an Assistant Federal Defender and co-founded the Federal Defender Clinic at the McGeorge School of Law. Lauren came to San Diego to join Federal Defenders of San Diego as a Trial Attorney. After spending two years in Japan, she returned to San Diego and founded Crossroads Justice Center of San Diego, a nonprofit law firm specializing in removal defense, federal criminal defense, and post-conviction relief for noncitizens.
When she’s not busy fighting for justice, Lauren enjoys tennis, trivia, and spending time with her wife and two young sons.
FUN FACT
(Awaiting Response)
Department
- Civil Rights
Support which Team/Executive
- Kimberlly Hutchison
Remote/Hybrid
- Remote