OFFICIAL BIOGRAPHY OF KAREN McCARTHY
Karen McCarthy is an immigration attorney. She joined Hess & Schubert as its first Spanish-speaking attorney in 2010. Karen has dedicated herself to helping immigrants and their families both inside and outside the United States. Karen has successfully advocated for individuals before the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS), and in immigration court, the Board of Immigration Appeals and international consulates.
Before Karen moved to the Western Slope, she worked as an associate for the Heise Law Office, a law firm specializing in immigration law in Denver, Colorado. Before entering private practice, Karen clerked for the immigration court serving the Washington, DC area. She wrote full decisions for asylum, TPS, NACARA, and withholding of removal cases. Prior to working for the Immigration Court, Karen gained experience working for Supreme Court Justices as a legal officer in Bangkok, Thailand.
Karen's professional experience includes working for Global Rights (formerly the International Human Rights Law Group) in Washington, DC in 2007. During her time with Global Rights, Karen helped organizations in Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras build their capacity to fight human trafficking.
With a background of working in human rights, focusing particularly in Latin America, Karen enjoys performing outreach to the immigrant communities of Colorado. She is involved with initiatives to educate law enforcement agencies about immigration relief available for undocumented victims of crimes (U visas).
Karen holds a law degree from the American University's Washington College of Law in Washington, DC. Upon graduation, Karen received recognition as a J.D. Distinguished Fellow.
In addition to her law degree, Karen holds a Bachelors degree in International Relations and Hispanic Studies from the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. Karen's international education includes studies at the University of Morelia in Michoacan, Mexico and the University of Valencia in Spain.
Karen is an active member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), the National Lawyers Guild (NLG), and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). Karen enjoys volunteering with the Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Center (RMIAN) and the Colorado Bar Association's Spanish Language Lawyering Committee. Additionally, Karen serves on the Board of Directors for the DNA Backlog Elimination Fund (DBEF), a national organization devoted to seeking justice for victims of violent crimes.