She has specialized in immigration law since 1986 and has represented clients from all over the world. She holds a BA in Psychology and Journalism from UC Berkeley and a JD from New College School of Law. During law school she served as an extern at the California Supreme Court. Prior to law school she lived and worked in Mexico for a year and is fluent in Spanish. She has been teaching Paralegal courses in Immigration Law and Legal Research and Writing at San Francisco City College and San Francisco State University since 1991.