Michelle Montes

Michelle Montes, esq.

Licensed to practice federal immigration law; Licensed to practice law in California; Not licensed to practice law outside of the state of California.

EDUCATION

Michelle Montes is the senior attorney of the offices in San Diego and San Marcos, California. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science, with a minor in Legal Reasoning, from the University of Texas in El Paso, before moving to Southern California.

EXPERIENCE

While working to obtain her law degree from Thomas Jefferson School of Law, Michelle served as an intern for non-profit and pro bono organizations, such as the Employee Rights Center, UURISE, and Casa Cornelia, whose missions are to provide information, resources, and aid to immigrants and refugees from low income and underprivileged communities. She was also involved with social service organizations, such as Christie’s Place, which worked to provide assistance and relief to vulnerable communities including people of color, individuals with no legal status, those living below the poverty line, and women struggling with histories of violence and trauma.

Previously, Michelle worked for the American Bar Association (ABA) Immigration Justice Project, where she represented detained immigrants in removal proceeding whose mental disability rendered them members of the Franco Subclass.

As the daughter of immigrant parents, Michelle empathizes and personally connects with the lives and stories of her clients. Her passion is, and always has been, to assist others by making positive and lasting changes in their lives.