An Idaho native, Lisa has worked exclusively in the immigration field since August of 2009. Her experience ranges the full spectrum of immigration law including preparation of asylum, U visa, VAWA, and adjustment of status applications, family and employment-based immigrant petitions, consular processing, waivers of inadmissibility, naturalization applications, B-1/B-2 nonimmigrant visa applications, employment-based nonimmigrant visa petitions, removal defense, and deferred action for childhood arrival (DACA) requests. Prior to joining Christensen Legal, PLLC in February 2019, Lisa worked in various other roles assisting noncitizens, their families, and employers. Lisa started her career in the immigration field with Catholic Charities’ Center for Refugee Settlement and Support in Albuquerque, New Mexico in August 2009 as a case manager. In that position, she assisted refugees, asylees, Cuban and Haitian parolees, and victims of human trafficking. In October 2011, she joined Catholic Charities’ Center for Immigration and Citizenship Legal Assistance and soon after received accreditation from the Board of Immigration Appeals to represent clients before the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. During the summer of 2014, Lisa and several other Catholic Charities employees spent three weeks in the El Paso, Texas area assisting the Diocesan Migrant and Refugee Services with “Know Your Rights” presentations and eligibility screenings of detained unaccompanied minors fleeing danger and violence in Central America and Mexico.
Lisa moved home to Idaho in November 2014 to join the team at Andrade Legal as a senior legal assistant, where she met attorney Chris Christensen. During her time with Andrade Legal (now Immigrant Justice Idaho), Lisa received first-rate training as an immigration legal assistant from various attorneys in the areas of asylum law, removal defense, and employment-based immigration while furthering her expertise in consular processing and preparation of inadmissibility waivers. In September 2016, Lisa spent a week at the Dilley, Texas family detention center assisting asylum seekers prepare for credible fear interviews.
Just before joining Christensen Legal in February 2019, Lisa turned her primary focus to employment-based immigration at Holland and Hart LLP. As an Immigration Specialist with Holland and Hart, she worked exclusively on H-1B, TN, L-1A, and I-140 petitions, employment-based adjustment of status applications, and other employment-based immigration matters.
Lisa completed her bachelor’s degree in Political Science, International Relations Emphasis and Minor in Spanish, at Boise State University (BSU). She graduated with honors and was designated as one of BSU’s Top Ten Scholars, the university’s highest honor for an undergraduate. During her tenure at Boise State, Lisa studied abroad in Costa Rica and Chile, completed an internship with the U.S. Department of State in Ecuador in the Fraud Prevention Unit, and wrote her honors thesis regarding the human rights movement in Chile.
After earning her bachelor’s degree, Lisa moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico for graduate school. She completed her master’s degree in Latin American Studies, Political Science and Human Rights Concentrations, at the University of New Mexico. During the summer of 2008, she spent two months researching the impacts of the political systems in Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay on the realization of indigenous rights in relation to the transnational Guarani communities. Outside of academics, Lisa was active in the Student Organization for Latin American Studies (SOLAS). She served as the newsletter editor and president of SOLAS, as well as participated in other activities as a member of the UNM Amnesty International Chapter.
Lisa loves to hike, go camping, and travel. She has visited more than 15 countries including Bahrain, Morocco, China, United Kingdom, Portugal, Spain, Costa Rica, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Brazil, Ecuador, Peru, and Mexico. She is fluent in Spanish.