Lauren has always been personally and professionally dedicated to supporting women and young people. While completing her undergraduate degree at UPenn, Lauren taught sex education to West Philadelphia students and volunteered as a Women’s Law Project telephone counselor, providing resources on topics including abuse and divorce. She then simultaneously pursued her MSW and her JD in her hometown of New York City, all while completing internships at nonprofits for immigrants, adolescents, and domestic violence survivors. She was a leader of her Law Students for Reproductive Justice and Advocates for Battered Women student clubs. She was also a student divorce mediator for the New York State Unified Court System’s Office of Alternative Dispute Resolution.

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Lauren, a first-generation Cuban-American, practiced as an immigration attorney for global firms in the UK (where she was also the Secretary, Newsletter Editor, and Legal Walk Leader of the American Women Lawyers in London networking group) and the US. As a lawyer, she assisted clients of myriad backgrounds navigate complex government systems to embark on their next life chapter. She maintained an active pro bono legal practice, counseling clients fleeing persecution in their home countries, abusive romantic partners or parents, or other trauma. Lauren also worked in personnel roles in which she focused on professional development and mentoring. She guided overwhelmed professionals in balancing career and family and successfully led the advocacy for a more comprehensive parental leave policy. While helping coordinate the global pro bono program of a top international law firm, Lauren worked closely with clients in need, including LGBTQ individuals and legal/social service organizations serving women and youth. 

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