Virginia Benzan (re)joined MLRI on November 30, 2020 as our Race Equity & Justice Attorney. Virginia was a staff attorney in MLRI's immigration practice group from 2008-2011. After MLRI, she directed the Immigration Clinic at Suffolk Law School and then served as an Asylum Officer and Training Officer at USCIS. Along with immigration law, Virginia also has a background in criminal defense, housing, family law and extensive litigation, legislative and administrative advocacy experience as well as coalition-building and community outreach expertise. Prior to attending Northeastern Law School, she served as a Congressional Aide to Sen. Edward Markey and has served as a longtime board member at Citizens for Juvenile Justice. Virginia is a very collaborative and skilled advocate who brings a great deal of experience and deep passion for racial justice to this position.  We are extremely confident that she will provide statewide leadership to the legal aid community and to our advocacy partners on how we can collectively advance a cohesive and effective anti-poverty focused race equity agenda in Massachusetts.