Laura Urias is the Program Director overseeing the RepresentLA program at ImmDef. ImmDef is one of the largest nonprofit organizations providing legal representation advocacy and deportation defense to marginalized immigrant communities in California. 

Laura is a proud immigrant originally from El Salvador. Her passion and commitment to the immigrant community stems from her first-hand experience of being undocumented as a child alongside her mother and later going through the immigration process to gain legal status, ultimately becoming a naturalized citizen. Prior to joining ImmDef Laura spent 9 years in private practice first as a founding partner at the law firm, Phillips & Urias, LLP and later as a solo practitioner at the Law Offices of Laura E. Urias, APC.  Laura’s private practice was dedicated to the practice of immigration and naturalization law. Prior to private practice, Laura began her legal career in the nonprofit sector. Laura worked as a Staff Attorney at the United Farm Workers (UFW) Foundation, where she specialized in U Nonimmigrant Status Petitions ("U Visas") and developed a Public Benefits Outreach Program for low-income immigrants.  Following her work at the UFW Foundation, Laura worked as a Staff Attorney at the Los Angeles Center for Law and Justice (LACLJ), where her practice consisted of immigration and family law, representing clients with U Nonimmigrant Petitions, VAWA self-petitions, DACA requests, divorce, paternity, child custody, child support and restraining orders.

Laura is a current board member of the East Los Angeles Women’s Center and member of the Latina Lawyer’s Association.