UConn Law School Alumni Association.
The UConn Law School Alumni Association (LSAA) is honoring Cramer & Anderson Partner Lisa Rivas, a 2011 UConn Law graduate, with a Graduates of the Last Decade Impact Award.
The LSAA cites her Immigration Law work for clients from Latin America, the Caribbean and elsewhere, as well as her pro bono efforts, including giving free talks on immigration issues.
These efforts, the LSAA notes, have earned her many previous honors, including a 2016 New Leaders in the Law award from The Connecticut Law Tribune and the Above and Beyond Award from the Hispanic Center of Greater Danbury.
“I am honored to have been selected for this award, and to join the ranks of former UConn Law graduates who strive to do more for our communities and further our profession,” Attorney Rivas said. “The LSAA honorees this year and in previous years share a dedication to creating change for the better—in the office and beyond. To be counted among their ranks is humbling, gratifying, and most of all inspiring.”
“She truly goes above and beyond, has a tangible positive impact, and inspires colleagues to seek opportunities to effect positive change,” Partner Dan Casagrande said in January 2020 when Attorney Rivas was elevated from Associate to Partner.
The LSAA is also presenting the 2020 Graduates of the Last Decade Impact Award to Attorneys Aigne Goldsby and Dan Brody.
A trial attorney for MAPFRE Insurance, Goldsby is also the founder/principal of Black Esquire LLC, working with Black and minority pre-law and law students to boost their representation in the legal profession.
Brody, a member of Robinson+Cole’s Litigation Section, is also president of the Connecticut Asian Pacific American Bar Association, as well as a board member of the Children’s Law Center of Connecticut.
This year’s award winners will be celebrated during the LSAA Annual Meeting and Awards Dinner, being held online Oct. 13.
About Attorney Rivas
In addition to her Immigration Law and Family Law work for clients, Attorney Rivas is a passionate advocate for immigrants in western Connecticut. She gives free presentations on immigration-related topics, and guides newcomers concerning their rights and obligations on the path to U.S. citizenship.
Juana Fernandez in 2016 when she won
the Above and Beyond Award.
As a longtime Hispanic Center of Greater Danbury volunteer, Attorney Rivas created a vital and popular citizenship course, and has been working to get people naturalized so they can vote in the 2020 election.
The Hispanic Center gave her the Above and Beyond Award in 2016, the same year she received a Connecticut Law Tribune New Leaders in the Law award for her advocacy on behalf of the immigrant community.
In 2017, Attorney Rivas received the Pro Bono Award during Law Day in events in Danbury for her commitment to providing pro bono assistance to clients who need it most. The award was presented by Attorney Casagrande.
Attorney Rivas is also a board member of the Latino Scholarship Fund and currently serves on the scholarship selection committee.
In her practice, Attorney Rivas, who is bilingual, often works in difficult areas of Immigration Law that help clients who might otherwise have nowhere to turn.
For example, she offers a low-fee structure to clients pursuing U visas as victims of qualifying crimes. Attorney Rivas also handles cases involving Special Immigrant Juveniles (SIJ) Status, the program designed to help foreign children in the U.S. who have been abused, abandoned, or neglected by one or both parents—and has been successful in fighting the deportation of immigrant children in such situations.
Attorney Rivas’ practice areas also include Personal Injury Law, and Workers’ Compensation.
Before attending UConn Law, Attorney Rivas earned a Bachelor of Science degree in marketing from Georgetown University. She lives in New Milford with her family.
Attorney Rivas may be reached by email at lrivas@crameranderson.com or by phone at (203) 744-1234,
Working with Cramer & Anderson
As Connecticut continues to reopen, our attorneys and staff are dividing their time between working remotely and spending time in our offices, while observing proper social distancing measures amid the COVID-19 coronavirus.
Attorneys are available as usual by phone or email, and connecting with clients using technology such as Zoom. For more information, see the firm’s website or call the flagship office in New Milford at (860) 355-2631. Other regional offices are located in Danbury, Ridgefield, Kent, Washington Depot, and Litchfield.
