Johanna Kelley, founder of J Kelley Law Group, obtained her law degree in Colombia in 2001, where she practiced Labor, Constitutional, Administrative, Human Rights, International Law and International Business Law.

She advised private companies, local and international human rights organizations, governmental agencies, the Colombian Army and grassroots community organizations, with a broad portfolio that included innovative initiatives and the improvement of Colombia’s image abroad. She prepared and accompanied cases of Colombian citizens before the Organization of American States (OAS).

After immigrating to the United States, she found that the policy and Immigration Law of this country were a perfect fit for her professional development project and after graduating with Master’s degrees in Law (Duke University) and International Development Policy (Sanford School of Public Policy), she founded in 2013 a non-profit organization aimed at protecting and promoting immigrant rights and social justice.

In July 2015, she left the nonprofit sector to serve in government. She began working for the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) as a supervisor, a wonderful experience professionally and personally, which allowed her to participate in ensuring the integrity of the US immigration system, provide immigration benefits and support the country’s Homeland Security.

In November 2017, Johanna Kelley said goodbye to USCIS to kick off the biggest of her work projects: building her own law firm.

The founder of our firm believes in legal development and empowerment, therefore, she has been involved in public discussions at mass events and through the media. She hosted the television program ‘Batalla Política’ for the international news channel NTN24 and is a frequent analyst on radio stations and Hispanic channels such as Telemundo, Caracol Televisión, Univisión and RCN News.

Mrs. Kelley leads a team committed to the cases of clients and investors, and we are grateful every day for the opportunity to serve our community with professionalism, ethics, and positive results generated through teamwork.

Particular areas of expertise

• U.S. Immigration Law
• International law
• Latin American politics and security issues
• International development in conflict zones
• Non-Profit Operations, and
  Project Management

Education

• Duke University
• Master of Laws, LL.M., 2013, Duke Law School
• LL.M. in International Development Policy, MIDP, 2012, Sanford School of Public Policy
• University of Santo Tomas
  Juris Doctor, 2001

Activities & Affiliation

• New York State Bar Association (NYSBA), Member
• American Bar Association (ABA), Member
• American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), Member

Bar Admissions

• New York State, USA
• Colombia, South America