Columbia Law alumna Adriana Garcia will discuss how she has used her law degree to engage in high-level policy-making and philanthropy.
Adriana L. Garcia is a Program Officer in Collaborative Philanthropy within the Global Policy and Advocacy Division at the Gates Foundation. She has dedicated most of her professional life to protecting immigrant and refugee rights through her work in the non-profit and government sectors. Most recently, Adriana directed former Mayor Eric Garcetti’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, where she advised the mayor, his staff, city departments, and stakeholders on policies and programs impacting immigrant Angelenos. Before that, she advised on a range of issues and response strategies at the NYC Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs during a period of many harmful federal policy announcements. After law school, Adriana was a law fellow at the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund where she engaged in community education about the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and collaborated on cases involving the protection of DACA recipients’ rights. She was also a law fellow at the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing where she worked on employment and housing discrimination and harassment cases. Adriana received her bachelor's degree from Yale University and her law degree from Columbia Law School. Adriana was raised in Pomona, CA, and is the proud daughter of Mexican immigrants. Adriana currently resides in Los Angeles, CA, and spends much of her free time running with local community groups that focus on health/wellness and community building.