Michelle Gudiel

Michelle’s dedication to immigration law is deeply personal and longstanding. As the daughter of Guatemalan immigrants and a proud member of a predominantly immigrant community, she witnessed the systemic challenges families face in navigating the immigration system. These early experiences sparked a lifelong passion for immigrant advocacy and continue to shape her mission: to provide compassionate, informed, and effective legal representation.

Michelle graduated from The George Washington University Law School, where she served as a student attorney in the Immigration Clinic. There, she gained hands-on experience representing clients in asylum and adjustment of status cases. Demonstrating her commitment beyond direct client work, Michelle also led the development of a series of educational videos to expand the Clinic’s outreach and support for immigrant communities.

Michelle’s legal experience is broad and diverse. In 2024, she served as a law clerk at Murray Osorio, where she conducted in-depth legal research and drafted briefs for both affirmative and defensive asylum cases. In 2023, she was a judicial intern for the Honorable Judge Laura A. Cordero at the U.S. Superior Court for the District of Columbia, where she assisted in drafting judicial orders in tax and probate matters. She also clerked with the Arlington Public Defender’s Office, gaining experience in criminal defense.

Michelle’s passion for immigrant rights began even before law school. In 2020, she interned with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Budapest, Hungary, where she witnessed the mistreatment of migrants crossing through the Mediterranean into Europe—an experience that deepened her commitment to global migration justice.

As a proud Latina attorney representing her Guatemalan heritage, Michelle brings both professional skill and personal understanding to her work. Her lived experiences and cultural insight uniquely position her to advocate for and empower immigrant communities with empathy and strength.

Education

• The George Washington Law School, J.D.
• George Mason University, B.A. in Global Affairs and a minor in Legal Studies, Magna Cum Laude

Bar Admissions

• Virginia State Bar

Memberships

• Hispanic Bar Association of D.C.

Languages

• Spanish (Native)