Our legal team

Lesley Irizarry-Hougan 
Seattle Immigration Lawyer

Since graduating from Northern Illinois University's School of Law, Lesley Irizarry-Hougan has devoted herself to exclusively practicing immigration law. She began her legal career in 2004 as an associate practicing immigration law at Rios Cantor, PS in Seattle, Washington, where she worked for 4 years.

In 2009, Lesley Irizarry-Hougan opened her own law firm, L.I.H. Law in Seattle, Washington. L.I.H. Law has gained the reputation of being one of the top immigration firms in the greater Seattle area. Her firm, L.I.H Law, is further unique because the entire staff is Spanish-speaking and Hispanic. Her clientele often represents the most marginalized immigrants and their families: Those seeking asylum or having encountered domestic violence, and representing immigrants in applying to legalize their status in the U.S.

Licensed to practice law in Washington State and Illinois, Lesley is a strong advocate for the immigrant community, regularly volunteering and partnering with local community-based organizations. She is a member of American Immigration Lawyer's Association (AILA), where she is active in the local chapter's Immigration and Customs Enforcement Liaison Committee.

Her community work also includes taking pro-bono cases through a local public interest immigration firm, Northwest Immigrant Rights Project (NWIRP), giving free immigration workshops, volunteering during Naturalization Day by helping people to apply for U.S. citizenship, and traveling throughout Washington State to participate in free immigration legal clinics.

Education

Northern Illinois University School of Law, J.D. (2004)

Licenses

Illinois

Washington State

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit

U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington

Associations

American Bar Association

Washington State Bar Association

American Immigration Lawyers Association

OneAmerica

Amnesty International

Awards & Honors

Awarded Northern Illinois University Law School's Young Alumna of the Year (2014)

Received Rockford University's Award of Distinction for Outstanding Young Alum (2014)

Media Coverage

In this Kitsap Sun article (click here), Lesley comments about the unique challenges of addressing domestic violence within immigrant communities and the role of U visas.

Link to Lesley's TV Interview (click here), commenting on a local deportation case. She was referred to as "one of the top immigration attorneys in the state."

Ángel Martínez Jiménez, Legal Assistant

Ángel G. Martínez Jiménez, born and raised in Toa Baja, Puerto Rico before moving to Bellingham, WA in 2005 to attend Western Washington University.  In 2009, he obtained his B.A. in Political Science and moved to Seattle where he's worked as legal/administrative assistant for two other Seattle immigration law firms.  He loves coffee and is a fan of baseball.

Education

Western Washington University, B.A.

Maggie Aponte, Receptionist

Maggie has worked for L.I.H. Law since 2009, and is fluent in Spanish. She enjoys being a receptionist because she can interact with our clients on a daily basis.

Education

Rockford University, B.A.