Miriam D. Lacroix (left) and Stephanie Lynn Ramos
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Real-life wonder women Miriam D. Lacroix and Stephanie Lynn Ramos may not have bulletproof bracelets and golden lassoes, but they are fighting injustice, too, with law degrees and dedication. After graduating from Pace Law, the two decided in 2015 to open Lacroix Ramos in White Plains, to provide legal services for immigrants.
“It’s a very vulnerable group,” who are often “victimized by bad representation,” says Ramos.
Both she and Lacroix, whose father moved to the US from Haiti, witnessed such issues firsthand while growing up in immigrant-rich neighborhoods in New Jersey and Yonkers, respectively. These early experiences led the two to work at an immigration clinic as student attorneys. “We saw so many people getting taken advantage of that we knew we needed to open a practice to effect change,” says Lacroix. Handling cases involving naturalization, deportation defense, asylum relief, and more, they have more than doubled the firm’s revenue over the last year, despite being new to for-profit law.
“We both have backgrounds in the nonprofit world,” explains Lacroix. “We were not used to charging people.” The two have come to realize the value of their work, while refusing to price out the most disadvantaged, says Ramos. The attorneys offer payment plans and give pro bono referrals when necessary, to make sure they are meeting the immigrant community’s needs, as well as their own.