Staff Members

Center for Human Rights and Constitutional Law Foundation

Peter A. Schey, Executive Director

Email: pschey@centerforhumanrights.org

President and Executive Director of the Center for Human Rights and Constitutional Law Foundation (CHRCL Foundation) 1980 to present.

Focus of work includes constitutional rights of immigrants, refugees, and children, class action litigation of issues of issues with broad impact on indigent minority and ethnic communities, technical support and training for advocates and immigrant communities, and international human rights cases and campaigns.

Carlos Holguín, General Counsel

Email: crholguin@centerforhumanrights.org

Mr. Holguín has served as General Counsel with the CHRCL Foundation since 1984.

Mr. Holguín's practice focuses on legal, legislative, and educational work in furtherance of the rights of immigrants and refugees. He has served as lead and co-counsel in numerous impact litigation cases involving deportation, political asylum, the rights of juveniles, and social services.

Angela Viramontes, Voces Unidas Project Coordinator

Email: aviramontes@centerforhumanrights.org

Angela obtained her JD from Boalt Hall at the University of California, Berkeley. Her work focuses on the rights of abused migrant women and children living in the United States and the provision of technical support to Mexican Consulates, legal services providers, pro bono attorneys, and community-based organizations on issues relating to legalization of status for victims of violent crime and survivors of domestic violence. She coordinates the Voces Unidas project which in collaboration with partner agencies has in the past three years filed applications for legal status for over 1,700 migrant victims of violent crimes and survivors of domestic violence.

Christopher Scherer, Equal Access Fund (EAF) Staff Attorney

Email: cscherer@centerforhumanrights.org

Christopher obtained his JD/MA from the Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law at Arizona State University. Christopher's work focuses on the provision of technical support to legal services providers, pro bono attorneys, and community-based organizations in the area of immigration and nationality law, with a focus on issues relating to legalization of status for those eligible for such benefits, and the rights of unaccompanied immigrant children and victims of violent crime.

Logan Clark, Executive Administrative Assistant

Email: lclark@centerforhumanrights.org

Logan holds a BA from Occidental College. She provides administrative support including financial reporting, funding applications, IT, human resources, insurance, tax matters, and website maintenance. Logan also provides support to attorney staff including preparation and filing of legal documents and maintenance of litigation files.

Veronica Joya, Case Manager

Email: vjoya@centerforhumanrights.org

Veronica obtained her BA from the University of California, Berkeley. She provides case management and paralegal services on a range of cases involving migrant victims of violent crimes and survivors of domestic violence, including assistance in the preparation of applications for such migrants for work permits, permission to remain in the United States, and lawful resident status.

Wendy Hernandez, Administrative Assistant

Email: whernandez@centerforhumanrights.org

Wendy obtained her BA from Swarthmore College. Wendy provides assistance to staff engaged in the provision of technical assistance on matters relating to the "late amnesty" Catholic Social Services and Newman class action settlements, including the processing of appeals of denials of class membership to the Special Masters. She also works on a range of subjects including updating the Center's web sites and researching and updating program resource databases used by migrant victims of violent crimes, survivors of domestic violence, and their advocates and legal representatives.

Center for Human Rights and Constitutional Law, Inc.

Peter A. Schey, President

Email:pschey@centerforhumanrights.org

 Peter Schey has served as the President and Executive Director of the CHRC, Inc. since its inception in 1997. The CHRCL, Inc. was incorporated in order to provide legal and social services to unaccompanied and homeless youth, including unaccompanied immigrant youth under the age of 18. The CHRCL, Inc. operates the Casa Libre/Freedom House homeless youth shelter. An internet link to the Casa Libre website is available on the right side of this page.

Chelsea Bell, Program Coordinator

Email:cbell@centerforhumanrights.org

Chelsea obtained her MA in International Law from the University for Peace in San Jose, Costa Rica and her BA from the University of California, Santa Barbara. She serves as the Program Coordinator for the Casa Libre homeless youth shelter and provides administrative assistance to Casa Libre staff.

Additional youth workers provide services to residents of the Casa Libre group home at all times other than when residents are attending school on weekdays.