Paula immigrated to the United States from Mexico, when she was 7 years old. She attended Arizona State University on a full academic scholarship, where she graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor’s Degree in English and French. At the age of twenty-two, Paula became a United States citizen, which was a very proud moment in her life. Paula decided to attend law school because she wanted a career
focused on helping others. While in law school, she worked as a legal intern for Catholic Charities Immigration Legal Services, and for the Oregon Law Center’s Farmworker Program. She was also the Co-Chair of the Latino Law Society and Vice President of the Minority Law Student Association. After graduating law school, she was admitted to the Oregon State Bar in 2011. She was also admitted to practice before the U.S. Federal District Court of Oregon. Paula decided to focus her law career on immigration law, as a result of her personal life experiences related to immigration. She practiced immigration law at Immigration Counseling Service, a non-profit immigration law firm in Portland, Oregon for almost three years, before moving back to Arizona to join Maria Jones Law Firm, where she was the firm's supervising attorney for their USCIS department for five years. Paula is founder of the Law Office of Paula Padilla, and was admitted to the Arizona State Bar in 2018. She continues to practice immigration law, and dedicates her career to helping individuals and their families gain the stability they need for a better future.
