Prior to joining the ACLU-SDIC, Brisa Velazquez Oatis represented workers throughout California who had experienced racial discrimination, disability discrimination, sexual harassment, retaliation and wrongful termination. She advocated for immigrants who suffered wage theft and harassment in the workplace by representing them in negotiations, mediations and throughout the litigation process. Brisa’s legal background also includes comprehensive experience in family-based immigration and employment immigration. She successfully obtained asylum for an individual who suffered egregious torture in her home country and secured visas for immigrant investors, migrant workers and survivors of domestic violence.
Brisa earned her J.D. at the University of San Diego School of Law. During law school, she was a founding member of Law Students for Cross Racial Understanding, served as community chair of the Women’s Law Caucus and was vice president of the Employment and Labor Law Society. While in law school, she helped launch San Diego’s first Workers’ Rights Clinic (“the Clinic”). The Clinic was the first of its kind to provide free employment-related legal assistance to low-wage earners, regardless of their immigration status. She successfully represented two individuals in the Clinic’s first hearings before the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement and the California Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board, where she obtained past-due wages and unemployment insurance benefits for her clients. The Clinic continues to be San Diego’s leading resource for employment law matters.
Born in Mexico, Brisa grew up in the Bay Area. She is a native Spanish and English speaker and remains passionate about advocacy and social justice. Her interest in civil and human rights began in the Bay Area, where she actively participated in civil rights organizing and political campaigns. Her passion was further nurtured at the National Hispanic University, where she graduated with honors.
Brisa moved to San Diego for law school, but she loved San Diego and its people so much that she made it her home. She enjoys traveling, reading, dancing and spending time with her family. She remains an advocate for underrepresented groups and is dedicated to advancing civil and human rights
