Melissa Phatharanavik

Melissa joined the East Bay Community Law Center (EBCLC) as a Staff Attorney and Clinical Supervisor in 2019. She is a graduate of UCLA School of Law, where she specialized in Critical Race Studies. As an attorney, Melissa primarily serves immigrant survivors of domestic violence, victims of crime and human trafficking, families seeking asylum, and others in need of humanitarian relief. 

Melissa has represented clients in a variety of immigration matters, including adjustment of status, consular processing, naturalization, and inadmissibility/deportability waivers. She has worked with clients seeking deferred action and humanitarian forms of immigration relief, including asylum, Temporary Protected Status (TPS), U visa, T visa, and Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) self-petitions. Melissa has represented clients in immigration court, as well as on appeal to the Administrative Appeals Office (AAO), the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA), and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. She has worked and volunteered with immigrant rights advocacy groups for over 10 years.

Education

J.D., Specialization in Critical Race Studies, UCLA School of Law (2013)
B.A., Sociology, Political Science, UCLA (2009)

Melissa Phatharanavik is teaching the following course in Fall 2024:

• 295.5Z sec. 001 - East Bay Community Law Center Clinic

Courses During Other Semesters