Mayra Casas Jackson

Executive Director

Mayra Casas Jackson has extensive experience working as an advocate with Cincinnati’s immigrant community. Prior to becoming Executive Director, Mayra led IRLC’s school and community outreach programs, and represented individuals requesting humanitarian relief before U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

A native of Peru, Mayra came to the U.S. in 2003. She worked at the Legal Aid Society of Southwest Ohio for 10 years, assisting clients in immigration and public benefits issues.

Prior to joining IRLC, Mayra worked at the Cincinnati-Hamilton County Community Action Agency as their first Immigrant Liaison, where she successfully connected the agency's services with the most vulnerable members of the various immigrant groups in Cincinnati.

Mayra has been a board member for LULAC (League of United Latin American Citizens) since 2012, and is currently on the board of Planned Parenthood of Southwest Ohio. She has been very involved in civil rights and education issues. She has a bachelor’s degree in Tourism Management and studied law in Peru.

Anne Lucas

Lead Attorney, Immigration Legal Services

Prior to joining IRLC, Anne was a Magistrate at the Court of Domestic Relations of Hamilton County where she presided over Civil Protection Order and divorce cases. Anne was also the director of the Domestic Violence and Civil Protection Order Clinic at the University of Cincinnati College of Law, where she taught and supervised students representing domestic violence survivors. Anne practiced both family law and immigration law for 11 years at the Legal Aid Society of Greater Cincinnati. She worked extensively with individuals and community groups in the Greater Cincinnati area on immigration issues related to domestic violence and sexual assault, including asylees, victims of human trafficking, unaccompanied minors fleeing political or economic turmoil.

Anne received Caracole’s Living Award in recognition of her work assisting in Caracole’s mission of providing services for those living with HIV/AIS. She also received the Su Casa Hispanic Center of Cincinnati’s Immigrant Advocate Award in recognition of her dedication to providing legal representation for immigrants in the Greater Cincinnati region.

Anne graduated magna cum laude from Hope College. She was one of the first dual degree recipients in the University of Cincinnati’s J.D./M.A. in Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies program. She was inspired to go to law school by her mother, who for many years served as an executive director of a domestic violence program beginning in the late 1970s.

Anne looks forward to returning to the practice of immigration law and working with clients navigating the complicated immigration system.

Courtney Kinter

Lead Attorney, Unaccompanied Children’s Program

Courtney has provided legal representation to adults and children in both the private and public interest sectors since she graduated law school in 2014. While in private practice, Courtney provided representation in criminal cases and worked on a wide range of immigration issues, including immigration options for youth, consequences of criminal convictions, humanitarian-based protection cases (including U Visa, T Visa, and Asylum), family based and waiver cases, and removal representation before EOIR. During this time, Courtney also volunteered with IRLC and other organizations in the Cincinnati area. In 2018, Courtney began working at the Legal Aid Society of Southwest Ohio as an Equal Justice Crime Victims Justice Corp Fellow. As part of her Fellowship, Courtney provided culturally competent, trauma-informed legal services to domestic and immigrant survivors of human trafficking in Southwest Ohio. Courtney most recently served as a Staff Attorney with Legal Aid where she specialized in representing victims of domestic violence, human trafficking and other crimes in family law and immigration matters. In this role, Courtney also led efforts to fund and develop the Anti-Trafficking Advocacy Program, where she served as Lead Attorney and Project Coordinator of the multi-attorney program.

Courtney received her B.A. in Political Science and Spanish from Eastern Kentucky University and her J.D. and LL.M in Rule of Law and Democratic Governance from Ohio Northern University. During law school, Courtney externed with Development Professionals Inc., an organization providing technical implementation and analytical services for democracy, human rights, good governance, civil society, and related sectors. She also externed with the Department of Defense’s Combatting Trafficking in Persons Program Management Office. Courtney is admitted to practice in Ohio and the U.S. District Court, Southern District of Ohio.

https://www.equaljusticeworks.org/fellows/courtney-kinter/

https://www.timbelo.com/our-cause-blog/spotlight

Suzy Firestone

Attorney, UNACCOMPANIED CHILDREN’S PROGRAM

Suzy comes to IRLC from the Legal Aid Society of Southwest Ohio, where she worked for seven years as an Ohio Justice for All Fellow, staff attorney, and senior attorney. While at Legal Aid she specialized in representing victims of crime and unaccompanied minors in seeking immigration relief. Suzy also worked to provide holistic services to domestic violence survivors, as the project manager for Legal Aid's partnership with the YWCA Family Justice Center and supervisor of the Legal Aid-UC Domestic Violence Clinic.

Suzy received her B.A. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She earned her J.D. from the University of Cincinnati College of Law where she was an Urban Morgan Institute of Human Rights Fellow and an associate member of the Law Review. Following her graduation from law school, she clerked for the Honorable Michael J. Newman in U.S. District Court, Southern District of Ohio, at Dayton. Suzy is admitted to practice law in Ohio and is fluent in Spanish.

Amy Flottemesch

Paralegal - School Liaison

Amy is a Cincinnati native with strong ties to the immigrant community. After graduating high school, Amy spent time studying in Queretaro, Mexico, teaching ballet and English as a second language, while taking classes at Universidad Autónimo de Queretaro. During this time she gained expert Spanish language skills and found her adoration for the Hispanic culture. Amy has a paralegal studies background from Ohio University, focusing on immigration & family law and criminal & civil process. Previously, Amy gained extensive experience as a direct service supervisor at Women Helping Women, assisting and advocating for immigrant survivors of intimate partner violence, within law enforcement and court systems, as well as presenting on a range of outreach and community education with Greater Cincinnati’s immigrant communities. She has also served as a contracted interpreter for Hamilton County courts.

Amy and her husband are local food truck entrepreneurs and Amy also serves as an elected board member for Cincinnati Food Truck Association.

Emma FARMER

Legal Assistant

Emma comes to IRLC from the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center (MIRC) of Grand Rapids, Michigan, where she worked for about a year as a legal assistant on the Transitional Foster Care Team of the Unaccompanied Children's Program. While at MIRC, she worked with ORR shelters that housed unaccompanied minors and provided educational Know Your Rights presentations and individual legal screenings. Additionally, she assisted the attorneys on the team and other legal related responsibilities. She is fluent in Spanish.

In May of 2023, Emma received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish and Intercultural Studies from Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais, IL. While in undergrad, she was involved in a Social Justice group, fundraising to fight against and promoting awareness about human trafficking. Emma has always been passionate in working with immigrants and refugees and is hoping one day, to become a BIA Accredited Representative.

She recently moved to Cincinnati and is excited to explore all that IRLC and the city has to offer. In her spare time, she enjoys trying new coffee shops, spending time with friends and family, running, and traveling.