Maria E.

Maldonado
1915 Clinton Avenue, Berwyn, Illinois 60402
Cell: 708-359-7108
[email protected]
Education
Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Law School - Lansing MI
Juris Doctor, May 2015

Awards:
Melissa Mitchell Moot Court Competition: Finalist and Best Overall Advocate
Melissa Mitchell Moot Court Competition: Second Best Advocate out of Top Ten
Outstanding Committee Member of the Academics Committee
Student Bar Association Chief Operations Officer of the Year 2014 2015
Krinock Memorial Award for Outstanding Service and Dedication to Students
Sixty Plus Elder Law Clinic, Inc., Certificate of Appreciation

Student Organizations:
Student Bar Association McLean Class Senator for 8 consecutive school terms
Academics Committee Member
Tax Law Society President
Hispanic Latino Law Society Treasurer
Delta Theta Phi Legal Fraternity Master of Rituals
Phi Delta Phi Honors Fraternity Member
American Bar Association Law Student Member
State Bar of Michigan Law Student Member
State Bar of Illinois Law Student Member

University of Illinois at Chicago - Chicago IL

Bachelor of Business Administration, May 2010
Major: Finance

Beta Alpha Psi National Honors Fraternity for Finance, Accounting, and Information Systems Majors Secretary
UIC Accounting Club Member
UIC Finance and Investment Group Member

Legal Experience
Solis Law Firm, P.C.
Immigration Law Clerk

Manage the Department of U-Visas of the firm

Under Attorneys direct supervision meet clients to take inquiries about the status of a case in the firm
Meet potential clients to acquire initial information of their legal needs
Draft responses to Request for Evidence letters from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services
Communicate with the National Visa Center regarding adjustment of status of clients outside of the U.S.
Research and Write Motions for Immigration Court cases

Sixty Plus Elder Law Clinic, Inc.

Student Attorney

Cicero, Illinois
August 2015 to Present

Lansing, Michigan
August 2014 to April 2015

Assisted clients in estate planning and civil cases

Prepared Wills, Durable Powers of Attorney, and Healthcare Powers of Attorney for elder law clients
Counseled and prepared documents for Divorce procedures

Communicated with opposing counsel in negotiations for divorce division of assets and court processes
Represented clients before the Friend of the Court
Conducted legal research using legal databases such as ICLE, Westlaw Next, and Lexis Nexis
Researched legal courses of action, affirmative defenses, statutes of limitation, and potential claims for tort cases
Interviewed clients to identify their legal needs, assessed situations, and reported findings to the supervising
attorney to determine if the clinic could represent potential new clients
Promoted to team leader and trained new interns in the policies and procedures of the clinic
Performed on-site guardianship reviews
Prepared memorandums for the Clinton Court recommending continuance or cancelation of guardianships
Interacted with guardians and court house clerks to fulfill legal processes
Opened files and updated information of the cases in a timely manner
Provided updates to clients by preparing letters or by phone conversations
Balanced work at the clinic and work-study position while being a full-time law student

Solis Law Firm, P.C.

Legal Assistant

Cicero, Illinois
April 2007 to August 2012

Assisted attorneys by preparing legal letters and synchronizing court and immigration appointments
Opened and filed cases for new clients
Prepared immigration forms
Translated for Spanish speaking clients at court hearings and immigration interviews
Met with clients to explain in detail immigration reliefs approved by an attorney
Served as Deputy Office Manager while the Manager of the company worked in other office locations
Coordinated the bookkeeping of the company
Prepared various corporate documents such as annual corporation reports for the Illinois Secretary of State,
Illinois Bar Association, and the Town of Cicero

Other Experience
WMU Cooley Law School, Student Bar Association
Chief Operations Officer

Lansing, Michigan
May 2013 to April 2015

Responsible for running the Student Bar Association Office

Assisted students in a friendly and helpful manner answering questions related to study aids
Suggested to students study aids that they might find useful
Assisted the members of the SBA Senate and Directors if they required assistance in completing their duties
Acted as cashier and prepared daily deposits for the study aids sold or rented during my working shift
Answered phone calls and sorted the mail received for all the student organizations

Accounting Experience:
Gladys R. Wilson and Associates, PC
Various Positions

Berwyn, Illinois
February 2002 to April 2007

Supervisor (January 2006 to April 2007)

Managed the daily operations for one of the four branches of the firm located at Berwyn, Illinois
Trained new employees, evaluated their performance, and reported activities to the partners of the firm
Handled customer inquiries and complaints in a professional and efficient manner

Assistant of Auditing (May 2004 to December 2005)

In charge of visiting different client locations to review the financial statements and management procedures of
non-profit organizations financed by development programs of the City of Chicago and the State of Illinois
Assisted Senior Auditors to report findings in the procedures and transactions of the clients company
Reviewed supporting documents provided by the clients company to verify its authenticity

Assisted in audit programs in representation of Gladys R. Wilson & Associates for larger firms such as KPMG,
LLC. in engagements for the Department of Streets and Sanitation of the City of Chicago, Midway Airport, the
Office of the Inspector General, and Chicago Public Schools

Assistant of Income Tax Preparations (November 2002 to April 2004)

Under the Certified Public Accountants supervision, prepared personal income tax returns for individuals.
Prepared sales tax and payroll tax reports for established business entities
Converted Sole-Proprietorships into Small Business Corporations
Responsible for other related tasks such as data entry for tax returns for Corporations, Limited Liability
Partnerships, and Limited Liability Corporations
Recorded daily revenues of the company and made daily bank deposit of the firm

Administrative Assistant (February 2002 to October 2002)

Responsible for assisting in the general running of the office in activities such as typing letters, filling-out forms,
answering telephones, scheduling appointments, sorting the mail, and daily opening and closing the office

Licenses and Language Skills:

Notary Public of the State of Illinois

Fluent in English and Spanish

Community Involvement

Pilsen Wellness Center, Mentor at Latino Youth High School in Chicago

The Greater Lansing Food Bank, Volunteer

Capitol Area Animal Shelter, Volunteer