Managing Attorney
Refugee Protection Program
Joined Human Rights First in 2011

Vanessa Allyn is a Managing Attorney in the Refugee Protection Program, where she oversees the pro bono legal representation of indigent asylum seekers in the Washington D.C. metro area.

Before joining Human Rights First, she was a Staff Attorney with the Capitol Area Immigrants’ Rights (CAIR) Coalition and provided “know your rights” presentations, direct representation, and pro bono attorney mentorship for immigrants detained in Virginia and Maryland.

Vanessa graduated from the University of Redlands with a degree in Government. She then served as a Peace Corps volunteer in the Kingdom of Tonga and went on to obtain her law degree from Willamette University College of Law. She is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association and is admitted to practice in Maryland.