Amanda Bernardo is the Deputy Director of the American Bar Association’s Immigration Justice Project (IJP). In that capacity, Amanda oversees dozens of attorneys and advocates in providing pro bono legal services to those facing deportation in the San Diego region.

Prior to moving to California to join IJP, Amanda dedicated the first decade of her legal career to removal defense and complicated affirmative immigration matters in New York. She was a Supervising Attorney of a removal defense team at the non-profit organization New York Legal Assistance Group and, prior to that, an Associate at the boutique immigration law firm Brandes & Associates, LLC. Amanda received her law degree from Brooklyn Law School and her undergraduate degree from American University. Amanda grew up in a proud Filipino-American family from New York, but she is equally proud that they raised her in New Jersey.