Legal and Legislative Assistant

Francis Vazquez *********@*****.***

281-***-**** C 2217 Ann Street

US Citizen Houston, Texas, 77003

Work Experience

Legal and Legislative Assistant 10/16 – 9/17

Chevalier Law Firm Houston, Texas Dealt with Department of Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry Security (BIS) regulations on Cuba. Studied the history of Cuba. Created list of items allowed under OFAC and BIS regulations (including ITAR, CCL, ECCN) to Cuba for persons traveling to Cuba. Drafted a specific license under then-current OFAC regulations. Helped contact and organize businesses for event in Cuba at the Ambassador’s residence.

International Trade Assistant 05/16 – 10/16

International Trade Administration Houston, Texas Researched and advised client on NAFTA and HTS, including product qualification. Research projects: corruption’s effects on foreign direct investment and solutions to improve the U.S. economy by studying Japan's economy. Facilitated export abroad for U.S. companies. Met with company representatives that requested help to establish business internationally. Created an intern guide to the position to help new and future interns quickly get adjusted to the position.

Student Ambassador 10/15 – 10/16

White House Initiative on HBCUs Washington, D.C.

Spoke at US-China People’s Friendship Association gala and received award. Introduced the director of the White House Initiative program at the Desire to Aspire Symposium hosted by TSU. In the Symposium, participated in a student panel and recruited student volunteers. Communicated constantly with TSU administrators and students to offer them scholarship and grant opportunities. Presented at Star of Hope and at high school at Houston Community College (HCC) to inspire students to succeed. Volunteered in Ripley House Neighborhood Center to help immigrants fill their immigration papers and center's events, such as Houston's Symphony free concert, food drive, and back-to-school event.

Legal Assistant 05/15 – 07/15

Gil de Lamadrid Law Firm Houston, Texas Mostly helped organize and create motions for court by filling out forms, organizing evidence, typing the motion, and proofreading client’s stories. Contacting clients at detention centers and explaining the procedure.

Intern 02/15 – 05/15

U.S. Department of State Washington, D.C.

Worked at the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs in the Office of the Coordinator on Cuban Affairs during Normalization Talks. Drafted diplomatic notes, a congressional report, and letters. Translated diplomatic notes from English to Spanish and from Spanish to English. Aided in generating Assistant Secretary Daily Reports. Attended various courses, events, and speeches. Attended Cuba Normalization Talks and Human Rights Talks. Gained more complex responsibility as the position progressed and was later trusted with sensitive projects.

Secretary and Vice President 1/14 – 5/15

Pi Alpha Alpha at Texas Southern University Houston, Texas

Organization was run by students and a faculty member, which provided guidance. Organized meetings with student officers and faculty member, took minutes of meetings, and provided my input for organizational decisions. Held fundraisers to increase the organization’s funds. Drafted and edited the bylaws of the organization. Recruited students and motivated prospective members to join. Coordinated and participated in community service activities.

Secretary 5/14 – 5/15

Toastmasters at Texas Southern University Houston, Texas

Organized meetings and participated in weekly events on how to improve public speaking. Assisted the president with activities and took notes and minutes of meetings. Represented the organization at a regional meeting of other Toastmasters organizations. Learned to evaluate and criticize speakers. Recruited students to join the organization and helped establish the Toastmasters organization for our university.

Researcher 3/14 – 5/14

Texas Southern University Houston, Texas

Assisted my professor on an 8-week research assignment. Researched on public involvement through social media in regional government transportation web sites. Organized a data sheet for the 25 regional councils, which are voluntary associations of local governments that deal with regional problems. Contacted each regional council for data and surveyed key officials. Drafted a survey and proofread it. Tested the survey and conducted the survey for each regional council. Assimilated all the data in an understandable manner.

Education

05/18 Juris Doctor, Cum Laude

Texas Southern University, Houston, Texas 77002

05/15 Master’s in Public Administration, (globally accredited program by NASPAA)

Texas Southern University, Houston, Texas 77002

12/10 Bachelor’s of Arts in Print Journalism and Philosophy, Magna Cum Laude

University of Houston, Houston, Texas, 77204

Honors, Awards

08/08 – 05/09 Dean’s List

01/09 Smartest Man in the Room Award

12/10 Graduated Magna Cum Laude

02/10 Recipient of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities Foreign Study Scholarship

05/15 Awarded appreciation and meritorious honor award at the State Department

10/15 Chosen for the WHIHBCU All-Star program

11/15 Awarded Scholarship at US-China People’s Friendship Association gala

5/18 Graduated Cum Laude

Other Information

Studied abroad in Brazil, China, and France.

Speak Portuguese (intermediate), Spanish (fluent), Chinese (basic), and French (intermediate).

Took Latin American Legal Systems and International Arbitration Legal Courses in Brazil.

Skills: Microsoft Office, Adelo Point of Sales, Adobe Flash CS4, Adobe Photoshop, stamps.com, Pages, Microsoft Access, KeyNote, Miscrosoft Note, SPSS, Diplopedia, Econ@State, LexisNexis, TWEN, and SkyDrive.

Other positions

Case Manager 5/12 – 7/12

Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston Saint Frances Cabrini Immigrant Legal Assistance Center

Translated Spanish to English and English to Spanish in municipal and civil court. Job consisted of aiding children who crossed the border. Accompanied attorney and clients to court. Traveled to detention centers to interview children and gave presentations to inform them of their rights. Taught case workers how to interview the children, trained them in conducting the presentations, answered questions, demonstrated how to input data into Excel databases, and was responsible for reviewing their work.

Legal Assistant 1/11 – 3/12

Gil de Lamadrid Law Firm Houston, Texas Compiled legal paperwork; made court paper deliveries, provided customer service for clients; translated legal documents from English to Spanish, Spanish to English, and French to English; and contributed interpretation services for customers in immigration interviews. Accompanied families in removing individuals from detention centers through the bond process and deportation window. Trusted with large amounts of cash and bond money.

Vice President, President, and Coach 5/08 – 12/10

Fencing Club at University of Houston Houston, Texas

Coordinated both social events and community service. Instructed members on how to fence and administered fundraisers. Hired referees and managed collegiate and national tournaments with colleges, such as Texas A&M, University of Texas, Baylor University and other southwest universities. Connected with other fencing clubs in the Houston area to get further assistance at tournaments and to provide more training for UH students. Created the club’s first website.

Journalist 1/09 – 5/09

The Daily Cougar Houston, Texas

Became leader of a group of journalists after writing stories on such topics as the drug war in Mexico and President Obama’s 100 days in office. Formulated an article about the then-running candidate for mayor, Gene Locke. Helped in translating Locke’s website from English into Spanish. Interviewed University of Houston faculty, staff, and students. Researched various topics and wrote under pressure. Acquired an award for “The Smartest Man in the Room” from instructor.

Bartender/Server 8/05 – 8/09

Isla Coqui Restaurant and Bar Houston, Texas

Received my bartender certification from Bartending School. Bartended in George R. Brown Convention Center for Rums of Puerto Rico event. Taught other servers how to serve and managers how to bartend. Worked under pressure and always worked professionally no matter the situation.

Contact this candidate