Join us in celebrating our Citizenshipworks Product Manager, Sandra Sandoval, for winning the American Legal Technology Award in the Individual category! Sandra’s dedication, innovative mindset, and tireless efforts have made a significant impact on our mission to revolutionize the immigration journey for all.

Sandra is a Latina technology leader who immigrated from Mexico with her family to the U.S. at age 3 and became a naturalized American citizen in August 2022. Sandra is the Product Lead for Citizenshipworks, our free online resource that has been delivering naturalization services for over a decade and is a project of Justicia Lab, Pro Bono Net’s incubator for immigrant justice. 

Sandra used Citizenshipworks to complete her own naturalization process, and through her professional services, has helped nearly 30,000 Legal Permanent Residents gain naturalization over the last eight years. As United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) moves towards the digitization of its immigration forms, Citizenshipworks is a fully realized resource already doing this work.

“Growing up in an undocumented family, I saw first-hand how intimidating it was for my family to seek legal help. Between the cost of assistance and not knowing who to trust for help, we always felt lost. That’s why this work is so important to me. I have the opportunity to bring free, quality resources to immigrants, who like my family, may not know where to start and live in fear.” says Ms. Sandoval.

Prior to joining Justicia Lab, Sandra worked with San Antonio Immigrant Youth Movement (SAIYM), a youth-led movement to empower undocumented youth by providing resources, tools, and guidance to help navigate the higher education system. Sandra is a graduate of the University of Texas at San Antonio and received an MPA from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University.

Sandra is honored to be recognized by the American Legal Technology Awards and she wanted to share a note:

“It is truly an honor to be recognized by the American Legal Technology Awards judging committee among many innovators bridging the access to justice gap. Thank you! 

Thank you to the Pro Bono Net and Justicia Lab teams. Ten years ago, I started at PBN/JL working on Citizenshipworks to help immigrants navigate the complex immigration systems. As an undocumented immigrant myself, I didn’t want others to experience the same difficulties I did. 

I’m grateful to work with amazing colleagues who every day share their knowledge and support, and dedication to our community. It takes a team, and I’m lucky to work and learn alongside the best.”

We also celebrate ¡Reclamo!, our groundbreaking app to fight wage theft, receiving an honorable mention in the Access to Justice Legal Tech category!

Congrats to all of the honorees and winners of the American Legal Technology Awards. We would also like to thank the headline sponsor, Clio, of the awards, and the organizers and judges for shining a spotlight on people and projects using technology and innovation to create a more just society.