A person with long hair wearing a suit jacket  Description automatically generatedSofia Hidalgo (Fratti) recently passed the Texas July 2024 Bar with a 293 score as a first-time taker. Upon immigrating to the United States in 2017 as a Magna Cum Laude graduated attorney licensed to practice in El Salvador, she discovered her passion for immigration law. Sofia received her LL.M. degree in Immigration and Nationality Law from Thurgood Marshall School of Law (TMSL) in May 2019 with a 4.0 GPA.

For over 5 years, Sofia worked as a Foreign Legal Consultant licensed with the State Bar of Texas in a boutique immigration law firm in Houston, where she supervised the family department. Sofia is currently an Associate Immigration Attorney at Herrera Firm, focusing on family and employment-based immigration.

 

 


 

A person with braids wearing purple glasses  Description automatically generatedNkeiruka Grace Smith is a Senior Associate Attorney with Daniel Ogbeide Law PLLC where she practices Family Law, and Immigration and Naturalization Laws. A graduate of Thurgood Marshall School of Law, Texas Southern University, where she received her Master of Laws degree (LL.M) in US Immigration and Naturalization Law, graduating top 2% of the class. She earned her Legum Baccalaureaus degree (LL. B), graduating magna cum laude, from Imo University, and her BL from Nig Law School. Ms. Smith has more than a decade of experience in legal practice and has excelled both as a corporate attorney with prestigious corporations and private practice, over different continents, and diverse workplaces. Ms. Smith is a member of the State Bar of Texas, she also admitted as a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria. She is a proud mother of one child (Laura), and loves to travel, dine out, attend concerts, and spend quality time with loved ones.

LL.M – Master of Laws in US Immigration and Naturalization Laws – Thurgood Marshall School of Law, Texas Southern University (graduated top 2%)
LL.B – Legum Baccalaureaus– Imo University (graduated magna cum laude)
B.L – Nig. Law School (Barrister at Law)


 

  LL.M. Graduation Reception, December, 2024



- Texas Southern University, Thurgood Marshall School of Law is fully accredited by the American Bar Association, website: https://www.americanbar.org/

The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) is the body for the accreditation of degree-granting higher education institutions in the Southern states. Website: https://sacscoc.org/about-sacscoc/

 

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Organizational Structure

Maurice Hew, Jr.
LL.M Director and Professor of Law
Maurice.Hew@tmslaw.tsu.edu
713-313-7111

Amy L. Ratra
Associate Dean of Student Services and
Instructional Support
Co-Director of LL.M. Program
Email: miamy.ratra@tsu.edu 
Phone: 713-313-7909

Pearly Pendenque
Registrar
Pearly.pendenque@tmslaw.tsu.edu

 

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