Gabriela Parra, immigration attorney, partner and co-owner of West Allis-based Layde & Parra S.C., is a first-generation college graduate and among just 2% of attorneys in the U.S. who are Latina.
“Parra brings strategic acumen and deep compassion to her immigration practice, where she manages complex asylum and removal-defense cases,” said Gratzia Villarroel-Hurst, president of ElevareNova.
In April 2024, Parra co-organized Wisconsin’s inaugural State of Latino Education Summit, convening cross-sector leaders to address educational disparities. She also leads free monthly sessions for community partners serving immigrants, offering real-time legal updates and collaborative strategies. Currently, she is helping create a statewide legal defense fund to support asylum seekers in immigration court.
Parra mentors Latino students, emerging attorneys and Catholic women seeking spiritual leadership.
“Her impact reflects a career shaped by lived experience – from her upbringing in East Los Angeles to building trust as a bilingual community liaison in Wisconsin. Her work not only opens doors but ensures they remain open for future generations,” Villarroel-Hurst said. “She has been a transformative leader in law and community advocacy.”
