Trisha manages the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) & U Visa Pro Bono Project, Counter-Trafficking Project, and Know Your Rights Project at NIJC. Trisha is a Department of Justice (DOJ) fully accredited representative and also oversees DOJ recognition and accreditation for NIJC staff. Prior to joining NIJC, Trisha was a DOJ accredited representative at World Relief-Chicago and Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. While at Catholic Charities, she supervised the Crime Victims Program and was the VAWA coordinator and pro bono coordinator. Trisha also worked as the senior legal assistant for a private immigration firm. She has participated in the VAWA/U Visa working group in Chicago for over 20 years. Trisha was an inaugural member of the Mayor of Chicago’s Gender-Based Violence Task Force. Trisha graduated magna cum laude from Loyola University Chicago with an honors bachelor of arts degree in political science and minors in Spanish and international studies.