Lesley Mendoza joined CABA Pro Bono Legal Services in February 2013 as Executive Director and is responsible for supervising attorneys and all legal services provided by the organization. In addition, she conducts outreach efforts to educate the community on the services provided as well as recruitment and fundraising. From 2004 to 2007, Mendoza worked at White & Case in New York as part of the firm’s commercial litigation practice group. Prior to that, she worked at Thornton, Davis & Fein in Miami. She earned a juris doctor from the University of Miami School of Law in 2002 and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 1998. Mendoza is the 2014 recipient of the “Most Effective Lawyer” Award in the area of pro bono by the Daily Business Review.

Email: lesley@cabaprobono.com

Viviana Busutil joined the CABA Pro Bono team in 2014 and helps low-income clients with foreclosure defense, loan modifications and landlord and tenant issues. In 2016, she opened her own firm, Busutil Law, which focuses on real estate law. Viviana attended Florida International University and earned her undergraduate degree in accounting. She received her Juris Doctorate from the University of St. Thomas.

Email: viviana@cabaprobono.com

Aida Diaz-Silveira joined CABA Pro Bono in 2023. Her legal career spans over two decades and is admitted to the Supreme Court of the State of Florida and the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida. She has provided pro bono representation for low-income clients with Church World Service, Americans for Immigrant Justice, and Catholic Legal Services. As an undergraduate at Florida State University, Aida interned with the Public Defender for Leon County and served as a legislative intern with Florida State Representative John Cosgrove and at the time Florida Senator Mario Diaz-Balart. She then went on to earn her Juris Doctorate from the University of Miami, School of Law.

Email: aida@cabaprobono.com

Daniela Fletes began working with CABA Pro Bono in 2021 and assists low-income clients with their immigration and family law cases. Daniela is a member of The Florida Bar and the Young Lawyers Division of the Florida Bar. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in International Relations with a minor in Political Science from Florida International University in 2018. Fletes received her Juris Doctorate from St. Thomas University College of Law in 2021.

Email: daniela@cabaprobono.com

Lilly Real serves as Family Law Attorney for CABA Pro Bono Legal Services. She has practiced law with The Florida Bar for 26 years. She previously worked at three other domestic violence nonprofits helping the most vulnerable in our community. Real has a passion for family law and working for nonprofit organizations, evident in her 18 years of family law experience and her previous work with CABA Pro Bono Legal Services as Human Trafficking Staff Attorney.

Email: lilly@cabaprobono.com 

Patricia Salman handles all cases under the Human Trafficking Victim Representation Project at CABA Pro Bono Legal Services. She routinely attends GRACE court, a specialized court for children who are victims or survivors of human trafficking. She represents children as Attorney Ad Litem in dependency proceedings and all matters related to their dependency case. Salman also serves Guardian Ad Litem in family court cases.

Before joining CABA Pro Bono Legal Services, Salman worked as Assistant Regional Legal Counsel in the Department of Children and Families, Office of General Counsel in Miami. She was also an Assistant Attorney General for the Office of the Economic Division/Consumer Protection Division in Miami. Patricia is a member of the Florida Bar and the Florida Muslim Lawyers Association.

She received her Bachelor of Science in finance, with a concentration in economics and criminology, from the University of Florida in 2003 and earned her Juris Doctorate from the University of Florida Levin School of Law in 2006.

Email: patricia@cabaprobono.com 

Beatriz Sarmiento Schachter joined CABA Pro Bono in 2018 to help low-income veterans and victims of domestic violence with divorce, paternity, domestic violence, and child support cases. Beatriz regularly appears in court to advocate for her clients and finds providing legal assistance to those who need it extremely rewarding. Admitted to practice law in both Florida and New York, Beatriz has worked at Clifford Chance LLP in New York, Bilzin Sumberg in Miami, and most recently as legal counsel for Gelber Schachter & Greenberg P.A. in Miami. She is fluent in Spanish and has taught high school civics for Miami-Dade County Public Schools.

Beatriz earned a Juris Doctorate from the Georgetown University Law Center in 2000, where she spent her third year as a member of the Law Students in Court defending indigent clients in landlord-tenant matters. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Florida in 1997, where she served as President of the Cuban American Student Association.

Email: betty@cabaprobono.com

Tensie Suengas  graduated Magna Cum Laude with a B.A. in psychology from Florida International University. Tensie went on to attend American University’s Washington College of Law in D.C.   During law school, she helped survivors of domestic violence obtain U-Visas, VAWAS, restraining orders, and resolve custody and child support disputes.  After law school, Tensie worked for the Eleventh Judicial Circuit of Florida as a case manager for the Unified Family Court Division, Complex Litigation Division.  As a case manager, Tensie assisted Judges in cases such as divorce, domestic violence, paternity, dependency, and juvenile delinquency.   Tensie was a staff attorney with Dade Legal Aid where she represented victims of domestic violence in divorces, paternity, and custody proceedings. At CABA Pro Bono Legal Services, Tensie has represented victims of human trafficking, domestic violence, and immigrant youths. 

Email: tensie@cabaprobono.com 

Martha Diaz began working with CABA Pro Bono Legal Services in 2022. Before joining the team, Diaz worked as a file clerk and legal assistant at Pozo-Diaz & Pozo P.A., providing support to the insurance defense law firm. Diaz earned her undergraduate degree from Florida International University in criminal justice and received her Juris Doctorate from St. Thomas University. Diaz is fluent in Spanish and holds a Florida Notary Public license.

Email: martha@cabaprobono.com

Maria Jacqueline Rodriguez has more than 15 years of legal experience, having served as a family law attorney in her native Cuba and eight years as a paralegal in Miami. Rodriguez joined CABA Pro Bono in September 2006 and assists with preparing U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services applications for foreign-born individuals and their families, including applications to adjust status, employment authorization and naturalization. In addition, Rodriguez conducts initial intake interviews, helps prepare legal documents for simple divorces, and assists in training classes to help applicants overcome barriers to becoming a citizen. She graduated from the University of Matanzas Law School in Cuba in 1990 and served as a family law and tax law professor until 2004.

Email: jackie@cabaprobono.com

Rosalba Penaherrera has been with CABA Pro Bono Legal Services since March 2008 and currently works as its office manager. Penaherrera handles the company’s charitable giving, customer relations and grant applications.

Before joining CABA Pro Bono, she was a title processor at Manuel L. Crespo, P.A. and a personal banking specialist at AmTrust Bank.

Email: rosalba@cabaprobono.com

Andrea Llanos is a legal assistant at CABA Pro Bono Legal Services. She has experience in casting, sound recording and quality control as the director of “The Theme Music.” She has used her background in theater and music to help CABA Pro Bono with fundraising events, client interviews and translation. Llanos received her Bachelor of Arts from Florida International University and Master of Arts from Full Sail University in Orlando.

Email: andrea@cabaprobono.com

In October 2019, Maricel Rodriguez joined the CABA Pro Bono team as a legal assistant focused on immigration and family cases. Maricel began her legal career as an intern at Kaba Law Group, PLLC. She then joined Busutil Law, P.A in May 2019 as a paralegal. She oversaw real estate closings, filed court cases and notarized closing documents.

Email: maricel@cabaprobono.com