Maria Mattern’s love for immigration advocacy began with her work as an immigration paralegal in July 2010.  She developed a passion for helping each client navigate the complex U.S. immigration system and quickly decided a career in this field was her life’s calling.  The more she learned about immigration, the more she wanted to help.  With the encouragement of her mentors, Maria began to focus on her education with the ultimate goal of becoming an immigration attorney herself.  To further that goal, she first completed her bachelor’s degree at Oklahoma State University in Tulsa while working full time as a paralegal.  Even after she was accepted into The University of Tulsa College of Law, Maria continued her paralegal work while attending law school part time.    Throughout her time at law school, she focused her clinic work and club activities around immigration law, acting as the co-president of the Immigration Law Society and participating in the Immigrant Rights Project.  Maria graduated with highest honors, earning her J.D. with an Immigration Law Concentration in 2024.  She often describes her work helping immigrants as one of the most rewarding experiences of her life.  She considers it an honor and a privilege to be a part of each immigration story.  Maria is excited to use her years of experience and hard work in helping her clients at Erwin Law Office achieve their own American Dream.