Karen McCarthy
Founder
Attorney Karen McCarthy is the founder of Elevation Law, LLC. Karen has extensive experience in all areas of immigration law, including naturalization, green cards, visas, deportation, and asylum. Karen thrives on the challenges of immigration cases and the complexity of handling a variety of legal issues. Throughout her legal career, Karen has helped clients with affirmative and defensive petitions, permitting individuals and families to live in the United States lawfully and qualify for better jobs.
Bar Admissions
Colorado
Hawaii
New York
Education
Washington College of Law, American University, J.D., 2009
College of William and Mary, B.A. 2004
University of Morelia, Michoacán, 2002
Professional Associations and Memberships
American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA)
Colorado Bar Association (CBA)
Colorado Women’s Bar Association (CWBA)
Continental Divide Bar Association (CDBA)
Summit Chamber of Commerce
Community Service and Leadership
Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network (RMIAN)
Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition (CIRC)
AILA Access to Services Committee
CBA Environmental Sustainability Program
Katherine Popper
Associate
Katherine Popper practices immigration and deportation law with Elevation Law in Denver and Aurora, Colorado. Her practices include defense in deportation, citizenship, naturalization, green card, adjustment of status, and related immigration legal services.
Before joining Elevation Law, Katherine served as the managing attorney of another immigration law firm from 2017-2020. Katherine's passion for immigration law began as a paralegal when she worked on a pro bono U Visa case, providing translation services, case assistance, and communicating with the client. During law school, she was a student attorney with the Women and the Law Clinic where she provided pro bono representation for a T Visa client. After passing the bar, Katherine joined a law firm practicing transactional securities litigation while continuing to provide pro bono immigration legal services to clients in Colorado.
Katherine grew up near Washington, DC. She received her bachelor's degree in International Affairs from the University of Colorado in 2009. She spent six months of her undergraduate program studying abroad at the University of Guanajuato in Mexico and a summer studying Spanish in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She studied law at the American University Washington College of Law where she earned her Juris Doctor in 2014. While in law school, Katherine wrote for the Legislation and Policy Brief, represented clients with the Women and the Law Clinic, and published a tax policy article in the Bloomberg Tax Management and Real Estate Journal. Katherine is a member of the Minnesota Bar and an active participant in the Denver immigration legal community.
Education
J.D., American University Washington College of Law 2014
B.A. International Affairs, University of Colorado Boulder 2009
Admissions
Minnesota 2016
Colorado 2021
Micah Laplante
Paralegal
Micah is a paralegal for Elevation Law. Originally from Maine, Micah became interested in the Spanish-speaking community after extensive travel to Central and South America.
She has a degree in International Spanish for Business from the University of Colorado Boulder, and a Certificate in Translation Studies from the University of Denver. She has worked in Nicaragua educating communities on the importance of nutrition and is also a Spanish interpreter for the Summit School District.
She is passionate about immigration law and the significant role it plays in helping our diverse mountain community. When not in the office, you can find her skiing, rafting, or traveling.
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Monica Perez Valdovinos
Paralegal
Monica is originally from Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. She migrated with her family when she was 3 months old and has lived in Colorado Springs since. Monica has DACA and currently studies political science in hopes to one day become an attorney. She is an organizer in her local community, and has worked on a State and National levels with organizations like CIRC and United We Dream. In the past Monica has worked as a paralegal for Juntos2College, a non profit that empowers counselors and educators by equipping them with tools and knowledge needed to advance their vision—to provide upward mobility for undocumented students. She also collaborated with the new immigration Legal Defense Fund, which provides grants for legal representation of detained immigrants in Colorado. Monica is a strong advocate for social justice and is actively serving the community to strive for equity regardless of immigration status.
Viridiana Cruz
Legal Assistant
Viridiana Cruz is originally from Oaxaca, Mexico. She migrated with her mother when she was 2 years old and grew up in Summit County, Colorado. She graduated from Summit High School in 2017. Viridiana is a DACA recipient and has been working for Elevation Law as a legal assistant since 2017. She has a passion for helping her immigrant community and equality for everyone regardless of their immigration status. She has participated in protests with Mountain Dreamers to fight for a path to citizenship for DACA recipients.
Lauren Airey
Legal Assistant
Lauren Airey was born and raised in Summit County, Colorado. Lauren is a Summit High School and University of Colorado Graduate. She has her BA in International Affairs with a focus in Latin America and in Spanish.
Lauren spent one of her semesters in Buenos Aires, Argentina where she solidified her belief in the importance of cultural integration of the American continent.
Lauren has been working for Elevation Law since 2017. She has also been involved in the community through work with the Summit County Democrats and Mountain Dreamers. Lauren's passion for equality, tolerance, and respect for human rights brought her to Elevation Law where she truly feels at home.