Mary Capello C.P.
Summary of Qualifications
Licensed Attorney for over 26 years. Solo Practitioner with offices in Laredo, Texas and San Antonio, Texas. Defense Attorney of criminal law, immigration law, probate law, family law, juvenile law, and child welfare law. Researcher and Consultant on effects of criminal pleas on immigration statuses. Consultant to businesses and corporations on employment and operational legal issues including legislative law, local, state and federal regulations, labor and employment law, EEOC, Worker’s Compensation, contract law, insurance law. Experienced administrator of large size corporation operating 200 offices in 8 states, managing annual budgets of $150,000,000.00, supervising 2000 employees, and ensuring compliance with all local, state and federal regulations. Successful grant writer (2 billion in grants). Skilled in efiling and can use Microsoft Word, ProDoc, Dropbox, Adobe, OneNote. Fluent in English and Spanish (oral and written).
Education
State Bar of Texas – 400 hours of CLE (15 Hours of Continuing Legal Education annually)
Thurgood Marshall School of Law - Juris Doctor Degree in Law (1989)
Texas A&M International, Laredo, TX – Masters of Business Administration (1985)
University of Texas at San Antonio, continuing education courses. (1980)
Texas A&M University, Kingsville, TX – Bachelor of Arts – Political Science (1979)
Professional Credentials
Licensed to practice law in the State of Texas by Supreme Court of Texas.
Licensed to practice law in U.S. District and Bankruptcy Courts in the Southern District of Texas.
Licensed to practice law in the U.S. District and Bankruptcy Courts in the Western District of Texas.
Registered with the Executive Office of Immigration Review (EOIR) to practice in immigration courts anywhere in the country.
Experience
Capello & Associates, LLC. 809 Victoria, Laredo, TX 78040
Legal researcher and consultant to clients, attorneys, public defenders on the effects of criminal pleas on immigration statuses. Consultant to corporations and businesses on employment law, corporate law and other corporate formation and development related areas of the law. Contractual Services to the Consulate of Mexico, July 2018, civil law services to Mexican Citizens in the United States.
Law Office of Mary Capello & Of Counsel with Juan Hernandez, 809 Victoria, Laredo, TX 78040; & Of Counsel with Carabin & Shaw, 608 Broadway, San Antonio, Texas 78041
Legal researcher and consultant to clients, attorneys, public defenders on the effects ·Solo Practitioner. · Licensed attorney for over 25 years. ·Criminal state and federal defense; ·Civil representation, litigation and trial. · Immigration representation to individuals and employers and deportation defense. ·Areas of legal practice: criminal law, immigration law, family law, legislative law, probate law – guardianships, estate administration, juvenile law, child welfare law.
Teaching and Mentoring Communities, Inc. - President/CEO/General Counsel - (2000-2013)
·Responsible for overall management of $150,000,000.00 million corporation operating 200 offices in 8 states; supervised 2,000 employees, and ensured legal and fiscal compliance of local, state and federal government and fiscal regulations. · Through grant writing, secured over 2 million dollars in grants from multiple government funding sources including the US Department of Health and Human Services specifically the Office of Migrant Seasonal Head Start, Office of Head Start, Office of Early Head Start, Obesity Prevention, Healthy Marriages, Together in Texas; the Office of Child Care. ·Hosted, chaired and trained at local, state and national workshops, seminars and conferences in early education practices. ·Hosted Governor Rick Perry and Senator Judith Zaffirini in Laredo, Texas for the signing of the most historic Early Childhood Education expansion bill in Texas. ·Awarded the largest Migrant and Seasonal Head Start grant in the nation. ·Funded the largest Texas Early Education Model (TEEM) grants in Texas. ·Published recognition in The Bridge Span Group - listing TMC, Inc. as one of the top 40 fastest growing non-profit corporations in the country out of 400,000 non-profits.
Webb and Zapata County District Attorney’s Office (1991-2000)
· Assistant District Attorney and Prosecutor; prosecuted thousands of criminal cases; · Chief Prosecutor – Misdemeanor Divisionp County Court at Laws. · Drug Impact Court prosecutor – 49 th Judicial Districtp. · Chief Prosecutor – Child Sexual Abuse Division – 341 st District Court. · Assisted District Attorney Jose M. Rubio, Jr. to organize the Laredo-Webb County Safe-Haven. · Assisted District Attorney Jose M. Rubio, Jr. to organize the CASA, Domestic Violence Program.
341st District Court-Honorable Elma Salinas Ender - Law Clerk (1989-91)
Law Clerk for District Judge Elma Salinas Ender.
National Resource Center-Child Abuse and Neglect of Mexican Americans Director (1980-87)
· Responsible for overseeing the National Resource Center on Child Abuse of Mexican Americans in the Southwestern United States. · Responsible for hosting, chairing and training at 8 national conferences throughout the United States. · Organized and founded the Stop Child Abuse and Neglect, Inc. (SCAN) assisted by the local judiciary, elected officials, education agencies, college and university, law enforcement agencies, and locally elected house and senate representatives.
Summary of Qualifications
Office of Governor’s Juvenile Justice Education Project Special Subcommittee on Child Abuse Prevention by Texas Governor Mark White. · Texas Advisory Council on Early Childhood Education by Texas Governor Rick Perry.
Achievements/Awards/Memberships
· Tejano Achiever Award presented by LULAC. · Who’s Who, Outstanding Leaders in America, Heritage Foundation. · Outstanding Texas Community Organizer Award, Permian Basin · Award for Pro Bono services to indigent families by the State Bar of Texas · Award for Pro Bono services to indigent families by the Texas Rural Legal Aid · Recognized as Laredo Personality and Achiever – Laredo Morning Times, (1984) · Outstanding Young Women of America - Nat’l Program for Outstanding Young Women (83,84) · Women’s Hall of Fame Inductee – Laredo Commission for Women (March 1999) · Outstanding Latina Award – Nat’l Association of Women Elected Officials, D.C. (‘04) · Outstanding Youth Advocate Award, presented by LULAC (2005) · Member in good standing of State Bar of Texas · Member in good standing of EOIR (Executive Office of Immigration Review) · Member in good standing - US District Courts for Southern and Western Districts of Texas. · Life Member, Texas Bar Foundation. · Texas Bar Foundation Life Fellow (2008) · Advisor, Texas Council on the Early Care and Education · Former Member, Nat’l and TX District Attorneys’ Association · Cofounder and first president of Prestige Woods Women’s Legal Society, (1988-1989) · Founder, First President and current board member of Stop Child Abuse and Neglect, Inc. · Cofounder and former board member of the TX Coalition for the Prevention of Child Abuse · Board Member, National Committee for the Prevention of Child Abuse (1983-1987) · Chair, Nat’l Leadership Council for the Prevention of Child abuse in Chicago, Illinois · Co-Chair, “FAMILIAS” the National Council for the Enhancement of Hispanic Families · Board Member, International Children’s Advocacy Center of Webb County, Texas · Advisory Member, Resource Panel on Texas Early Education Model Project · Advisory Member to South Texas Community College Early Childhood Education · President, National Migrant and Seasonal Head Start Association · Advisor, National Council of La Raza Early Childhood Education Taskforce · Member, Leadership Texas
Lectures/Speeches
· National Early Care and Early Childhood Education Conference · National Migrant and Seasonal Head Start Association Conference · National Council of La Raza (NCLR) Annual Conference · Midwest Association of Farm Worker Organization Conference · National Center for Prevention of Child Abuse Convention, NCPCA in Illinois · US Department of HHS, Office of Head Start, National Child Abuse Conference · US Department of HHS, Office of Head Start, National Hispanic Head Start Institute · Texas Affiliate Council NCLR Regional Conference · Texas Head Start Collaboration Dental Conference · White House Initiative on the Educational Excellence of Hispanics