Lia Catalina Lopez

Third-Year Law Student, Florida International University College of Law
Abogada, Universidad de Cartagena 2012
Miami, Florida

Lia Catalina Lopez is an Afro-Latina attorney from Colombia. Originally from Sincelejo, Colombia, Lia attended Universidad de Cartagena—a public law school—and graduated in 2012. During her time at Universidad de Cartagena, she was a Certified Legal Mediator for low income families and individuals at the school’s legal clinic. In addition, Lia was a Research Assistant at the school’s “Conflict and Society” research group. In 2011, she presented a paper on adhesion contracts at a Private Law international Conference in Bogota, Colombia. In 2012, she defended her thesis on consumer protection in Colombia. The thesis was published by Universidad de Cartagena Press in 2016.

After being admitted to practice in 2013, she worked as a legal advisor for a public hospital in Barranquilla and then moved to the United States in 2014. In Miami, she worked for Subway® LATAM’s Legal Department for a year. Continuing her passion for the legal profession, Lia applied and was admitted to Florida International University’s JD Advanced Standing Program in 2016 where she will complete her Juris Doctor within the next year. Currently, she serves as Treasurer for the International Dispute Resolution Club and Parliamentarian for the H.T Smith Black Law Student Association. Lia is currently in the top 10% of the FIU College of Law 2018 graduating class.