Attorney Cynthia Santiago, is the daughter of immigrant parents from Oaxaca, Mexico and Guatemala. From an early age her family experienced injustice with the criminal justice system. From that point the seed was formed that developed her passion to defend the rights of her community.

Throughout her life, Cynthia has been driven to succeed. She was awarded a full scholarship to Wesleyan University in Connecticut, where she graduated with honors. She continued her studies and received her Juris Doctorate from Southwestern Law School. During that time she worked for a legal firm, where she assisted with the Program for Legal Assistance in the Exterior (PALE) of the Mexican Consulate offices. Cynthia Santiago is licensed to practice law in California. In 2012, she formed her solo law firm focusing on immigration and criminal defense.

In addition to running her own firm, Cynthia has assisted in various pro bono efforts with the Immigrant Youth Coalition, Justice for Immigrants Coalition and Dream Day. She also provides free legal workshops at schools, community centers, and churches, informing community members about Deferred Action Programs such as DACA and DAPA. Since 2010, she has been a volunteer mentor for high school students with College Bound Today program.

She is fluent in Spanish.