News & Commentary written by Rita Lomio

Rita Lomio is a Senior Counsel at the ACLU National Prison Project, with a focus on immigration detention. Prior to joining the ACLU, Rita managed class action litigation on behalf of people in Arizona and California prisons at the Prison Law Office, where, among other things, she led successful litigation for a receiver over the Arizona prison healthcare system and for improved language access for monolingual Spanish speakers. She successfully litigated and negotiated statewide policies on behalf of people with disabilities on a wide range of issues, including related to health, safety, parole suitability, and access to education and rehabilitative programs.

In addition, Rita worked to reduce solitary confinement, improve conditions for incarcerated children, and improve the safety of transgender people in prison as a Trial Attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division. She successfully represented people in removal proceedings and handled complex immigration matters as a Supervising Attorney and Clinical Teaching Fellow at the Georgetown University Law Center. She also was an associate with the Supreme Court & Appellate Practice Group at Mayer Brown LLP, where she served on the Associate Diversity Council and pro bono committee.

Rita clerked for Judge Ruggero J. Aldisert of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. She graduated magna cum laude from Harvard Law School and holds a BA and MA from Stanford University. She is admitted to practice in California.