Annette Isaacson grew up in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where her parents took her schooling very seriously. They worked hard to provide her with a private school education, which ended up being a stepping-stone to Tufts University. She eventually made her way to Columbia Law School, where she received the legal degree that enabled her to do life-changing pro-bono work—first at Latham & Watkins in Chicago, and now at JPMorgan Chase.
Latham & Watkins placed a great deal of importance on volunteering, and Isaacson was more than happy to contribute her talents to the National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC), a 30-year-old organization that provides direct legal services to and advocates for immigrants, refugees, and asylum-seekers. She kept in touch with the organization as she transitioned into a new role as assistant general council for JPMorgan Chase, but it wasn’t until President Obama announced Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) during the summer of 2012 that she decided to return to the pro-bono work she loved so much as an associate.
Isaacson reached out to NIJC in 2012 to offer help. Though her work at JPMorgan Chase is unrelated to immigration matters, her skills as an attorney and her deep-seated desire to help Chicago’s undocumented immigrant community inspired her to reconnect with the organization.