Called to the Bar in 2021. For awards and post-graduate qualifications see below.
Susana joined No5 Chambers for pupillage in October 2022 and has a particular interest in immigration and public law with a focus on asylum, international human rights, EU free movement and trafficking claims. Susana will be accepting instructions in matters from April 2023 onwards and prior to that has been supervised in her fields of interest by two senior specialist practitioners in chambers.
Susana is currently under the supervision of Mark Bradshaw, who has a multi-disciplinary practice covering immigration and international human rights and has been appointed as a fee paid judge of the First-tier Tribunal Immigration and Asylum Chamber.
Susana has also had supervision by Philip Rule in relation to public law matters, including judicial review challenges pursuant to s95 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, age disputes for unaccompanied asylum-seeking children, and judicial review matters in the criminal justice.
Susana joined No5 Barristers’ Chambers from Gherson Solicitors LLP, where she was a senior paralegal in the Extradition, Mutual Legal Assistance and Interpol Team working on matters including complex immigration, asylum, human rights, deprivation of leave and travel bans, financial sanctions, and unexplained wealth orders.
Prior to this, Susana worked at the Serious Fraud Office (SFO), where she assisted on bribery, corruption, corporate crime, money laundering and proceeds of crime matters across multiple jurisdictions involving regulatory bodies and overseas enforcement agencies. Alongside her role at the SFO, Susana worked as an advocate on civil disputes in the County Court.
Susana was a Nicolas Bratza Scholar and trainee at the European Court of Human Rights (France), where she drafted speeches for President Robert Spano under the supervision of the Adviser to the President and the Registrar. She also produced press releases on the forthcoming judgments of the Court, supported the work of the Research Division and attended high level international conferences on a wide range of topics, including the digitalisation of justice and environmental protection.
Susana has volunteered for human rights organisations, including Street Law, Political Asylum Immigration Representation Project (USA) and Human Rights Pulse. She is an ally, a co-founder and the former vice chair of Neurodiversity in Law, which promotes and supports neurodiversity within the legal professions.
Awards
Nicolas Bratza Scholarship, The Honourable Society of Lincoln’s Inn (2020)
Runner-up, ‘Human Writes’ Competition on genocide, René Cassin (2020)
Dean’s Merit Scholarship, Boston College Law School (2018)
Law Fellowship, The Clough Center for the Study of Constitutional Democracy (2018)
Academic Excellence Scholarship, Madrid Government (2014 and 2017)
Named in the President List, highest distinction that the university confers for academic excellence in a single semester, GPA above 3.75/4, Bentley University (Fall 2013 and Spring 2014)
Memberships
The Honourable Society of Lincoln’s Inn
Constitutional and Administrative Law Bar Association (ALBA)
Human Rights Lawyer Association (HRLA)
Immigration Law Practitioners’ Association (ILPA)
JUSTICE
Young Legal Aid Lawyers (YLAL)
Neurodiversity in Law Advisory Board
Chartered Institute of Linguists (CIOL no. 68195)
Qualifications
Double Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and Translation and Interpreting, Universidad Pontificia Comillas (Spain) – First Class Honours
Comparative political systems, political theory, foreign policy and regional studies (exchange programme) at Bentley University (USA)
European studies and French language and culture (Summer exchange programme) at Université Catholique de Lille (France)
International terrorism, emerging issues in public policy and political economy of development (UCLA Summer Sessions) at University of California in Los Angeles (USA)
Graduate Diploma in Law, University of Westminster (UK) – Distinction
Bar Practice Training Course, BPP University (UK)
Graduate Certificate in Human Rights and International Justice, Boston College Centre for Human Rights and International Justice (USA)
Master of Laws with a focus on Human Rights, Boston College Law School (USA)
Other Information
Languages
Spanish – Native proficiency
Galician – Native proficiency
French – Professional working proficiency
Italian – Limited working proficiency
Russian – Elementary proficiency
‘Decriminalisation and Regulation of Euthanasia in Spain’ (12 May 2021), written in Spanish, published by Human Rights Pulse
‘Atmospheric pollution relevant to asylum claim, holds French Court’ (2 February 2021) co-authored with Ruby Peacock published by UK Human Rights Blog
‘Seeking asylum in the time of COVID-19’ (9th April 2020) published by BBP Human Rights Unit
‘The socialisation process within the European External Action Service’ (April 2017), dissertation of the Bachelor of Arts in International Relations, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Universidad Pontificia Comillas (Spain)
‘Interpreting refugees: the right to access interpreting services’ (April 2017), written in Spanish, dissertation of the Bachelor of Arts in Translation and Interpreting, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Universidad Pontificia Comillas (Spain)
