Our Experienced Immigration Lawyers in North Carolina and California
Our experienced, award-winning team of personal injury and immigration attorneys in North Carolina and California has helped nearly 50,000 immigrants solve immigration problems from California to North Carolina. No matter where you are or what immigration challenge you’re facing, we are committed to our goal–to help immigrants like you.
Immigration Attorneys
Richard “Bert” Diener
If, as some people seem to think, our profession is a constant battle, Bert comes to the fray particularly well-prepared. Serving four years in the United States Marine Corps, Bert’s travels included postings in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; Okinawa, Japan; and Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. While earning his law degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, he was selected to be a member of the UNC National Trial Team. Both he and fellow attorney Russell Johnson were trial team partners in law school and over a decade later, have joined to fight for the under-served. Bert has proven himself willing to go above and beyond the call of duty in his efforts to help others. And when discussing his work, he often quotes the Texas attorney Joe Jamail, “if you are not emotionally involved, your client is not getting your best effort.”
We’re Dedicated to Helping Immigrants Solve their Legal Problems
Elaine Hartman
Originally from Ohio, Elaine has lived in NC for more than a decade. While attending the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill she was inspired by an acquaintance’s immigration story and decided to attend Carolina Law. She worked as a Comments Editor on the North Carolina Law Review and participated in the Immigration Clinic. When not working as an immigration attorney at Diener Law, she enjoys spending time with friends and family and shopping at thrift stores.
Russell Johnson
Immigrants Deserve to be Compensated for Work and Accident Injuries
WHY SHOULD YOU HIRE A BOARD CERTIFIED SPECIALIST?
Board certification signifies that a lawyer has made a conscious effort to enhance the proficiency and quality of his legal services. To earn this certification from the North Carolina State Bar Board of Legal Specialization, the lawyer must meet stringent criteria, such as:
- Completing ongoing education requirements
- Devoting at least 25% of their practice to the specialized field
- Receiving validation from their peers that they are qualified for board certification
- Passing a comprehensive 6-hour exam in the specialty
To maintain their certification, the specialist must be recertified every five years and demonstrate they have satisfied the criteria for continuing education, substantial involvement, and peer review.
In contrast to self-promoting advertising, board certification provides a credible credential based on objective standards.
Italia Lima
Italia Lima has spent her entire legal career handling matters exclusively in the area of U.S. Immigration and Nationality Law. Italia attended the University of California, Davis as a pre-law major, graduating Dean’s List in 2008 with a Bachelor of Arts degree. She received her Juris Doctor degree from University of Illinois, Chicago in 2015. While in law school, she served as a judicial extern to Honorable Judge Elizabeth Loredo (Ret.). Ms. Lima also helped inaugurate her law school’s first ever immigration clinic and served as President of the Latino Law Student Association.
Ms. Lima’s experience includes representing clients with family-based, asylee/refugee status,naturalization, and consular immigration matters. She has litigated in both detained and non-detained docket in immigration court. She has also tackled more complex immigration cases including motions to re-open and reconsider, appeals with the BIA, and petitions for appellate review in the Ninth Circuit District Court.
Notably, she has been selected as Super Lawyer’s Rising Star for four consecutive years 2022-2025, an honor bestowed to the top 2.5% of immigration lawyers in Southern California. She is the proud daughter of Mexican immigrants and is the first in her family to attend college and law school in the United States.
Kathleen Moscato
Kathleen “Kat” Moscato was born and raised in Maryland. She attended Boston University for her undergraduate studies from 2007-2011, majoring in International Relations with a minor in Political Science. She went on to attend Elon University School of Law from 2011-2014. While at Elon Law, she fell in love with immigration law and spent her time externing at Church World Services, Catholic Charities, and the Charlotte Immigration Court. After graduation from law school in 2014, she began her legal career at an immigration law firm in Charlotte, NC practicing removal defense and U visa petitions. After the birth of her daughter in 2016, she switched career paths for the next seven years and worked as a Social Security Disability attorney representing clients before the Social Security Office of Hearing Operations. With her children all in school, she decided it was time to return to her true love and passion-immigration law. She joined Diener Law in 2023. In her free time, she loves spending her time as a “Dance Mom” to her three children- Millie, William, and Sloan. She also enjoys running on the treadmill at the gym and practicing yoga.
Desiree De Jesus-Roman
Desiree holds a bachelor’s in communications from the University of Puerto Rico and a Juris Doctor from the University of Puerto Rico School of Law. She began her legal career in 2014 working as a Hearing Officer for a government agency in Puerto Rico. She also managed a boutique law firm in Puerto Rico.
After hurricane Maria’s devastation in Puerto Rico in September 2017, Desiree felt obliged to close her legal practice and relocated to the greater Washington, D.C. area where she started practicing immigration law. Her struggles after hurricane Maria and the need to reinvent herself were motivations for her to develop a passion for helping others to achieve their American dream.
Desiree has worked as an Immigration Attorney for the private and non-profit sectors. She has successfully represented many individuals for defensive and affirmative asylum, and applicants for adjustment of status and naturalization. Desiree is native in Spanish and is barred in Puerto Rico.
Gabriela Jacob
Gabriela “Gabi” Jacob started her professional career back in her home country, Brazil, where she worked as a corporate lawyer. In 2015 Gabi moved to the U.S to study English. She decided she wanted to continue her legal career in the U.S. and obtained her LL.M degree in U.S. Law with honors magna cum laude in 2019. Gabi has been admitted to the Washington Bar in 2020. Prior to joining Diener Law, Gabi was an attorney at a non-profit organization where she successfully represented several individuals and their families for defensive asylum. Gabi is native in Portuguese and is barred in Brazil. She lives with her husband Brian, their son Yago, their dog Murph, and two cats, Capi and Mocha. In her free time, she enjoys reading horror and suspense novels, hiking, cross-country skiing, and spending time with her family.