50 Most Influential Latinos

Brenda Lopez Romero

Ms. // State Representative HD99

The Lopez Firm LLC

Brenda made history in 2016 when she became the first Latina elected to the Georgia General Assembly, representing House District 99 in Gwinnett County. She sits on the education, retirement, and state planning & community affairs committees. She served as Vice Chair of DPG Latinx Caucus and on the House Democratic Caucus Policy Committee. Brenda exemplifies strong leadership as a rising star in Georgia politics.

Brenda reflects the American Dream. She came to the United States at the age of five and became a citizen in 2008. She graduated from Cross Keys High School, where she was told by a counselor that she could be a secretary or receptionist. She went on to receive a bachelor’s degree in political science and sociology from Georgia State University and graduated law school from Syracuse University. She has focused on international law, national security, and comparative politics in her academic career participating in Model United Nations to earning a certificate in National Security and Counterterrorism Law.

As the principal attorney at The Lopez Firm, Brenda handles removal and family-based immigration cases. While in law school, Brenda worked as a clerk for the Georgia Legal Services Program, the American Civil Liberties Union, and interned for a trail judge in Morelos, Mexico. After law school, she worked as staff attorney for Catholic Charities before opening her solo practice.

Brenda has over 15 years of law and policy experience related to immigration and nationality law and its intersectionality with constitutional rights, human rights, civil rights, voting rights, and racial and economic justice.

Brenda was humbled to receive Georgia Association of Educators’ 2017 Friend of Education Award.

Brenda has also served and/or volunteered with multiple organizations such as American Immigration Lawyers Association, Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Georgia Democratic House Black Caucus, and Asian Americans Advancing Justice. She is honored to be a Political Partner of the Truman National Security Project, on the advisory committee of the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition, advisory committee member of ProGeorgia Women of Color Thought Leaders Initiative, alumnus of Leadership Georgia, and selected for Leadership Atlanta Class of 2020. Brenda is most proud of her volunteer work as a former GED social studies instructor with the Marist School adult education program