Our Team and Vision Continues to Grow

In the spirit of opportunity that this new year—2024—brings to us all, the Sur Legal Collaborative team is centering intentionality both internally and externally. As a staff, we’re in the early stages of our first-ever strategic planning process, with the support of our stellar Board of Directors. Over the past several months, we have engaged in discourse and group discussions about our organizational values, visions, and strategies. Most recently, we established our staff Community Agreements, in support of our commitment to working in ways that are sustainable, equitable, justice-informed, and values-aligned.

We look forward to sharing more about our strategic planning process soon! For now, we’re thrilled to introduce three new individuals who are bringing expertise and vitality to our small but mighty organization! Please join us in welcoming Sebastian, Christina, and Hannah and learn more about each of these incredible individuals below.  

Sebastián Muñoz

Digital Content Creator

Raised in Florida by Puerto Rican parents, Sebastián is highly invested in bridging his background in digital strategy and advocacy with his passion for worker justice, immigrants’ rights, and movement work.

He has primarily worked in the nonprofit space, with work spanning from peacebuilding and human rights policy to social media management and field organizing. Sebastián obtained his B.A. from Dartmouth College, and he is excited to play a role in democratizing legal knowledge and supporting workers across the South with Sur Legal.

Sebastián has helped drive increased engagement across our social channels, including 18% growth in Instagram followers, 35.5% growth in accounts reached, and 17.6% in accounts engaged since he started in this role. He continues to help highlight the ways Sur Legal makes a difference across the Deep South through a range of digital advocacy content—from Know Your Rights infographics to trending memes. Outside of work, he enjoys biking, exploring nature, and learning languages.

Christina Iturralde Thomas

Board Member

With Kids in Need of Defense (KIND) since November 2015, Christina Iturralde Thomas, JD, was named managing director of KIND’s Atlanta office in August 2017.  As managing director, she oversees a field office and has overall responsibility for a current caseload of 464 cases, a third of which are represented by pro bono partners. Christina also serves as the senior representative of the KIND at the local level.

She began her legal career in 2006 as an associate counsel for LatinoJustice PRLDEF, where her impact litigation efforts focused on housing rights, discrimination against day laborers, and the equal protection of immigrants. In 2011, she moved to the Southern Poverty Law Center in Atlanta, where she was a staff attorney focused on advancing immigrants’ rights. In 2015, she took on the role of unaccompanied minor attorney for the Latin American Association.  

Christina earned her B.A. from the University of North Florida, an M.A. in Political Science from the University of Florida, and her J.D. from UC Law San Francisco. A daughter of immigrant parents from Ecuador, she is fluent in Spanish.

Hannah Garvin

Legal Extern 

Hannah is a third-year law student at Georgia State University College of Law, working as an Extern this spring at Sur Legal. She joined the organization because she has an interest in addressing labor trafficking and increasing her understanding of immigration issues and worker’s rights. Hannah supported Sur Legal on our first legal clinic with partners in Gainesville and worked on some of Sur Legal’s very first U visa certification requests on behalf of workers to the National Labor Relations Board. Hannah’s dedication and legal writing skills are evident in the sharp legal arguments she makes on behalf of our clients through these requests. Outside of her legal career, Hannah loves reading, traveling, and spending time with her family. She is a thoughtful team member and we are so grateful for her contributions this semester.

Learn more about Sur Legal Collaborative’s staff and Board of Directors on the Sur Legal Collaborative website here.