Lilia Alvarez, Attorney

Lilia Alvarez values the opportunity to make a meaningful difference in people’s lives: she is deeply committed to client-centered advocacy and to advancing justice in our society. Lilia recently served as a civil rights attorney in the Civil Division at the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona. In that role, she represented the United States in various civil rights enforcement litigation actions, including those related to housing rights, disability rights, voting rights, and the rights of servicemembers. Lilia also worked closely with Main Justice on pattern and practice investigations and collaborated with community stakeholders throughout Arizona to promote civil rights. While at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Lilia attended programs at the National Advocacy Center (NAC) that focused on excellence in trial advocacy. 

Before joining the Department of Justice, Lilia worked in the federal court system. She served as a law clerk to Chief Judge Mary H. Murguía of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, and Chief Judge Kimberly J. Mueller of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California. Lilia was a Supreme Court Fellow in 2018-2019 and assigned to serve at the Supreme Court of the United States.  

Earlier in her career, Lilia was the Presiding Judge of the Guadalupe Municipal Court in the Town of Guadalupe, Arizona. She was also the Legal Director of the Central American Resource Center in Washington, D.C., where she helped families, in English and Spanish, to navigate complex U.S. immigration laws to protect their rights.

Outside of work, Lilia mentors Teen Court members, travels with her family, and practices yoga.