Prior to joining CLSEPA in February 2025, Raphael was a staff attorney at The Resurrection Project – Chicago, IL with a focus on assisting immigrants who had recently arrived in the U.S. Before working with Immigration Law, Raphael was a commercial attorney in Brazil, his home country. Raphael holds an LL.M. – Master of Laws degree from Loyola University Chicago. In Brazil, he received his LL.B – Bachelor of Laws degree from Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais. He interned with the federal court system in Brazil to assist low-income citizens on filing lawsuits in order to obtain or enhance access to social benefits.

Raphael speaks Portuguese, English, Spanish and French.