About Heather
Heather Sivaraman took a circuitous route to law. She earned a B.A. from the University of Florida in 1996, then returned to school at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for graduate study in social work. She completed an M.S. in Social Work before staying at Chapel Hill to earn her J.D. in 2005.
Her early training in social work informs how she approaches clients. That background gave her a grounding in client assessment, trauma-informed interviewing and an appreciation for how legal outcomes ripple through families. After law school she moved into legal practice in North Carolina and has worked on matters that intersect with immigration and family needs.
Sivaraman became a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association in 2008 and has maintained that affiliation. The association has been a venue for continuing legal education and professional exchange in immigration law, and her long membership signals a steady engagement with the community of practitioners who handle asylum, naturalization, family-based petitions and related proceedings.
Colleagues describe her as pragmatic in the courtroom and detail-oriented in preparation. She pays attention to procedural deadlines and evidentiary detail. Her social work training shapes how she evaluates credibility and prepares clients for hearings. She is comfortable drafting petitions and affidavits and explaining complex forms in plain language.
Throughout her career she has worked within North Carolina’s immigration landscape. That has included representing noncitizens before administrative agencies and in some court settings, coordinating with interpreters, and helping clients understand relief options. She also mentors junior staff on client interviewing and case management.
Outside the office she stays connected to developments in immigration law through association programs and continuing education. She tracks shifts in policy and precedent that affect client eligibility for relief, and she adapts her practice as those changes occur. Her professional path reflects two threads: direct client care learned in social work and legal advocacy developed through years of practice.
She currently practices immigration law in North Carolina.
