Cara started working at IJ in June 2022 as a Litigation Project Coordinator focusing on Freedom of Information Act requests before becoming a Paralegal. She now assists in litigation efforts by preparing and filing legal documents in courts across the country.
Prior to joining the team, Cara worked in the nonprofit legal sector supporting international rule of law efforts and assisting attorneys on federal policymaking and regulatory projects. Cara is a native of Northern Virginia and graduated from Virginia Tech with a degree in Human Nutrition, Food and Exercise.
Cara's Cases
Other Property Rights Abuses | Private Property
Georgia Home Demolition
Eric Arnold stood in front of his property in Macon-Bibb County, Georgia, shaking in shock and disbelief. The house he had been painstakingly fixing up for months—the house he poured hours of work and thousands…
Immunity and Accountability | Other Property Rights Abuses | Private Property | SWAT Destruction
A Police Raid Wrecked Her Home; Now a South Bend Mom Fights for Compensation
In South Bend, a SWAT team raided the wrong home, leaving a single mom with thousands of dollars in damage not covered by insurance. She is suing for compensation.
4th Amendment Project | Private Property
New Jersey Parents File Federal Class Action Lawsuit Challenging State’s Secret Retention of Newborn Blood for 23 Years
Like all new mothers, New Jersey residents Hannah Lovaglio and Erica Jedynak each experienced the usual emotional whirlwind during their pregnancies. They had attended prenatal classes, meticulously planned their nurseries, and devoured books on parenting.
Immunity and Accountability | Private Property | SWAT Destruction
Innocent Small Business Owner Seeks Compensation After Shop Destroyed by SWAT Team
For thirty years, Carlos Pena ran a print shop in North Hollywood. His world was turned upside down, however, in August 2022, when a fugitive forced his way into Carlos’s shop and barricaded himself inside…
Eminent Domain | Private Property
Group of Property Owners Team Up to Fight Back Against Private Railroad’s Attempt to Take Their Property
A group of property owners in Sparta, Georgia has teamed up to fight back against a private railroad's attempt to take their land.
Private Property | Private Solutions to Public Problems | Zoning Justice Project
Winston-Salem Tries to Control Who Can Visit Private Property
Kimberly Dunckel and her family founded Fairytale Farm Animal Sanctuary to give neglected and special-needs farm animals a “happily ever after.” Their 3.3-acre property provides a place where the public could learn from and…