Carmen Abarca-Wilson attended the University Vicente Rocafuerte in Guayaquil, Ecuador, from 1980 to 1986. She graduated with honors receiving a Bachelor of Political Sciences and Law Degree. Carmen had the distinction of receiving a Fulbright Scholarship in 1987 to study the United States’ legal system at Georgetown University, Washington, D.C. Her Fulbright Scholarship inspired her to pursue to do a Master of Laws (LLM) at the University of Illinois, at Champaign-Urbana, which she completed in 1988. During this time, Carmen also worked as a corporate attorney, legal assistant, and law clerk, at the Ecuadorian Government Corporate Commission. Carmen is a native Spanish speaker.

In 1989 she moved to New York City, where she worked as a paralegal and translator. In 1994 she was admitted the New York Bar, and founded the Carmen Abarca Law Offices. As a solo practitioner for four years, Carmen specialized in Immigration, Family, and Bankruptcy Law. Drawing from her own experiences as a Hispanic immigrant, Carmen established herself as a dedicated servant of the New York Hispanic community.

In 1999 Carmen was admitted to the State Bar of Arizona. She has worked in Immigration Law since that time, and has also enjoyed working with the Arizona Attorney General’s Office, Child and Family Protection Division, Dependency Unit. Most recently, for five years, Carmen was a staff attorney the Friendly House, Inc., a non-profit agency providing immigration services the low income population in need of assistance. Throughout her career, Carmen has shown her erstwhile commitment to assisting those in need, with a particular focus on the Hispanic community.

Carmen joined Stender & Pope in 2006. Having an extensive background in Immigration Law, she specializes in client consultations to determine what types of relief are available to an individual, family immigration matters, and labor certifications.