Who We Are
About SM Law Group
Started with humble beginnings in a home office doing Pro Bono work for locals in East Hampton, SM Law Group opened its doors in 2014. Almost ten years later SM Law Group has changed the lives of thousands of people. Located now in the heart of East Hampton, SM Law Group has expanded its office and practice to reflect the needs of the community. Representing clients in immigration, familial, and tax affairs, as well as much more, SM Law Group continues to be the attorney chosen by locals on Long Island and beyond.
Our team
Attorney / Founder of SM Law Group
Sandra Melendez
Sandra Melendez is originally from Puerto Rico. She obtained a Bachelor’s in Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting. After graduation, she worked as a chief accountant. While attending law school, she worked as an Auditor for the Puerto Rico Workers Compensation Fund. In 2006 she graduated from the InterAmerican University, obtaining a Juris Doctor. That same year she passed the Puerto Rico bar and became licensed to practice law. With the idea of studying an LLM, she moved to New York in 2007 and worked for the IRS while completing a Master’s in Tax Law from Georgetown University. She became licensed to practice in New York and worked probono cases to gain local experience. Her first appellate case set precedent in divorce actions. In 2014 she opened SM Law Group with the hope of catering to the Hispanic community at large due to the lack of Spanish-speaking attorneys in the area.
As an immigration attorney, she has appeared in cases all over the United States, including Texas, Arizona, California, Washington, Utah, Colorado, Minnesota, Florida, Virginia, Baltimore, North Carolina, New Mexico, New Jersey, Connecticut, Chicago and the Board of Immigration Appeals.
In 2022 she was appointed the Chair of the Immigration Committee for the Suffolk Bar Association and is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association. She has been asked to provide lectures on immigration law.
As an Immigration Attorney, she provides representation for border cases, removal proceedings like asylum and cancellation of removal, family petitions, VAWA, U visas, DACA, and Special Juvenile Immigrants.
Also, she provides representation in Family Court cases all over New York and criminal cases, including DWI, other criminal offenses as well as traffic infractions. She practices in East Hampton Justice Court, Sag Harbor Justice Court, Southampton, Southampton Village Justice Court, Riverhead Town Court, and District Court.