Cássia Couto (she/her) joined MIRA as a Staff Attorney in April 2024, bringing with her nearly two decades of experience in global mobility, expatriate tax management, and immigration affairs. The mission of the MIRA Coalition perfectly aligns with her values and purpose, and she is deeply inspired by the opportunity to contribute to MIRA’s exceptional team and advocate for immigrants and refugees in Massachusetts.

Previously, Cássia served as the Global Mobility & Immigration Partner at Exact Sciences, a leading cancer screening biotech company based in Madison, WI. Prior to that, she held the position of Senior Manager and Manager of Global Mobility & Immigration at DoorDash Inc. as well as at Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, a leading RNAi therapeutics biotech, where she led efforts to obtain employment-based work visas for foreign workers worldwide.

Throughout her career, Cássia has been deeply committed to volunteer work. She assisted Boston College’s Post-Deportation Human Rights Project, providing support in intake, advocacy, and legal research for asylum seekers. Additionally, she volunteered with the Medical Legal Partnership (MLP) at Hasbro Hospital in Rhode Island, aiding undocumented immigrant families facing housing disputes due to lead poisoning and landlord retaliation.

Her dedication to social and environmental justice extends to indigenous communities. Cássia volunteered with the Navajo Nation Department of Justice and the Office of the Attorney General in Window Rock, AZ, contributing to legal memoranda addressing disputes over uranium mining on Navajo Nation lands, which had contaminated water sources and wells.

Outside of work, Cássia is a devoted mother to a 13-year-old daughter. They enjoy playing board games, baking, and exploring their artistic talents together. Cássia finds solace in studying languages, music, and nature, pursuing her passion for hiking, learning to play the banjo, and mastering French. She aspires to conquer the Northeast 111, a peak-bagging list of 4,000-foot mountains in the northeastern United States.

Raised in an underserved community in the north zone of Rio de Janeiro, Cássia remains connected to her roots, where her family still resides. She holds a JD from Universidade Candido Mendes and a Master of Laws (LLM) from Boston College Law School.