Vélez Acevedo is an attorney with over a decade of experience specializing in government affairs, legislative proposals, and public policy advocacy. Since joining Marichal Hernández LLC as an Associate in 2021, Vélez Acevedo has focused on general civil and administrative litigation, including cases related to breach of contract, negligence, commercial liability, construction liability, and real property disputes. She also provides legal counsel to privately held businesses on corporate and contract law matters.
Vélez Acevedo began her legal career in 2008 as a legal advisor for the Appellate Division at the Legal Aid Society of Puerto Rico, Inc. She was soon promoted to advisor on legislative and continued legal education affairs and later appointed as the Director of the Legislative and Continued Legal Education Division. In October 2015, she joined the Office of the Secretariat of the Judicial and Notarial Conference of the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico as a legal advisor and was appointed Director by the Chief Justice. In this role, she advised on policy enactments, oversaw revisions to the Rules of Criminal Procedure, and contributed to the development of the Judicial Power of Puerto Rico Strategic Plan 2020-2025. Additionally, Vélez Acevedo served as an analyst at the Office of Management and Budget while pursuing her Juris Doctor degree, handling assignments in management, budget, legislation, and operational audit.
- Complex Litigation and Dispute Resolution
- J.D., Magna Cum Laude, University of Puerto Rico, School of Law, 2007
- B.A., Accounting, Summa Cum Laude, University of Puerto Rico, Humacao Campus, 2002
- Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
- Notary Public
While working on public policy advocacy at the Legal Aid Society of Puerto Rico, Vélez Acevedo spearheaded significant legislative efforts related to constitutional rights, the criminal and juvenile justice systems, and social justice. She received several international fellowships and founded the Criminal Public Policy Pro Bono initiative at the University of Puerto Rico School of Law, where she also served as a mentor.
During her tenure as Director of the Legislative and Continued Legal Education Division at the Legal Aid Society of Puerto Rico and as Director of the Secretariat, Vélez Acevedo conducted numerous seminars on criminal and juvenile law, professional conduct, court-appointed counsel regulations, and jury instructions. She managed the continued legal education program for all public defenders and advisors at the Legal Aid Society, overseeing the curricular design and approval of specialized seminars in criminal law. As a spokesperson for both the Legal Aid Society and the Judicial Branch, Vélez Acevedo has been widely featured in the media, including television, radio, and print interviews.
