Staff – Derden Law

Our Attorneys

Nicole Derden is a partner attorney at Derden Law. She opened the practice in January 2009 focusing specifically on Idaho’s immigrants. Nicole graduated from Molalla High School in Molalla, Oregon, in 1997 and found an interest the Spanish language and Mexican culture at a young age. In 2001 she graduated from Carroll College with majors in Spanish and History and a minor in [Catholic] Theology. In 2004 she graduated from the University of Idaho College of Law where she began her immigration work at the Immigration Legal Aid Clinic. She has lived and studied in Xalapa, Veracruz, and Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico. She was admitted to the Idaho State Bar in April 2005. In her free time, she enjoys walking/running, yoga, historical dramas, traveling and spending time her husband and their four boys.

James Michael Derden is a partner attorney at Derden Law located in Meridian, Idaho. He earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Communications from Boise State University in 2010 and a Juris Doctorate from the University Of Idaho College Of Law in 2015. While in law school Michael worked in the University of Idaho College Of Law’s Free Immigration Legal Aid Clinic and in 2016 he became a member of the Minnesota State Bar. He is also a member of the American Immigration Lawyer Association, a member of the Idaho Chapter of the American Immigration Lawyer Association and practices immigration law exclusively. In his free time, Michael enjoys hunting, fishing, and spending time with his wife, his son and his family.

The Team

Our Amazing Staff

Ana
Ana has been working for Derden Law since February 2013. She was born in Aguascalientes Mexico, and moved to the United States when she was 9 years old. She grew up in Picabo, Idaho, and graduated from Carey High School in 2005. That same year she moved to Boise, Idaho, to attend Boise State University where she obtained a degree in Spanish. Ana enjoys working with people, especially being able to use her Spanish with clients. In her free time outside of the office, she likes to spend time with her family, reading but most of all she loves to travel and experience and discover new cultures.

Janely
Janely started working at Derden Law in April of 2015. She was born in Boise, Idaho and grew up in the small town of Glenns Ferry, also in Idaho. She graduated with honors and an Associate of Arts from the College of Southern Idaho in 2012 and from Boise State University in 2014 with a Bachelor of Science, both degrees in Criminal Justice. In the near future, Janely plans to attend law school. Janely is fluent in both Spanish and English and in her free time she enjoys spending time with her friends and family, reading, photography, and dancing.

Amy
Amy has been with Derden Law since May of 2019. She graduated from Boise State University with a BBA in International Business and a BA in Spanish Language in 2021. She first began studying Spanish in high school and has found a passion for language and culture throughout her professional and educational experiences. During her undergraduate studies, she studied Spanish Language in San Sebastian, Spain for three months and hopes to return for a visit soon. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, spending time with friends and family, and taking care of her houseplants.

Elena
Elena has been working with Derden Law since January 2020. She is a Boise State University graduate with a degree of Bachelor of Science in Political Science, American Government and Public Policy Emphasis. She was born in Colombia but grew up in Salt Lake City, Utah and is currently living in Idaho with her husband and their two dogs. In her free time, she likes going to concerts, baking, traveling, and spending time with her family.

Linda
Linda joined Derden Law in August 2019. She was born and raised in Rupert, ID with her parents and three younger siblings. As a proud Latinx feminist, she graduated from the University of Idaho in 2018 with two bachelor degrees’, political science and Spanish. Linda is fluent in both Spanish and English and she loves visiting her family in the state of Michoacán every once in a while. You can always find her traveling and going on adventures with her family or simply find her listening to political podcasts.

Anelei
Anelei joined Derden Law in October 2020. She was born and raised in Portland, Oregon with her parents and two younger siblings. She is currently studying Criminology and Criminal Justice at Portland State University. In her free time, you can find her traveling the west coast and exploring new places.

Itzel
Itzel has been working for Derden Law since June 2021. She was born in Idaho Falls, Idaho but spent her childhood years in Mexico City, returning to Idaho Falls as a teenager. Itzel plans on continuing her education and studying paralegal studies with hopes to one day be a paralegal for an immigration law firm. Itzel is fluent in both English and Spanish and loves going back to Mexico City to visit her family any chance she gets. In her free time, she loves spending time with her two children and fiancé, going to the park, and dancing.

Rosa
Rosa has been working for Derden Law since May 2021. She was born in Anaheim, California but moved to Idaho as a young child, and then again to Utah for her Undergraduate studies. Rosa graduated from the University of Utah with her Bachelors of Arts in Political Science with an emphasis in Law and Politics. She is a native speaker in Spanish and intermediate in Arabic. Rosa is expected to graduate with her JD in 2023 from the University of Idaho College of Law. Immigration law, civil rights, disability law, and business law are her main interest. She currently serves as the Women’s Law Caucus 2L Representative and the Latino Law Caucus 2L Representative. She has a passion for helping others and making this world a better place, and believes that knowledge is empowerment. She is very proud of her immigrant mother and father and her Mexican American roots. She enjoys traveling, learning, law, hiking, playing with her two-year-old son, and chatting with her family and friends.