About Andrew Lorenzen-Strait
Andrew Lorenzen-Strait leads the Marigold Law Center, specializing in immigration law in greater Washington D.C. He has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to service, integrity, and servant leadership, virtues he continues to uphold as a consultant in Davidsonville, Maryland. His legacy is one of giving, resilience, and a deeply ingrained commitment to improving the lives of others, making him an inspiration for generations to come.
Andrew’s exceptional integrity and rigor have made an indelible mark on every sector he has traversed during his impactful career, including child welfare, family law, government service, and as an expert in migration management. His career has amalgamated his unwavering academic discipline, strong leadership skills, and innate ability to act as a true unifier across stakeholder groups.
Professional Expertise
Over the last two decades, Andrew has excelled in various leadership roles in both government and nonprofits. He has meticulously managed multi-billion-dollar migration and emergency response projects; this success was only possible with his strong analytical skills and ability to drive decisive and quick action in the face of adversity.
Lorenzen’s expertise is backed by comprehensive educational qualifications – a Bachelor of Arts from the University of California at Irvine and a Juris Doctorate, with an emphasis on Child Advocacy, from Whittier Law School, not to mention his post-JD academic accomplishments from the National Defense University and the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown.
His integration of intellectual rigor, moral execution, and capacity to build strong relationships testify to his resilience, making him a well-respected liaison between governmental actors and stakeholders.
Career Milestones
Andrew Lorenzen-Strait’s impressive credentials led him to serve as an advisor on the Biden-Harris Presidential Transition Team in 2020. Holding bar privileges in Maryland and the U.S. Supreme Court, he has made significant contributions to government and nonprofit organizations, particularly homeland security, health, and human services. After working in the legal field in Los Angeles, California, he was selected as a Presidential Management Fellow, or PMF, in 2003 for the Bush-Cheney Administration. He proudly served in the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, DEA, within the U.S. Department of Justice. During his PMF tenure, he worked in DEA’s international programs division and completed a U.S. Senate fellowship under Debbie Stabenow, the senior senator from Michigan.
Strait’s remarkable work in these sectors adds a robust humanitarian perspective to his legal insight as he continues to employ his skills to improve lives in Maryland and beyond. He is a beacon of optimism through service, constantly leveraging his experiences to identify innovative solutions to overcome obstacles to complex social service and public policy issues, doing so in government, the nonprofit community, and the private sector.
Community Involvement
A fervent believer in service and community engagement, Andrew’s contributions extend beyond his profession. In Maryland, he has served as a zealous legal aid attorney in Prince George’s County and as a Maryland Court-Appointed Special Advocate for non-verbal and LGBTQ youth. These activities were done pro bono while he continued his work in the Federal government. He was named the Pro Bono Attorney of the Year award in 2007 for the state of Maryland, having completed hundreds of community legal service hours helping children, the elderly, and the indigent. Additionally, he extends his mentorship as a Sponsor for Midshipmen at the United States Naval Academy and as an Election Judge for the State of Maryland, showcasing his commitment to integrity and fairness.
Andrew also wears the hat of a history lover, serving as a historical tour guide for Arlington House at Arlington National Cemetery. This indicates a strong familial bond to history instilled by his father – the former head of a police department in Southern California.
Hobbies and Voluntary Work
When not influencing policy or shaping future leaders, Andrew Lorenzen-Strait commits his time to various hobbies and charity work – all underpinned by his love for child welfare, service, and history. His heartfelt service as a Volunteer Park Ranger at the National Park Service, Arlington Cemetery and House, Robert E. Lee Memorial, and his contribution as a Child Mentor at the Northern Virginia Aids Ministry testify to his dedication to community service. As an intern in the Office of the First Lady in 1998, his passion for history was reignited, leading him to become a Historical Tour guide – an embodiment of his love for people and history. He is also a proud board member of Courageous Hearts Adoptions in Greenville, Indiana – the agency where he adopted his three young children.
