Today we’d like to introduce you to Nkechi Gillman.
Nkechi, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I am an immigrant. My family moved to this country in 2000, and we all went through the
long and arduous immigration process. I wanted to build a law firm that not only helped
immigrants get legal status but handled the process with dignity and integrity, providing
excellent service to families in Minnesota. I started my practice in 2012, shortly after
graduating from law school in 2009. I had three kids born between 2010–2015, so my
bandwidth was pretty limited the first few years. I gained valuable experience during those
years as I volunteered a lot of my time with nonprofit organizations offering free and
fee-scaled legal services to immigrants in the Twin Cities.
In 2021, my youngest was ready for kindergarten, and that was the defining moment for me.
Paired with post-COVID business challenges and ingenuities, I decided to expand my law firm
to serve clients in all 50 states. I could not meet with my clients in person who lived five miles
away from me, so I created systems and processes that would work efficiently remotely. This
was one of the silver linings of COVID for me. With the rapid growth of our business over the
past 3+ years, we are now a team of over 35, and we are helping hundreds of immigrants a
year gain status and realize their true potential in this country.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It definitely hasn’t been smooth, and there have been many challenges along the way.
Owning a business is not about always being perfect and making the best decisions, but it is
about being willing to learn and grow from your mistakes. Also, the skills required to be an
effective lawyer are very different from those required to run an Inc. 5000 company. It is
about getting tough when challenges arise and never giving up on your dream. We’ve had
many challenges that we’ve needed to overcome. The most recent one that comes to mind is
the challenges presented by this administration. We have fully embraced it, as the immigrant
community needs our advocacy now more than ever.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
We are a Fierce Immigration Law Firm representing families looking to attain legal
permanent residency and victims of domestic violence, crimes, and trafficking. We lawyer
with a creative and culturally competent lens. We tailor our legal strategy using a
client-centered approach because there is a human element that is vital in this process and
cannot be overlooked. A lot of our cases require thinking outside of the box and really using
all the resources. We serve our clients with empathy, dignity, and professionalism. Our brand
is really summed up by the word FIERCE. To be an advocate means to be willing to fight for
your clients. We pride ourselves on being diligent, responsive, and experienced, but what
really sets us apart is the FIERCE advocacy with which we take on all our cases.
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
There definitely will be huge changes once we change administrations in 2028. However, in
this current climate, things are changing rapidly every single day. Immigration is such a
hot-button issue that we really can’t think of potential industry changes in 5–10 years; instead,
we have to focus on new executive orders and memos that are changing the immigration
process on a daily basis.
Pricing:
- We offer a five-star experience to our clients, from our first call, through onboarding with our client concierge, to the dedicated team of attorney, case manager, paralegal, and legal assistant assigned to every case. In addition, we provide transparency and responsiveness in our communication throughout the process.
- We provide high value, and as such, partnering with our law firm is an investment. Immigration is very complex and requires a team of experienced legal professionals.
- We turn down many cases because we will only accept your case if we are going to be a good fit.
- We also offer payment plans, so if you cannot come up with our total legal fees upfront, we will work with you on a customized payment plan.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://gillmanimmigration.com/contact-us/
- Instagram: gillmanimmigration_law
