Meet the Team: Yadira Aguilar

CH: Thanks for joining us today, Yadira. Could you start by telling us a little more about yourself????

YA: My name is Yadira Aguilar. I was born in Mexico, and I moved to the US when I was eleven or twelve, and I've lived in Florida ever since. I started working as an immigration attorney in 2018 and now I'm a Senior Associate attorney at Colombo and Hurd.?

CH: Why did you decide to be an attorney???

YA: When I was a little kid, my father used to visit mom and I, and he would always talk about this friend of his that had a sister who was an attorney and the way he used to describe her, she was like a superhero. So, I remember one day we′re having dinner and I was sitting next to him and he kept talking about this attorney and I just remember saying, I want to be like her. So, ever since I was a kid, I said I wanted to be an attorney. And a fun fact is that I never met the woman, I don't even know who she is.??

CH: Why did you decide to practice law in the file of immigration???

YA: I wasn't really sure when I was in school that I wanted to do immigration, but I always thought that I would be able to connect with my clients because I went through the process when I was young. I saw my parents and a lot of my family have gone through immigration processes. So, I think I can understand what a life changing experience it is. I enjoy it, and I think that's the reason why I decided to practice as an immigration attorney.??

CH: Could you please share with us about a recent EB-2 NIW approval case you have had???

YA: I have so many, so it's difficult to select only one. But I can think of one: He's a Civil Engineer from Argentina and he is the younger of two brothers. Both of them are engineers and were assigned to me. They have a very successful company that started in Buenos Aires, and it has to do with environmental impact. So, the younger one always jook that the other brother was going to get approved first, because he is very accomplished academically, he has multiple degrees and publications, he always said my brother is the one that looks good on paper. And actually, the younger brother got approved first and the older brother just got approved in the last five days. But I really connected with both, they were so funny and I think their project is going to have a great impact on the environment, so I really liked their case.?

CH: That's a really good case, and what were the challenges you faced in the development of the case??

YA: Maybe that they are busy people so it took the clients too long to provide evidence and I especially like when they have a lot to give me because it makes it easier to put a case together and to select. I like to move as fast as I can because I don't know if tomorrow something is going to change in the regulation. And in their case, I think that was one of the challenges, that they took a little too long. But thankfully we got everything and they get approved.??

CH: What strategies were used to mitigate this challenge???

YA: So we meet with them and explain why we need the evidence and that it's important to us too. And they were good about it, they understood and they provided the evidence that we needed. So it was all about talking and prioritizing certain things.?

CH: What elements were key to achieve the approval???

YA: I personally think it's the impact that they're going to have in the industry. You have to be able to pinpoint exactly what it is that the client is helping. Their proposal had to do with soil remediation, so we have to be able to take what it is that they're doing and find those government initiatives to say, hey, the environment is important and soil remediation is important, and then you put it together. So I looked for things to be able to tie those specific details to government initiatives and it worked.??

CH: How did the client react to the outcome of the case???

YA: Very happy, of course. They're very thankful. So we always expect some clients don't have a reaction at all. Sometimes I video call the clients and they sit there in shock because I don't think they realize what it means. But many of them, like these, jump up in excitement and say: “Yarida, really?” I said, yeah, really, we got approved. So it's always a good thing to see.??

CH: And why was this case important to you???

YA: All cases are important, but this one I connected with the clients from the beginning. I had the clients for a long time because they were delaying, providing some evidence, so you have a longer time to get to know them sometimes. And I think in the meetings, whenever it is that we met and they were very light hearted and funny, so when we got the approval, it makes you feel extra good.??

CH: What is your favorite part of being an immigration attorney at Colombo and Hurd???

YA: Well, there's a lot of things that I like about working here, but one of my favorites is when we get approvals. Of course, when a case is approved, I get this feeling that I just want to call the client right away, sometimes I go on a video chat because I love to see their expression.? It's a really good feeling after putting in so many hours and so much work, and it's an approval for both me and the client. So, I like to feel that, and I think that's one of the best parts of what I do at the firm.???

CH: When you are not assisting your clients, what do you do in your free time???

YA: I personally enjoy cooking and spending time with my family. I also like to do hot yoga.??

CH: Anything else that you want to share with us about you???

YA: I believe that it's important to bring in a little humor to work from time to time, even with the client. I think that in what we do, just the legal profession in any type of law, is stressful. So sometimes I like to joke and make people laugh, whether it's people here at work or whether it's a client. And I think it kind of lightens up the mood to say, hey listen, I'm also a person, I'm not just this one serious attorney. There are times to be serious, but there's also a little time to sometimes make somebody laugh. Because you don't know what people are going through at home or in their lives and what's the harm in laughing a little bit, so long as it's healthy and safe.?

Thank you for sharing your story and insights, Yadira.?