Nicole T.S. Cortés

PRACTICE AREA: Immigration

LAW SCHOOL: Washington University

WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT? I founded the MICA Project with my law school classmate Jessica Mayo to work with immigrants and their communities to overcome barriers to justice. It truly is my dream job.

WHO IS YOUR LEGAL HERO? Before law school, I was fortunate to find a position working with a group of amazing women legal professionals (lawyers and assistants) who assisted immigrant victims and survivors of domestic violence with their immigration law needs. … That work and those women were a great source of inspiration for me as I began my graduate work.

WHAT WAS YOUR LEAST-FAVORITE CLASS IN LAW SCHOOL? I think it was first year contracts for the subject material, but I loved the professor!

IF YOU HADN’T BECOME A LAWYER, WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE DONE? I would likely be working at an NGO on issues of human rights or with the Latino community.

WHAT’S ONE THING MOST PEOPLE DON’T KNOW ABOUT YOU? My maiden name, Solawetz, is quite unique. I believe it was my great-great-grandfather who changed it when he arrived to the U.S., and so I am pretty closely related to anyone with that name.