Hillary Walsh turned adversity into opportunity, founding her own firm, New Frontier Immigration Law.
In the legal profession, diversity and inclusion have often been overlooked. However, there are some key leaders in the field that are advocating for underrepresented groups of people, one of which being Hillary Walsh. As the founder of New Frontier Immigration Law in Phoenix, Arizona, Walsh’s journey is one marked by resilience, compassion, and an unwavering commitment to social justice. In a landscape still largely dominated by men, Walsh’s firm serves as a testament to the power of inclusion and social responsibility.
Walsh’s path to advocacy was not without its challenges. She had a stint in foster care and locked up as high schooler. She was the first person in her family to go to college. She paid for most of her undergraduate studies by competing in the Miss America pageant system. A year after passing the bar, her husband’s job in the U.S. Air Force relocated her and their infant twins to South Korea, where she was unable to find a job as an attorney.
Amidst the demands of motherhood, Walsh began to master immigration law from Korea, by taking one pro bono appeal at a time for immigrants detained in Arizona. She wrote numerous scholarly articles that were published in law journals, and she argued cases before the Ninth Circuit. “I even wrote an Amicus brief for the U.S. Supreme Court.” All pro bono.
Over the next one to five years, she plans to expand her firm’s reach, influence policy on critical issues such as human trafficking and immigration, and inspire more women to take on leadership roles in their respective fields.
When the military returned Walsh’s husband to Arizona, she knew the ins and outs of immigration law, but she still couldn’t get a job because she wasn’t bilingual. However, Walsh turned adversity into opportunity, founding her own firm, New Frontier Immigration Law. Acknowledging that undocumented immigrants are among the most underrepresented in court, Walsh made it her mission to provide them with a voice and excellent legal representation.
Walsh’s work with the immigrant community has expanded to providing representation for human trafficking victims who need their green cards. One of her most recent victories happened just months ago. “I met a woman who had been trafficked around 25 years ago–when I was 15 years old,” says Walsh. “We were able to get her a T visa, so she was able to travel back to Guatemala and see her dad for the first time in all these years. She was able to meet a sibling she had never met before; her dad was able to see her drive a car for the first time. Family reunification is truly profound; these cases are a delight for me to work on. Sadly, these types of trafficking cases happen nearly every day–and I want to help everyone.”
Another important group for Walsh and her firm are domestic violence survivors. Walsh’s personal experiences of child abuse fueled her determination to advocate for these survivors, ensuring that their voices are heard and their rights protected. She has a deep understanding and connection with those who have suffered domestic abuse, making her even more passionate about helping this group.
In a profession where female leadership remains scarce, Walsh’s journey serves as a testament to the transformative power of resilience, compassion, and unwavering determination.
Her firm’s commitment to social responsibility extends beyond legal representation, offering healing classes for both clients and employees, rooted in Walsh’s belief in the power of meditation and breathwork. “We are fortunate that we are very methodical in what we do, because the people we work with are going through some very tough stuff,” she says. “We began offering healing classes for clients, and our employees can attend, too. We have to heal alongside each other, because we come to the table with our own trauma, too. As attorneys, we have to ask ourselves, ‘What are we here to do?’ We are here to win this case, and we can’t do that if our mindset is wrapped up in what the client has been through, so having the right mindset is key.”
With an eye toward the future, Hillary Walsh remains steadfast in her mission to amplify the voices of the marginalized. Over the next one to five years, she plans to expand her firm’s reach, influence policy on critical issues such as human trafficking and immigration, and inspire more women to take on leadership roles in their respective fields. As she prepares to speak at the Conference on Crimes Against Women in Dallas in May, Walsh aims to shed light on the pervasive issue of human trafficking and ignite conversations that lead to meaningful change.
In a profession where female leadership remains scarce, Walsh’s journey serves as a testament to the transformative power of resilience, compassion, and unwavering determination. Through her advocacy and leadership, she continues to pave the way for a more inclusive and equitable legal landscape, where the voices of the underrepresented are not just heard but amplified.
Members of the editorial and news staff of Law&Crime were not involved in the creation of this content.
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