I had the chance to talk with Erin Liechty recently. She's the founder of Liechty Law, a family-based immigration practice she started in October 2024. Before going out on her own, she spent about five years doing immigration work at a smaller firm she loved. She left to be with her daughter more — and to build something of her own.
I asked her what led her to immigration law.
It started before law school. Erin studied abroad in Jordan for a year in college, and there she met a young woman who was pregnant and waiting on paperwork while her husband was in Kuwait.
"I just remember visiting her so many times and she's getting closer and closer to having her baby. She wasn't able to be with her husband when she had her baby."
That experience stayed with her.
"It impressed in me the importance of visas. As mundane as that sounds — a visa — seeing how deeply that impacted her life, being able to be close to the people you love. I think having my own family relationships that I value, and then wanting people to be close with their family — that's what drove me."
Today her practice focuses on family-based immigration — marriage-based green cards, sponsoring family members, fiance visas, citizenship. She's currently working abroad with her family and serving clients at the same time. She built her firm to allow for that kind of flexibility, and she's living it.
I asked Erin how she sees her role as a leader for her clients.
"I think being able to give them the skills to know what's important and what is not important to winning their case or achieving their goals is really critical. I help lead them in decision making — and I'm helping them know how to present themselves and their own information."
She talked about what it's like to be in the early stages of building.
"I've always liked working with people. That's one thing I don't like about having a solo practice — the solo part of it." She'd love to bring on another attorney in the next couple of years. For now, she's building it step by step.
Her advice for founders:
"All the baby steps really add up quickly. There are a lot of little things — like, I have 15 minutes, I'm going to file this paper, or I have a couple hours this evening, I'm going to write something for the website — and all of that really adds up and it goes somewhere. Don't despise the days of small beginnings."
Are you or someone you love navigating family-based immigration to the United States? Connect with Erin Liechty and check out Liechty Law.