We had the good fortune of connecting with Julia Guzman and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Julia, is there something you can share with us that those outside of the industry might not be aware of?
Almost every person who wishes to come to the U.S. desperately wants to be here lawfully and to be able to contribute to the community, work hard, and take care of their family. Immigration attorneys are here to help them accomplish these goals. But unfortunately, our current system only works for SOME of these people. Millions of people who want to live in the U.S. have no options available to them to do so lawfully.
Employers have to spend thousands and thousands of dollars to bring foreign nationals in to work for them, and in most cases, they have to prove that they were not able to find qualified American workers to do the work. And family members can only petition for close family members, and in many cases the “line” for those relatives to get an immigrant visa is over 20 YEARS long.
If someone has been arrested or charged with a crime, or if they entered without being inspected at a border, their situation becomes extremely complicated, often making it impossible for them to get a green card or citizenship. Many of these folks get put in for-profit detention facilities (prisons). The U.S. doesn’t pay for people in detention to have counsel, and many of the rights available to U.S. citizens in jails are not available to detainees.
For immigration attorneys and non-U.S. citizens, all of this is endlessly frustrating and heartbreaking.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
During my two decades as a passionate attorney (including about a dozen years in immigration), I’ve become known as a community leader and family-based immigration expert. I have always endeavored to help empower people to solve their problems, while offering my own wisdom, knowledge and compassion. As a native Spanish-speaker and Latina, I share a culture and language with many of my clients. I also speak French fluently, allowing me to connect directly with most of my clients in their native languages.
I received my Juris Doctor from top-tier Georgetown University Law Center after my undergraduate BA degree from the University of Texas at Austin (Plan II/French major, Spanish minor). I’m currently Chair Elect of the American Immigration Lawyers Association of Colorado (AILA-CO) and sit on the board of Immigrant Pathways Colorado, and the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Global committee of the YMCA-Metro Denver. When I’m not helping the immigrant community, I enjoy singing, photography, exploring gorgeous Colorado, podcasting (13 years on the Castle of Horror Podcast!), and relaxing at home with my husband of 30 years, two grown kids and two little dogs. I feel so grateful for all the opportunities I have had and am passionate about my commitment to my community.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I moved to Colorado for the gorgeous scenery, the lovely weather, and the vibrant community! So many great things to do and see! But some of my favorites are shopping, eating and drinking coffee on the main streets of Littleton, Boulder, Golden, Frisco and Estes Park; hanging out or hiking by a lake (Georgetown, Cherry Creek State Park, Dillon, Horsetooth); hiking some gentle trails (hiked to gorgeous Hanging Lake, but that was pushing it!); and spending time in some of our amazing Denver museums and attractions, like Denver Art Museum, Denver Botanic Gardens, Meow Wolf, and the Denver Museum of Nature and Science.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I’m on the Executive Committee (currently Chair Elect) of the American Immigration Lawyers Association of Colorado (AILA-CO), because I find this organization to be almost a necessity for practicing immigration law in the state. Our community of immigration attorneys works closely together to ensure that we all have the resources and support to better serve our clients. The mentorship, generosity and mutual respect among this group is the envy of many other attorney organizations. I’m proud and grateful to be a member and leader of this amazing non-profit organization.
My other shoutout is to the amazing Latina ladies of Cafecito, a wonderful networking group run by the inimitable Rosemary Rodriguez!

Website: https://www.abogadadenver.com

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julia-guzman-immigration/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GuzmanImmigration

Image Credits
Senator Michael Bennett, Congressman Jason Crow, Congressman Pete Aguilar, Cafecito

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutColorado is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.