J. Sterling Chillico

Serving clients from her office in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, J. Sterling Chillico helps clients with legal matters involving criminal law, family law and immigration services. She is the founder and managing attorney of Chillico & Associates, LLC. 

Earning her bachelor’s in finance from the University of South Carolina in 2009, Ms. Chillico went on to earn her Juris Doctor with a concentration in constitutional law from the University of San Francisco School of Law in 2012. While there, she served as the treasurer of The Federalist Society and as a community educator for the national Street Law program. She was also a member of the Women's Law Association.

Prior to founding her law firm, Ms. Chillico worked as a legal intern at the Santa Clara County Public Defender’s Office, after which she functioned as an education facilitator at the Fresh Lifelines for Youth in California. She has been licensed to practice in California since 2013 and later in South Carolina (2015) and the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina. Furthermore, the Supreme Court has certified her as a lead counsel on capital cases and she is admitted to practice naturalization and immigration law across the U.S. 

Actively involved in her legal circle, Ms. Chillico is a member of several prominent legal associations, such as:

• The South Carolina Bar – Criminal Law Council
• The State Bar of California
• The American Bar Association
•  The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers 
• The South Carolina Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers 
• The American Immigration Lawyers Association 

She also maintains memberships with Business Network International and the Charleston County Bar Association’s Wellness Committee. 

An experienced practitioner, Ms. Chillico is a dedicated and zealous attorney with a vast knowledge of the law. She holds a “Very Good” rating on Avvo along with numerous positive client reviews and peer endorsements. Helping young attorneys gain a better understanding of immigration law and other legal topics, she has presented at various conferences in Columbia and Charleston, South Carolina.