Practice Areas: Immigration
Licensed in Texas since: 2001
Education: University of Houston Law Center
Languages Spoken: English, Spanish
Selected to Super Lawyers: 2022 - 2024 Chavez & Valko, LLP
5555 Bridge StSuite 100
Fort Worth, TX 76112 Phone: 817-332-1100 Email: Nicolas Chavez Visit website
Details
Nicolas Chavez is a co-founding partner of Chavez & Valko, LLP. Nick is Board Certified in Immigration and Nationality Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. He is a recognized expert in the immigration and naturalization field, specializing in helping individuals obtain legal status or citizenship in the U.S. With nearly 20 years of immigration law experience, he has represented a spectrum of clients in securing their immigration status including a Grammy-nominated artist. He has successfully litigated immigration cases before the U.S. immigration courts as well as the federal appellate courts and the Board of Immigration Appeals.
For 14 years, he investigated and fought unauthorized practice of law activities as a member of the Texas Unauthorized Practice of Law Committee. He proudly served on the Amicus Curiae Committee for the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) for seven years, advocating in court for legal interpretations that support immigrant rights. He is a legal advisor to the Consulate General of Mexico in Dallas, TX, responsible for advising the Consulate of important legal or policy changes affecting the immigrant community.
Nick is co-host of various English and Spanish internet shows on his firm's YouTube and Facebook pages ("Migracion en Minutos," "Immigration Wrap-Up") that discuss immigration topics, offer tips, and provide news alerts to thousands of viewers.
Nick is co-founder of LawPilot, an immigration case management software. He is also a cartoonist who has published legal and immigration-related cartoons for Immigration Law Today and The National Jurist.
First Admitted: 2001, Texas
Professional Webpage: https://www.keyvisa.com/attorney/nicolas-chavez/
Bar/Professional Activity:
- University of Texas CLE Immigration Law Conference Committee (2015 to present). As a committee member, we plan, discuss and promote course topics for CLE credit for the annual immigration law conferences in Austin., 2022
- AILA Amicus Curiae Committee (2011-2018). Represented the American Immigration Lawyers Association as amicus curiae ("friend of the court") in significant immigration-related issues arising out of the jurisdiction of the Fifth Circuit of the US Court of Appeals. These cases involved legal matters of national importance that impacted the rights of immigrants, such as the DACA program, anti-immigration ordinances, and federal preemption of immigration law on state action. Represented and filed briefs with the Fifth Circuit on the following cases: City of El Cenizo v. Texas, 890 F.3d 164 (5th Cir. 2018); Mata v. Sessions, 678 F. App’x 198 (5th Cir. 2017); Gomez-Perez v. Lynch, 829 F.3d 323 (5th Cir. 2016); Crane v. Johnson, 783 F.3d 244 (5th Cir. 2015); Villas at Parkside Partners v. City of Farmers Branch, Tex., 726 F.3d 524 (5th Cir. 2013)., 2018
- State Bar of Texas Immigration Continuing Legal Education (CLE) Planning Committee (2015-2018). Served on the CLE committee planning the annual State Bar immigration CLE conference including course topics, CLE credit, and speaker invitations. , 2018
- Texas Unauthorized Practice of Law Committee - Dallas Subcommittee, Dallas, TX (2004-2018). Responsible for investigating complaints by Texas residents regarding unauthorized practice of law activities, including consumer scams. Helped stop unauthorized practice of law activities and related scams through cease and desist letters and collaborated with other members to bring civil action against purveyors of these illegal activities. , 2018
- Leadership Fort Worth (Class of 2011). Organization that empowers and connects leaders within the community to encourage involvement and leadership in civic activities for the betterment of their community. Completed a nine-month program that educates leaders about the issues and diverse needs in the Fort Worth community., 2011
- American Immigration Lawyers Association , 2003
Videos:
- Youtube and Facebook Live shows discussing various immigration topics in English and Spanish., Youtube and Facebook Live shows discussing various immigration topics and important updates in English and Spanish, Immigration, 2022
Special Licenses/Certifications:
- Board Certified in Immigration and Nationality Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization (recertified Dec. 2022). , 2007
Pro bono/Community Service:
- Immigration Legal Advisor ("Abogado Consultor") to the Consulate General of Mexico in Dallas, TX (2011- Present). Re-appointed on June 13, 2022 by the Mexican government ("La Secretaria de Relaciones Exteriores"). I am responsible for advising the Consulate of Mexico regarding important immigration laws and polices affecting the Mexican immigrant communities in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. I speak regularly at community outreach events hosted by the consulate and other organizations about legal access programs, immigrant rights, and visas for victims of crime or domestic violence. I volunteered at naturalization or immigration seminars providing free legal advice and assisting individuals with their immigration forms. , 2022
- Invited speaker at AVANCE- NTX classes from 2015-2019. AVANCE is a non-profit organization that empowers and educates Latino, Spanish-speaking, parents on how to help their school children and encourage them to be better students. The curriculum included special informational sessions for immigrant parents that went over immigration processes and their rights under the law. My associates and I were invited regularly to speak on those topics and address any questions or concerns about immigration law on a voluntary basis. , 2019
- Participated as speaker at UNIDOS events. 2015-2018. UNIDOS is a community outreach program established by the Dallas Police Department to provide assistance and important information to Spanish-speaking residents in Dallas to promote safer neighborhoods. As speaker, I would discuss immigration options for victims of crime who cooperate with police in the investigation of reported criminal activities., 2018
Honors/Awards:
- Selected as a Super Lawyer by Thomson Reuters, a distinction given to only 5% of nominated attorneys., Texas Super Lawyer, superlawyers.com, 2022
- Nominated and selected as a fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation, which is a high honor bestowed upon Texan lawyers for their excellent professionalism and dedication to justice in their communities. , Fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation, www.txbf.org, 2020
- On behalf of Chavez & Valko, I accepted a certificate of appreciation from the Dallas Police Department in recognition of our valuable contributions to UNIDOS community events. , Certificate of Appreciation, dallaspolice.net/communitys/unidos, 2018
Educational Background:
- B.A., University of Texas at El Paso, with Honors, 1997
White Papers:
- The article discusses various not-so-obvious grounds upon which an immigration applicant might be barred from entering the United States, and offers tips and strategies to immigration lawyers on how to avoid or address these issues. , "Sneaky Inadmissible Issues At The U.S. Consular Office: Alien Smuggling, Drug and Alcohol Abuse, Gang Affiliations," TexasBarCLE, State Bar of Texas, 16th Annual Advanced Immigration Law Course Book, Ch. 11 (2018), Immigration Lawyers, CLE, 2018
Scholarly Lectures/Writings:
- Article discusses the severe immigration consequences of pleading to certain drug offenses in criminal court, and discusses strategies criminal defense attorneys should consider to eliminate or minimize these consequences before their immigrant clients plea to a drug-related charge. , Co-author, Don't Gamble with the Future: Immigration Consequences of Drug Convictions, The Champion magazine, National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Vol. 46 (Jan./Feb. 2022), Criminal Defense, Immigration, 2022
- Published article discusses the modifications, accommodations, and waivers available to naturalization applicants with disabilities. , Co-author, Filing for Naturalization with a Disabled Applicant: Special Issues You’re Likely to Encounter and How to Overcome Them, U.S. Citizenship and Naturalization Law Toolbox (AILA 2021, 1st Ed)., Immigration, Naturalization, Disabilities, 2021
- Discussed the various immigration consequences resulting from criminal charges and strategies on how to avoid or minimize them. , Speaker, Don’t Gamble With The Future: Immigration Consequences of Drug Convictions, National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. NACDL’s 14th Annual Defending Modern Drug Cases Seminar. Las Vegas, NV (2021), Criminal Defense Lawyers, CLE, 2021
- Discussed law practice management and marketing challenges in a post-Covid environment., Speaker, Law Practice Management: Thriving In The Post-COVID-19 World, State Bar of Texas, TexasBarCLE, Immigration Law 101 Conference (2022), Immigration Lawyers, CLE, 2022
- Discussed practice management and marketing tips to immigration lawyers, and challenges arising from the pandemic. , Speaker, Law Practice Management in Challenging Times: Tips and Strategies for a Successful and Well-Balanced Business, AILA Texas Chapter Spring Conference, El Paso, TX (2022), Immigration Lawyers, CLE, 2022
- Discussed important and topical family-based immigration policies under the Biden and Trump administrations. , Speaker, Post-Apocalyptic Hot Topics in Family Immigration, UTCLE Annual Conference on Immigration and Nationality Law. Austin, TX (2021), Immigration Lawyers, CLE, 2021
- In this webinar, I discussed the most significant federal court decisions of that year impacting immigration rights and laws. , Speaker, Federal Court and BIA Update., UTCLE Annual Conference on Immigration and Nationality Law (2020), Immigration Lawyers, CLE, 2020
- In this webinar, we discussed factors a lawyer should consider when picking an immigration case or client., Speaker, What to Consider When Taking an Immigration Case, State Bar of Texas Annual Meeting. Dallas, TX (2020), Lawyers, CLE, 2020
- Discussed the various ways that an immigration law practice was impacted by the policies under the Trump administration and offered tips on how to manage and market your practice effectively through those difficult times., Speaker, Practice Management for Immigration Attorneys, UTCLE Annual Conference on Immigration and Nationality Law. Austin, TX (2019), Immigration Lawyers, CLE, 2019
- Explained fundamental family immigration law concepts and processes to new practitioners., Speaker, Family Basics, State Bar of Texas, TexasBarCLE, Immigration Law 101 Conference. Houston, TX (2019), Immigration Lawyers, CLE, 2019
- Discussed inadmissibility trends when applying for visas at the U.S. consulate and adjustment of status., Speaker, Emerging Inadmissibility Issues, State Bar of Texas, TexasBarCLE, 16th Annual Advanced Immigration Law Conference. Houston, TX (2018), Immigration Lawyers, CLE, 2018
- Discussed not-so-obvious grounds of inadmissibility to watch out for when preparing your client for a visa interview. , Speaker, Hidden Grounds for Visa Denial, UTCLE Annual Conference on Immigration and Nationality Law. Austin, TX (2018), Immigration Lawyers, CLE, 2018
Office location for Nicolas Chavez
5555 Bridge St
Suite 100
Fort Worth, TX 76112
Selections
3 Years Super Lawyers
- Super Lawyers: 2022 - 2024