Hidden Gems: Meet Georgia Lawrence

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Georgia Lawrence.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I pride myself as an Immigrant from the beautiful island of Jamaica. I knew from an early age that I wanted to be an attorney as I witnessed social injustice and the unleveled playing field being perpetuated in my community. I wanted to be a change agent.

Before law school, I attended the University of South Florida where I was an active debate member and I also joined the Soroptimist Women’s Organization in Tampa where I participated in community events to uplift, empower and liberate females. I continued on this path and in law school, I participated in the Immigration Clinic under the guidance of Professor Curran to help foreign nationals with complex immigration law issues that often change with the political climate. I graduated Cum Lade from Law school and received the Barbara McCalla Memorial Award because of my demonstrated compassion and commitment to the community and a strong interest in the support of justice for the less fortunate. I also received the highest Pro Bono distinction for completing legal work in the community.

While my focus was on practicing law after law school, I have always been an entrepreneur at heart and knew that I wanted to open my own firm. I completed an internship at a personal injury firm, Gillette Law PA in Jacksonville FL where I soaked up useful information under the guidance of Attorney Gillette to help navigate through the legal field as a business owner. I was also privileged to garner useful entrepreneurial skills by watching both of my parents dabble in different aspects of business.

After graduating in 2018, I worked for a civil litigation firm in Marietta GA, and then in 2020 I started my practice focusing on immigration law while working with a federal employment firm in Atlanta to supplement my income. Georgia LAWrence LLC focuses on family immigration, employment immigration, deportation defense, detention, asylum/human rights, domestic violence and consular issues, and litigation in the federal courts.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I think most law firm owners would agree with me that unless you have been mentored into the business, it will almost never be a smooth sail. There are key qualities needed to run a successful practice: excellent legal skills, client retention, and an entrepreneurial mindset. In my practice three most notable obstacles I have dealt with are:

Attracting the right client
Starting out, I didn’t understand my true value. I would offer discounts and lowball myself just to keep business coming in. I was concerned about overcoming the hurdle of developing a client base, I would take most cases that came to me. I quickly learned that was not the right approach as there was a process to weed out clients and prevent unnecessary stress. “Not all money is good money” and if someone does not value your work enough to pay you what you deserve then they do not need to be a client. I had to invest in entrepreneurial courses to help me understand the economics of overhead, payroll expenses, accounts receivables and a host of other business decisions.

Gender and racial biases
There are challenges for black, young female lawyers who is in what is still a largely a male-dominated profession. Talent, skills, hard work and superb client services may not be enough for a black woman lawyer to create and maintain a sustainable practice. I have been questioned by Clients who wanted to pick my brain and see if I was “smart enough” in comparison to the white male that they consulted with but could not afford. I was asked if I was an attorney and asked to show my badge in two different courthouses while my white male counterparts walked through security checkpoint. Through all this, I learned the importance of walking in confidence and learning how to intelligently curb the ignorance that still lingers currently.

Reaching out for more mentorship and coaching
There are people who I consider mentors without them even knowing. I would probably watch on the sidelines and learn from them thinking that if I reach out to network or get some guidance then it would be frowned upon. This is not the case. I came to the realization that there are people out here doing what I aspire to do who are willing to be a mentor. It is all about networking and building your brand. Due to financial constraints, early in the game, I didn’t consider professional coaching. It took trial and error for me to see that coaching is a MUST. It may be expensive, but you pay for what you want. With the practice of law and being a business owner, there are systems and processes that must be followed to create and maintain a firm that will not only provide great services but also an environment the health and wellbeing of the owner and employees.

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
As an attorney, my main goal is to help Immigrants navigate the immigration system from the beginning with minimal complication.

I believe in living a life based on her purpose which is that of serving. As such my approach to practicing law mirrors my belief and I take great pleasure in serving others in my professional practice.

When I am not aggressively fighting for my clients, I spend time mentoring at-risk youth, writing, speaking at conferences, or spending time with her family. Currently, I have three published books:
Purpose Through The Pain
Ten FiftyOne: A Mother’s Story of Love, Betrayal and Unexpected Grace
The Power of an Overcomer!

Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
Mentorship is a relationship. It should be organic, and to maintain the relationship, allow it to grow. As the mentee find ways that you can serve the mentor as well, it is a two-sided relationship, and be coachable throughout the process and do not check out if your mentor provided constructive feedback that you may not like.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.georgialawrence.com
• Instagram: attorneygeorgialawrence
• Facebook: Georgia LAWrence LLC
• Linkedin: Georgia Lawrence Esq.
• Youtube: attorneygeorgialawrence
• Other: TikTok attorneygeorgialawrence