Inspiration can be found in unexpected places – for Emilia Coto it was in podcasts and Facebook groups created by entrepreneurial lawyers. Being an entrepreneur was never a part of Emilia’s plan, even though she had a lot of qualities of successful entrepreneurs. A two-time immigrant and licensed lawyer in two countries, Emilia is persistent and hard working. As someone who embraces technology and cares deeply about serving her clients, she has an innovative spirit. And as a lover of home life, the outdoors, her three dogs and travel, she has a need for flexibility that traditional jobs don’t usually offer.
Emilia was born in Honduras and moved to Canada with her family as a child. While attending law school in Windsor, a city that borders Detroit, she met her American husband. A few years after being called to the Ontario bar, Emilia moved to Michigan and started commuting daily to her work at a medium-sized firm in Windsor. Emilia’s employer was willing to adjust her hours to suit her commute, but she quickly grew tired of spending most of her time between the car and the office. Being a lover of travel and having family in Honduras, Canada and the U.S., Emilia wanted a flexible career so she could set her schedule and work from anywhere. Going solo seemed like a big risk at first, but Emilia told herself that if it did not work out, she could always go back to working at a firm. Really, she had nothing to lose!
Before starting her own immigration practice, Sisu Legal, Emilia gained the majority of her immigration law experience through a legal clinic, Legal Assistance of Windsor, while in law school. Emilia gives back by volunteering as a director for the clinic’s board.
After her second immigration, to the U.S., Emilia became licensed to practice law by the New York Bar. Since immigration is a federal practice area, Emilia can represent clients nationwide in both Canada and United States. Having the lived experience of immigration as a child, as an adult and as a professional, immigration law was a natural fit for Emilia.
Immigration law is also a great fit for Emilia because she can work nearly 100% virtually and leverage technology to increase efficiency. Emilia loves that she does not have to bill hourly. Immigration law can be systematized and so is a great fit with a flat fee offering. Not only does this give Emilia greater flexibility in her day, but it also allows her to get to know her clients on a deeper level. They are not being charged for every email or phone call and so are more open about their stories when she speaks to them.
Emilia appreciates that immigration law is collaborative. In many areas of law, there is a winner and a loser. With immigration, the goal is only to help her clients achieve their own goals. Sisu Legal is solutions focused and sometimes the best solutions are not legal. For example, she enjoys helping clients who are not quite ready to immigrate by providing them with actionable educational content that they can use to plan their immigration path.
Above all, Emilia’s favourite thing about working for herself is the freedom. Freedom to work while traveling, freedom to go for a run in the middle of the day and freedom to decide how to best serve her clients. If a client gives her feedback on a process, Emilia can change it without asking anyone for approval. With this also comes financial freedom. What Emilia makes is within her control. After law school she feared it would take her decades to pay off her student debt but going solo has alleviated that worry.
If you are not feeling happy in your current law job, Emilia recommends figuring out what kind of life you want before deciding what kind of practice you want. Instead of building your life around your legal practice, build your career around the life you want. Once you have decided what that is, the scariest part can be saying no to opportunities that are not in line with your desires. If for example, what you want is freedom, that might mean saying no to secure positions.
Emilia gained the confidence to make a leap into her current practice after joining several Facebook groups including the “Lawyers on the Beach” community and the “Maximum Lawyer” community. In these groups, Emilia has been inspired by others who share similar life goals. Emilia recommends that others look for support in communities with values similar to theirs.
If you are interested in starting your own firm, Emilia recommends attending the Maximum Lawyer Conferencein October 2021. At the conference, sole practitioners share their tips and tricks for making it on their own. It is a conference dedicated to the business of running a law practice and the focus is on actionable content. If you attend this year, make sure to catch Emilia’s presentation about the lessons she learned during her first year of practice ownership.