About Kelly M.
Kelly M. Chicas built a foundation in languages and law before she ever set foot in a courtroom. She earned a B.A. in Spanish and English from Ohio State University in 2002 and spent part of her undergraduate years studying at the Fundacion Ortega y Gasset in Toledo, Spain in 2001. She completed her legal education at Case Western Reserve University, receiving a J.D. in 2006. That combination of language study and a U.S. law degree shaped the arc of her early career.
Her first role after law school took her into immigration practice. In 2006 she joined Immigration Group, LLC as an associate lawyer. The next year she moved to Reina, Bates, & Kowalski Immigration Law Group, again as an associate. In 2009 she worked as an associate at the Law Office of Michael G. Matthews. Those positions placed her squarely in the daily work of immigration law, where filings, client interviews and interactions with government agencies are routine.
Over time she developed the practical skills needed for immigration practice: preparing applications and petitions, advising clients on eligibility, and representing individuals in matters that require formal filings or hearings. Her background in Spanish has been an asset in client communication and in understanding the legal questions that arise for Spanish-speaking immigrants.
She maintains professional engagement through the American Immigration Lawyers Association, an organization that brings practitioners together to follow changes in immigration policy and administrative practice. Her membership reflects a continuing interest in the professional community that surrounds immigration law. Colleagues and clients have described her as methodical and steady in casework, traits that often matter when deadlines and procedural hurdles are common.
Chicas is licensed to practice in both South Carolina and Ohio, and she has worked on cases rooted in those jurisdictions. Her education and early clinical experience in Spain add an international dimension to her perspective on domestic immigration issues. She balances client service with the paperwork and procedural demands of immigration practice.
She currently practices immigration law in South Carolina and Ohio.
