Natalia Lopez recalls a decision presented to her parents before her graduation from Brownwood High School that set the wheels in motion for her career as an immigration law attorney.

“My parents said I had two choices, to be a doctor or a lawyer, and I hate blood and love reading so being an attorney was a natural choice for me,” Lopez said with a laugh.

A 2002 Brownwood High School graduate and 2006 Howard Payne graduate, Lopez then attended Texas Wesleyan School of Law – now the Texas A&M School of Law – in Fort Worth where she received her Juris Doctor degree.

It was during her time in law school, while serving as an intern at non-profit organizations, that the immigration law light began to flicker.

“I saw the passion the staff had at the non-profits and I just saw how wonderful it was to see them helping people that really needed it and reuniting families,” she said. “Their passion was so infectious and I loved it. After that I decided that’s what I’m going to do. Also, my family, they’re all immigrants as well and some of them are still going through the process. I thought I could help not only my family but those that are in similar circumstances.”

Lopez, 39, is licensed by the Texas State Bar and is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association. Prior to starting her own firm, she worked for a top immigration firm in Fort Worth for five years.

Regarding the decision to open an office in Brownwood, she said, “Growing up in Brownwood I remember the feeling of safety, a peaceful way of living here. I wanted to get away from the busy city feeling and as I started my family I wanted my children to experience what I did growing up in Brownwood. My whole family is here, parents and aunts and uncles on both sides, and I wanted to bring my roots back and establish my kids’ futures here as well.”

Lopez – who is married with two children – does maintain an office in Fort Worth as well.

“It’s a 50-50 split,” she said. “One week I’ll spend in Fort Worth and one week in Brownwood. I travel constantly between both offices but when I was in law school in Fort Worth I got used to making that drive. When I decided to open both offices, it was natural to keep that driving schedule.”

Lopez is a member of the Howard Payne University Alumni Association and has established scholarships that are presented to multiple students each year. 

Reflecting back on her Howard Payne days and preparing for law school, she said, “I was part of the Academy, which is the honors program geared more toward, at that point, students who were thinking about entering law school. They did an excellent job preparing me for law school. My professors were amazing and they really prepared me for the type of teaching I would experience in law school. I feel like they take someone ordinary and out comes an extraordinary person once you graduate.”

As for the most rewarding aspects of her career as an immigration law attorney, Lopez said, “It’s the final result of reuniting families, that’s what it’s all about. I have some families who wait more than 20 years to be reunited and it’s rewarding for me to see I was just a little piece in the steps to help bring them again.”