Meet Edith Nazarian - Law Office

We were lucky to catch up with Edith Nazarian recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Edith, so happy to have you on the platform and I think our readers are in for a treat because you’ve got such an interesting story and so much insight and wisdom. So, let’s start with a topic that is relevant to everyone, regardless of industry etc. What do you do for self-care and how has it impacted you?

As an attorney who owns her own firm, I’ve found that self-care is essential to maintaining my mental, physical, and emotional equilibrium. This is why every morning I take time to center myself and collect my thoughts by asking myself, “What do I need today?” Sometimes that means journaling; other times that means meditating or doing a breathing exercise. Lately, though, it almost always means stretching—if I don’t stretch, sometimes I just don’t feel human!

I also can’t stress just how important getting enough sleep is for me. Even though it’s a necessity, I find that allowing myself to go to bed early or sleep in when needed is a crucial act of self-care since it means that I’ll be in such a better state of mind and mood to take on my daily tasks and care for the clients that I have each day.

Finally, I would definitely say listening to my body and maintaining healthy boundaries is a fundamental act of self-care, especially when it comes to stopping work when I can tell that I need a break. In my experience, nothing is more unproductive than pushing yourself beyond your limits—not only does it deplete your energy, which risks burnout, but it also can damage work quality. This is why I always strive to tune in to what my body is asking for and give myself the nourishment that I need, whether that means practicing intuitive eating, spending time with like-minded friends and close family, exercising, or pursuing creative outlets.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

I knew very early on that I wanted my career to be centered around helping people. This is why I decided to pursue a career in criminal and immigration law, which I’ve been practicing for over a decade. My main legal areas are California criminal law and U.S. immigration law, with a special emphasis on the overlap of the two: crimmigration. As an attorney, my focus is on obtaining the best possible results for my clients and working with them as a team to achieve their goals, whether that means guiding them through the complexities of criminal court or immigration removal proceedings, or helping them with applications for citizenship, green cards, visas, or humanitarian relief.

I also believe it’s crucial to share knowledge with others and be involved in the community to better serve it and help it grow. Beyond my practice, I currently serve as Secretary of the Southern California Chapter of AILA and sit on the executive committee of the Los Angeles County Bar Association Immigration and Nationality Section. I’ve also advocated for immigration reform on Capitol Hill during AILA’s National Day of Action. I am a published author on criminal immigrants at the border and have spoken on numerous occasions on crimmigration and O-1 visas for individuals of extraordinary ability.

As someone who is passionate about advancing legal knowledge, I am extremely excited to share that I’ve recently launched my own podcast, The Client Connection, which discusses ways that attorneys and clients can work together to help increase case success. I’ve invited trusted colleagues to join me as we discuss topics ranging from helping clients navigate trauma to how attorneys and clients can better their communication. Through this platform, I hope to share my passion for practicing the law and what I’ve learned through the years with others to assist them through their legal journeys, so please check it out on Spotify and Youtube!

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

I would say that it’s extremely important first to choose to pursue something that you love and are passionate about. Don’t be afraid to be curious and explore different options to see what truly calls to you. Although I knew I wanted to become an attorney and started law school with the idea that I wanted to pursue criminal law, I allowed myself to look into other areas of law to make sure there wasn’t something else that piqued my interest more. For example, I remember going to an entertainment law career fair during my first year of law school just to see if that would be something I would be more interested in doing, but quickly discovered that it wasn’t. I felt that entertainment law was too transactional to me and that there was a human aspect in criminal law, and as I later learned immigration law, that drew me in and made me feel that I was making a real difference in people’s lives, which is what I wanted to do with my law degree.

Once you find what work is meaningful to you, I would say the next important step is to obtain as much experience as you can in the area as possible. Working with great mentors and gaining experience and knowledge helps you grow in your field, sharpen your skills, and foster confidence in your abilities. For instance, because I knew that I wanted to be in court, I participated in a number of hands-on externships and advocacy programs, which allowed me to appear in front of a judge and handle real-life cases under the supervision of an attorney. This experience was invaluable because after I passed the bar exam and became a practicing attorney, appearing in court for my first criminal or immigration case felt extremely comfortable for me because I was already familiar with the process. Even beyond the practice of law, the knowledge of having experience was a crucial part in my decision to embark on the journey of starting my own law firm. This isn’t to say that I knew everything when I started out, because I’m definitely still learning, but my experience and achievements were all indicators that told me that I could, and should, trust in my abilities.

Along the lines of trusting yourself, I can’t stress enough the importance of honing the ability to listen to your gut. One of my biggest takeaways in starting my own business is that I learned that what my gut was telling me was rarely ever wrong, whether it was related to who I should work with and take on as clients to where I should open an office to what business advice I should take.

What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?

Whenever I feel overwhelmed, I find it helpful to take a moment first to pause and disengage from what is causing me to become overwhelmed. Once I have a clear mind and am feeling focused, I make a game plan, which usually consists of creating a list of the tasks that I need to complete as well as prioritizing the tasks in order of importance and time sensitivity. This helps me organize my work in a way that will make me most productive, which in turn helps relieve stress and motivate me to continue the process. To help minimize this from occurring in the first place, however, I would definitely recommend having good systems and processes in place to help manage work flow and stay organized with tasks and deadlines.

I think it’s also important to mention that it’s ok to say no to taking on more work if that ensures you will be able to maintain your peace. There have definitely been times where I’ve had to tell potential clients that I’d be unable to help them if they needed work completed by a deadline that I wouldn’t be able to meet. By being honest with yourself and others, you communicate that what is important is providing the best possible service, even when that means abstaining from offering your services. This ultimately helps build relationships and serves not only yourself but also the clients that you don’t and do have to the best of your abilities.

Contact Info:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/enlawoffices/?hl=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/enlawoffices/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/edith-nazarian-44bb2867/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDELxS0bSbU5R5zEBqweLOQ
Other: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4aLkqLRBoA7RVnCMl53a2B