End of Year Review

End of Year Review

2021 has been an interesting year, to say the least. Abogados Centro Legal moved locations, hired more staff, and we are growing more each day. New years is a time to look back on the year and ask, what can be done differently? Here at Abogados Centro Legal, we strive to give the best version of ourselves we can. With that being said, Abogados Centro Legal decided to interview our lawyers: Nathan Harris, Xenia Rigby, and Danny Upton about their 2021 and their hopes for 2022.

Name: Nathan Harris

What has been the most challenging case/obstacle you’ve had this year?

2021 has been a very challenging year. The Coronavirus pandemic has not only impacted our firm, but the entire legal industry. Uncertainty has pushed trial dates back and compounded difficulties in pushing cases for clients. Medical facilities are short staffed, leading to difficulties in securing medical records for cases and sometimes making it difficult for clients to receive medical care. This pandemic has slowed down the wheels of justice and justice delayed is justice denied. But, even with the pandemic, we secured very good results for our clients throughout 2021.

Most challenging case/obstacle ever?

This year we were able to help the family of a client who was run over and killed in late 2018. Our client survived the initial impact of the wreck and stayed at the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s intensive care unit for several months. After being stabilized, UAB moved him to a nursing facility where he passed away within 48 hours of the transfer. This has been one of my most difficult cases I have handled as an attorney. We faced many legal obstacles in this case but the most difficult part was seeing our client in pain for days, weeks, and months. Watching him suffer was horrible. At the end of the day we were able to secure a very good monetary settlement for his family, but money is no replacement for a family member that you love. It breaks my heart to watch the family continue to miss and mourn their family member every single day. It is these types of cases that make us want to strive to be the best advocate for our clients that we can be.

In what area do you feel you’ve made your biggest improvement this year?

I feel that I have improved as a leader of ACL this year, ultimately being put in a position to help more immigrants in Alabama. In 2020 I was accepted into the Alabama state bar leadership forum. This is a leadership training class run by the Alabama state bar that usually runs several months within one year. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, our class spanned over 2020 and 2021. The state bar provided me with a lot of leadership training that I was able to implement in our firm for the betterment of our staff and clients. We really saw the fruits of this growth this year and we will use this year‘s successes as a springboard going into 2022 and beyond . I’m thankful for the Alabama state bar for providing this opportunity through the leadership forum and thankful that we are able to use these resources to help further the interests of our immigrant community in Alabama.

1 to 3 important things you’ve learned this year?

We need to continue to strive for excellence in all of our efforts, personal and professional. As attorneys, we feel a special role in society, safeguarding the rights of our fellow citizens and residents of the state of Alabama. We have to continue using our privileges and opportunities to advance the rights and goals of immigrants in Alabama. To this end, I have been appointed to the Alabama Supreme Court commission on access to justice. I will continue to advocate for the Alabama immigrant population into 2022 and beyond.

Best advice you’ve ever received?

Never give up. Even if all looks lost, never give up. Keep putting one foot in front of the other. So we continue using this advice at Abogados Centro Legal every day. Even when a case seems exceedingly difficult, if we choose to take it on, we will fight till the very end

What do you hope to accomplish in the new year?

It is my goal to help at least 50% more immigrants this year. I have been growing our firm over the past few years and I hope to continue this growth well into 2022 and beyond. This includes looking at our current cases and possibly expanding what types of cases that we help with.