Today we’d like to introduce you to Miriam Airington-fisher
Hi Miriam, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I wanted to be a lawyer from a very young age. I grew up in a close-knit family, and my grandparents lived across the street. On Friday nights I would often sleep at their house, and my grandmother and I would stay up and watch courtroom dramas. That sparked my interest in criminal law, and the first few years of my career I worked primarily in criminal defense. I had always been drawn to immigration law as well, because my paternal grandparents were Holocaust survivors who came to this country as refugees. Over the years, I’ve focused increasingly on immigration law because of the demand in our community and the rewarding nature of working with families who want to build a life here.
I started my own firm 8 years ago, when my daughter was born. I was going through a divorce, and a new single mom to an infant. I had been working at an amazing law firm up to that point, but I needed the flexibility of working for myself. I love law and wanted to continue practicing, and I also needed an income, but I had to figure out how to balance that with raising my daughter. I spent years building up a family-friendly but profitable business, and also remarried and gained a bonus son and had my youngest son. So, a lot of changes since I started out!
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I started my law firm out of necessity, and I didn’t have a business plan or much savings. It was very challenging at first, because I needed an entire education on running a business. At the time, there were not many resources available for brand-new law firms, and in particular family-friendly ones. Marketing, finances, hiring/firing…these were all topics I had to learn on the job. While there have been situational challenges – like the pandemic, or changes in the law – the biggest challenge has been staying true to my vision and just keeping my foot on the gas. Law is a very traditional field, and innovation is often met with skepticism. So much of what we do, and how we do things, as a modern family-friendly law firm, is actually fairly counter-cultural.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
My firm, Airington Law, is a women-led, bilingual immigration law firm. We are based in Virginia but we represent clients across the U.S. and around the world. I am very proud of our reputation, not only for our legal representation, but for our client service. We have a highly skilled, fully bilingual client service team and we prioritize communication with clients and prospective clients.
Through the years, I learned so much about building a family-friendly law firm. Over time, other attorneys began reaching out to me asking for advice. People saw how my firm was operating and wanted to learn how to do the same. Burnout is high among women lawyers, because it’s traditionally a very stressful and demanding field, and it is difficult to balance with family responsibilities. In 2021, the American Bar Association published data on women in the law, and the statistics were astounding. Up to a third of women were leaving law mid-career because of work/family pressure. That inspired me to write my book, Mom’s A Lawyer: How to Start a Firm and Take Control of Your Life, as a beginner’s guide to starting a law firm, specifically geared toward working moms. It’s concrete advice from first-hand experience, and I wanted to create a blueprint for others. When the book came out in 2023, I was so honored at the response – I started getting messages from lawyers all over the U.S. and Canada. My second business, Lawyer Like a Mother, grew out of that project. I created a digital course, and also do one-on-one coaching as well as virtual small group programs. My mission for Lawyer Like a Mother is to support other women lawyers who want to build family-friendly law firms. Today, I run Airington Law and Lawyer Like a Mother, and I am very passionate about both businesses.
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
Reading and traveling are my two greatest pleasures, and sharing those two things with my family are what makes me happiest. My husband and I have three kids, 16, 8, and 6, and they all have different interests and personalities. However, travel is something we all love to do together. Planning adventures and having new experiences as a family is my #1 hobby. We like to ski, and we put the kids in ski lessons early, but last winter was the first ski season where everyone was ‘up’ on skis. At one point, we were doing a run and I literally cried tears of joy – I just had this moment where I realized I was on a beautiful mountain, having an adventure with my family. What could make me happier?
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.airingtonlaw.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/airingtonlaw/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/airingtonlaw
Image Credits
Leo and Laine