About Tingen Law · Immigration Law Firm in Richmond, Virginia

I started this firm in November of 2012. I had just graduated from the University of Richmond School of Law, passed the Virginia Bar, and I was hungry for work. The job market for new lawyers that year was not encouraging.

Instead of continuing a job search that was going nowhere, I decided to hang my own shingle. I will always be grateful for my wife's support when I told her I wanted to work for myself.

I called a friend who ran a pro bono immigration legal clinic and left a voicemail saying I would like to take on a case or two to get my name out in the community. "You asked if you could take a couple of cases," he said when he called back. "How would you like to take on a couple hundred?"

He was moving his practice to another firm and could no longer run the clinic he had founded. Going from zero to two hundred clients in about a week was as daunting as it sounds. Most of those families had been promised free representation, and that first year was a balancing act: helping as many of them as I could pro bono while trying to make a living and build a practice.

Because I was doing so much pro bono work, a friend offered me free office space to set up shop. Jumping into a new area of law, starting a practice, and trying to make a living all at the same time was hard. But I did it.

Years later, it is not just me anymore. Today I lead a firm of attorneys and staff who focus on giving every client the best possible experience. We do not take your decision to trust us lightly, and we look forward to earning it.

— Jacob Tingen, Managing Partner