Our Mission

Our mission is to advance justice and equity by empowering low-income immigrant communities through collaborative legal services, advocacy, and education.

The expense of hiring a lawyer is insurmountable to many low-income immigrants.

Many of our clients never thought they could have a legal representative because of the huge financial cost just to get through the door.

Being client-centered is important because of the state of duress that most of our clients exist in. It's really important for our clients to be the ones at the helms of making the decisions.

The legal profession is the least diverse in the United States. Over 78% of lawyers are white.

Diversity Among Lawyers (USA)

As of Jan. 1, 2024, there were 1,322,649 active lawyers in the U.S., up roughly 3.2% from 2014-2024. However, primary drivers of growth continue to be white men and, to a lesser extent, white women. These groups remain overrepresented in the legal profession compared to their presence in the overall U.S. population, according to the ABA National Lawyer Population Survey.

NMILC’s Theory of Change

Our Theory of Change is a visual representation of the strategies we believe are necessary to achieve our long-term goals and the methods we believe are foundational to our work. In collaboration with our organizational partners, we engage in policy, education and advocacy, direct services, and leadership development.

Each of these work areas support and inform the other, contributing to increased civic engagement and a more equitable justice system.