Joseph Spring

Joseph “Joe” Spring has been practicing law in the greater Cincinnati area since 2006.  He practices law and lives his life by the Golden Rule:  Do Unto Others As You Would Have Them Do Unto You.  He has won jury trials and acheived positive results for tens of thousands of clients.

He grew up in Grandview Heights, a suburb of Columbus, Ohio a few miles northwest of downtown.  His father is from Flint, Michigan, and worked as a dairy farmer.  His mother is from the Bronx, New York, and worked as a Registered Nurse.  In high school he ran cross country, ran track, and played basketball.  He went to college at the Ohio State University, where he earned a Bachelors of Arts with a major in History.  He studied abroad at the language school, Cemenahuac, in Cuernavaca, Mexico, where he learned to speak Spanish.  He also learned a lot of Spanish from his Hispanic friends and co workers at restaurants he worked at during college.

After college he worked as a Career Developer at Catholic Social Services’ Job Reach program on the west side of Columbus.  There he worked with mostly immigrants and continued to hone his Spanish language skills.  He entered the Cleveland Marshall College of Law in 2001.  During law school he clerked at the plaintiff’s personal injury law firm Garson & Associates, and at the immigration law firm David Leopold & Associates.

In 2006 he began practicing law as an associate attorney at Mark Godbey & Associates in Cincinnati.  He worked there for 3 years before opening his own law office.  He enjoys helping people resolve legal problems involving immigration, personal injuries, criminal & traffic charges, divorce & custody, and civil issues & litigation.  His office always offers a free initial consultation, on the phone or in person with a licensed attorney or a trained legal assistant.

Micheal Waddle, Esq.

Attorney

R. Mike Waddle earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Cincinnati College of Law in 2016 where he focused on criminal law and participated in a specialist “crimmigration” class that focused on how criminal charges in American courts can affect immigration rights. Throughout law school he spent time interning for the Hamilton County Public Defender’s Felony Division as well as clerking for federal and state judges, including Judge David Bunning in the Eastern District of Kentucky and Judge Robert Winkler in the Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas. After earning his law degree, Mike was hired by the Hamilton County Prosecutor’s Office as an assistant prosecutor where he prosecuted dozens of cases until he joined the firm in June of 2020. Mike handles cases involving criminal defense, traffic violations, immigration, and personal injury.

Christina J. Brunton, Esq.

Attorney

Christina J. Brunton earned her Juris Doctor from Washburn University School of Law in 2022. While there she was a member of the Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity and competed in the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition against law schools across the world. Christina was born and raised in Kansas but quickly fell in love with the Greater Cincinnati area while interning with Legal Aid Society of Southwest Ohio. After earning her law degree, Christina was hired as an Associate Attorney by Spring Legal and primarily handles cases involving immigration, criminal defense, personal injury, and civil litigation.

Liam C. Garrett, Esq.

Attorney

Liam C. Garrett earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Cincinnati College of Law in 2023. While there, he had a strong focus in Mediation and Alternative Dispute Resolution. He has competed in tournaments hosted by the International Academy of Dispute Resolution where he has earned the first-place honors of Top Undergraduate Mediator in the nation. He possesses strong negotiation skills and has a passion for assisting clients in addressing their legal interests. Liam was born and raised in Cincinnati and has a deep appreciation for the area and its inhabitants. During his three years of law school, he served as the law clerk at Santen & Hughes, a local Cincinnati law firm, where he gained experience in many different and unique areas of law. After earning his law degree, Liam was hired as an Associate Attorney by Spring Legal. He primarily handles cases involving immigration, traffic violations, and civil litigation.

Margaret MacGregor

Director of Operations

Margaret “Maggie” MacGregor has been with the firm since October 2011. She serves as the Chief Operating Officer and Senior Paralegal. She earned her Masters in Public Administration with a focus in Public and Non-Profit Management from Ohio University in 2019. She also received her B.A. in Liberal Studies from Wright State University in 2010. In addition to her academic achievements, Maggie studied with the famed comedy theater, The Second City in Chicago. In her free time she enjoys writing, podcasting, and spending time with her family and friends.

Jessica M. Morales

Bilingual Legal Assistant

Jessica Morales was born in Meridian, Mississippi. She has lived most of her life in Cincinnati, and part of it in Mexico. She graduated from Fairfield High School in 2016, and has worked since the age of 15. She enjoys helping the Immigrant Community, as both of her parents are immigrants to the United States. She plans to return to school to pursue a degree in Business Administration. She is fluent in Spanish and English.

Maria Rodriguez (Case Manager)

Maria Rodriguez Alonso

Experienced Immigration Paralegal

Maria Rodriguez Alonso is a dedicated immigration law professional with a career spanning since 2014. Originally from San Luis Potosi, Mexico, Maria relocated to the West Chester area during her grade school years. Her personal journey as an immigrant fuels her profound commitment to immigration law.

Maria has contributed her expertise and compassion to several notable organizations, including Su Casa Hispanic Center, Women Helping Women, Immigration Equality, and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. She is also an active volunteer, providing English/Spanish interpretation services within her community.

In addition to her legal career as an experienced immigration Paralegal, Maria serves in the U.S. Air Force Reserve at Wright-Patterson AFB, reflecting her commitment to both her country and her community. From 2020 to 2021, she was part of the international immigration law firm Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy, further honing her skills in the field.

Outside of her professional and volunteer work, Maria cherishes her time with her four sons, balancing her career and service with her family life.

Melissa Solis (Bilingual Legal Assistant)

Melissa Solis

Bilingual Legal Assistant

Melissa Solis Ramirez was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. She has lived her whole life in Cincinnati and has been traveling across the country to experience the Latino culture. She is a native speaker of the Spanish language and has been fluent in English since the age of 4,  she took honors Spanish classes in High School.  She graduated from Hamilton High School with a National Honor Society award in 2020. She enjoys helping the Immigrant community and is very passionate about what she does, as both of her parents are immigrants to the United States. She plans to return to school to pursue a degree in forensics science or law.

Jaysbelk Reyes (Bilingual Legal Assistant)

Jaysbelk Reyes

Bilingual Legal Assistant

Jaysbelk A. Reyes was born in Esteli, Nicaragua and moved to Cincinnati at the age of 15 years old. She is a native speaker of the Spanish language and has been fluent in English since the age of 6 years old as she went to an English speaking school in Nicaragua, she has also worked as an interpreter for medical centers. She graduated from Withrow University High School in 2018 and started her business administration degree that same year. She is a hard-working and driven individual who isn’t afraid to face a challenge. She is very passionate about her work, as an immigrant herself, she enjoys giving back to the immigrant community as she has faced the same challenges other immigrants have. She is going back to school to pursue a degree in law. In her free time she enjoys working out, spending time with her dogs and traveling.

Gracia Bertrand

Bilingual Legal Assistant

Gracia Maria Bertrand was born in Honduras and graduated as a lawyer in her hometown in 2001. Her professional career began as a Prosecutor’s Assistant in the Attorney’s General office, and later she served as the Ombudsman defender where she learned to advocate for the rights of vulnerable groups (prisoners, women, LGBTQ, immigrants). In 2003, she started her judicial career as a Criminal Judge at the Supreme Court of Justice, obtaining certifications in various Latin American and European countries in the fields of Human Rights, women’s rights, Conflict Resolution, European justice, humanitarian law and due criminal process. She served as a law professor in two different universities in San Pedro Sula and encouraged her students to strive for the restoration of the rule of law. Due to her social activism and fight against the illegal government, she resigned from her judicial position in May 2021 and immigrated with her two children to Cincinnati, Ohio. To this day, she remains a passionate advocate for helping immigrants seeking, like her, a country where human rights are respected regardless of nationality or race. In her free time, she dedicates herself to entrepreneurship, interpreting for detainees, and spending time with her children.

Valeria Escobar

Bilingual Legal Assistant

Valeria Escobar was born in Caracas, Venezuela, and moved to Cincinnati in 2018. She is a native speaker of the Spanish language and has been fluent in English for over 5 years. Valeria is currently attending University of Cincinnati working towards a bachelor’s in Nutrition & Dietetics, with an associate in Pre-Nutrition Science, and will continue her path to earn her Master’s. Valeria also loves to help people and animals; she has done volunteer work at Freestore Foodbank and Cincinnati Animal CARE. In her free time, she enjoys taking pictures, traveling, spending time with her dog and family, and dancing.

Andrea Z. Bracho

Bilingual Legal Assistant

Andrea Bracho is a native of Venezuela. She came to the United States in 2018 and attended an American school for her senior year. Her experience in school and having to assist her parents familiarized her with the English language. She later took English classes and obtained a certificate for English as her second language. She used to live in Utah, then moved to Kentucky with her family and has called the Cincinnati area her home ever since. In her previous position, she often assisted non English speakers in obtaining employment. She also trained Spanish speakers in a job that was previously only able to be done by English speakers. She was the first bilingual lead at her previous employment and piloted a training program for Spanish speakers. When moving to the US, she had to help her parents  navigate the immigration process since they do not speak English. Now Andrea feels proud to be able to say that she can help people in similar situations through her work. She plans to attend college and pursue the arts. In her free time she likes to draw, paint, play instruments, listen to music, and visit new places.

Fernanda Galan

Bilingual Legal Assistant

Fernanda Galan has been with the firm since March of 2022.  She graduated from Princeton High School in 2021.  Fernanda handles various functions for the firm.  She does most of the applications for work authorization.  She handles matters involving Asylum and Special Immigrant Juvenile Status.  She translates for the attorneys and prepares Certified English Translations of documents written in Spanish.  She assists on applications for adjustment of status and citizenship as well.  In her free time, Fernanda enjoys traveling in her parents native country of Mexico, as well as spending time with friends.

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