Christopher Helt, Esq. is a nationally recognized deportation defense attorney, concentrating in providing legal counsel to immigrants appearing before the U.S. Immigration Court, federal district court, federal circuit courts and the Department of Homeland Security.
Photo Credit: Christopher Helt | Haute Media Group
Mr. Helt is an Illinois Super Lawyer and is an “AV” rated “preeminent” attorney, a distinction for attorneys who have attained the highest rating possible for legal and ethical standards amongst his peers and members of the judiciary by Martindale-Hubbell. He recently spoke to Seth Semilof, Haute Media Group co-founder and COO, about his interest in immigration law, his favorite part of the job and so much more. Here are some of the highlights of their conversation:
Seth Semilof:Tell us a little bit about how you got started in law. How old were you when you decide you wanted to become a lawyer?
Christopher Helt: Growing up in Chicago proper, I was exposed to a melting pot of communities and backgrounds. Although I may not be fluent in many languages per se, I am fluent in cultures. I know how people act and operate across several places in the world. I had a strong urge to help others. As an only child, I believe my mom placed a lot of responsibility on my shoulders to become a savior for the family. Looking back now, I feel very grateful to her because she taught me to handle complex adult-like issues at an early age. These skills would set in later in life. I would say that is how my journey to law began.
SS: What initially attracted you to immigration law?
CH: It’s like this magnet that pulled me toward this area of law. I had done other areas of law within civil litigation when I started my practice. Slowly, I gravitated toward all kinds of aspects of immigration law – job-based, family-based, etc.
After 9/11, the nature of my practice changed. It became much more of a litigation-type business.
SS: What’s your favorite part of the job?
CH: My favorite part of the job is dealing with people.
The area of law that I practice is people-intensive. We don’t deal with corporations, by and large. It’s a one-on-one format of interaction with people who have serious problems. Figuratively, it’s a life or death situation for many of these folks as I aim to help them navigate the U.S. Immigration laws, which either side of the aisle will admit, is a broken system.
To enjoy the entire conversation, watch the video below:
