Today we’d like to introduce you to TREMAINE HEMANS
TREMAINE, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I am a Jamaican born, Florida Barred Immigration Lawyer. I am the managing attorney and CEO of the Hemans Law Group, P.A. based in Miami and Fort Lauderdale Florida and is eligible to practice U.S. Immigration law in all 50 U.S. states. I am a 2019 graduate of the FIU College of Law in Miami, Florida.
I’m a proud immigrant hailing from Moneague, St. Ann, Jamaica. A tiny much unknown town in the cool hills of the north coast. I attended the Moneague Primary and Junior High School and St. Hilda’s Diocesan High School thereafter. I am the child of a resilient immigrant mother and was raised by my step father who was a member of the Jamaica Defense force (military) and some wonderful members of my community for most of my life.
I entered the United States as an immigrant myself; an international student and attended Broward College, first obtaining my Associates of Arts in Pre-Law with highest honors and then my Associates of Science in Paralegal Studies with high honors. I worked in the legal field for 5 years and also at Publix and Ikea while simultaneously obtaining my Bachelor’s degree in Legal Assisting summa cum laude from Nova Southeastern University.
Between BC and Nova, my dream of becoming a lawyer was deferred for a few years an many tried to convince me that maybe I should try something else but my stubborn nature worked in my favor here. My personal experience with the United States Immigration system sparked my passion for Immigration Law.
With the guidance of an amazing professor I met when I was just 17. Dr. Patrick Ellingham; who made me a promise that if I pursued law school he would be at every graduation, I was accepted at FIU College of Law in 2016, and was very active in school and in community service. In law school I served as the 2018-2019 president of the H.T. Smith Black Law Students Association and the Caribbean Student Bar Association. I also served as a student ambassador, traveling the country recruiting minority students for FIU Law; I was a member of the school’s diversity and inclusion committee; and a member of the FIU Law Trial Team. I also served as a Student Attorney in the Carlos A. Costa Immigration & Human Rights Clinic and became a published author in the University of the District of Colombia’s Law Review for my article entitled “The Intersection of Race, Bond, and ‘Crimmigration’ in the United States.” Attending a PWI opened my eyes to what it truly meant to be a black woman in my profession and the US as a whole and I developed a passion for mentoring young aspiring attorneys like myself, which ultimately earned me the 2022 Florida Bar Young Lawyers Division Pro Bono Advocacy Award.
In school, I also got great experiences in my internships from the Miami Immigration Court, with the Office of the Principal Legal Advisor (OPLA) for the Department of Homeland Security, and numerous law firms in the South Florida area. I gained invaluable experience in the practice of Immigration law both from the Government and private practice perspectives, equipping me with the necessary tools to effectively represent clients before USCIS, the U.S. Department of State, and the Immigration Court.
In 2021 I decided it was time to step out on my own after cutting my teeth at a few immigration law firms, where I did not feel valued.
This decision led to more opportunities than I could have imagined. Betting on God and myself led me to be featured in several publications and television programs discussing my passion and advocacy for the plight of immigrants such as the Daily Business Review, Miami Herald, Jamaica Observer, the Jamaica Gleaner, Television Jamaica (TVJ), CVM Television, and other publications. I’ve been grateful to have been recognized by my peers and community for my work the most esteemed of which being the 2022 Florida Bar YLD Award for my advocacy for survivors of Domestic Violence and young black and brown students who lack the resources and advice to get into and pass law school.
In Practice, I specialize in family-based, visa, asylum, VAWA, removal defense cases, and other humanitarian relief in immigration law and I also do some personal injury as my immigrant clients are sometimes afraid to seek legal remedies when they have been injured due to their status. I love standing up to a bully and my practice focuses on that; whether it be an abuser, an insurance company or the big bad US immigration system.
I a member of the Florida Bar, The United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, the American Immigration Lawyers Association, and I serve as a notary public in the State of Florida. I live by the motto and bible scripture of Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.”
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Not at all. That would take this whole article haha!
I have always struggled with many things since I was a child. I have always had to fight for what I want.
That grit and drive is what breathes air into my lungs every day to get up and do what I need to do for myself, my clients, staff, and my family.
My mother in law always jokes that I should write a book as she has seen my immigrant story unfold from being a young woman so beaten down by trauma that would have fainting spells and struggle to eat and sleep. I never spoke up for myself and apologizing for my very existence. The woman I have become surprises even me some days.
I truly believe that were it not for what I have been through in this life (and therapy!) I would not be my bold, unapologetic self today.
The most of the struggle I faced was truly understanding what imposter syndrome is; why it was so rooted in my identity; and coming to the realization that I do in fact deserve…everything. Many circumstances and even people- family, elders, and friends, all at some point failed me in some way. The biggest lesson I learned from that though, is that people speak from their own experiences and much of what is directed at us is projection of their own traumas and short-comings.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
We are an award winning family and humanitarian immigration law firm based in Fort Lauderdale Florida, currently representing over 200 clients all across the United States and the world.
What sets us apart is the personal touch we give every case. Having worked in large scale firms and the immigration courts taught me that a client’s story can get lost and they end up becoming a number. I am on a mission to build a team of advocates who understand that each story matters and is unique. It is our job to convey that to the government in every petition, application and legal argument we file and to our clientele in making sure they feel confident in our advocacy on their behalf.
I am most proud that we have built a trusted brand that is well known in our immigrant community at large and in my Jamaican community. I have a pretty respectable tik tok following that really just started out of us dispelling myths about the immigration process and cautioning people about immigration scammers (notarios) who seek to take advantage of their sometimes desperate situations.
We also do free consultation drives twice a year, where we provide free 15 minute consultations at a local small business to ensure the information is getting out to the community for people who may not be able to afford an attorney. This summer’s event will be on July13, 2024. 99Jamz and Hot 105 will be there so we are looking forward to a great turnout!
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
I am not an extrovert haha!
I am simply passionate about my work. That passion has me on a plane several times a month for my advocacy, representing clients, doing speaking engagements and being a micro influencer online. My husband however, will tell you that I am happiest at home hugging my penguin squishmallow and watching Harry Potter.
People are always taken aback by my expression of my Caribbean diaspora culture as well. I am unapologetically Jamaican and I partake in a Carnival in full costume every year!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://hemanslaw.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/legallytrem/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HemansLaw/
- Twitter: https://x.com/LegallyTrem
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqRZ8-DSq76IBPXA4xwDuCQ
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@legallytrem
Image Credits
Hoo Designs
Davion Forbes Photography
Bombproof Productions
AlphonsoElm Communications
