At a glance
- Practice areas
- Immigration
Criminal Defense - Languages
- English and Spanish
- Law school
- University of Arkansas School of Law
- Licensed in
- Arkansas
- Memberships
- AILA member
- Recognition
- Forty Under 40, 2024
- Media
- La Zeta 95.7
Background
Abel is originally from Santa Maria, California, and moved to Rogers with his family in 2002. He is a first-generation American, the son of Mexican immigrants.
In Abel's words:
Spanish was my first language. Once I became fluent in English, I grew up helping my immigrant parents and family members with complex issues a child shouldn't really be messing with, like medical, tax, and legal documents.
That set me on the path to becoming a lawyer. I'd been saying I would be one since I was pretty young, and looking back, it was because I had to help my family.
I kind of laugh thinking back at all that stuff, being forced to translate documents. Now that I look at it, it helped me in the long run.
I see my parents and my family in my clients. A lot of people take advantage of immigrants, or just don't take them seriously, especially if they don't speak English fluently or aren't college-educated.
I think that's what people sense when they come to see me: some of that genuine background, what they went through, or what their kids are going through.
“I try to be the same with everyone. I try to respect everyone and their background, and that's the way I work with my clients.”
Abel has played in the Rogers Men's Soccer League, where he connected with teammates from around the world.
Education and credentials
Abel earned a BA in Political Science from the University of Arkansas and his JD from the University of Arkansas School of Law in 2017. In law school, he was a student attorney in the school's immigration clinic and treasurer of the Hispanic Law Student Association.
Abel is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA). He also served on the University of Arkansas School of Law's Centennial Celebration Committee.
Talk Business & Politics named Abel to its Forty Under 40, Class of 2024.
Each week, he appears on La Zeta 95.7, the local Spanish radio station, to talk about general immigration, criminal, and family law topics.
Practice and approach
Abel's practice is immigration and criminal defense. Because the firm handles both, he reviews how a criminal charge could affect someone's immigration status before advising about a plea.
His approach is to be direct and concise. Every filing focuses on the facts and documents that matter to the case.
Immigration
- Family-Based Immigration
- Citizenship & Renewals
- Asylum
- Humanitarian Relief
- Deportation & Removal Defense
Criminal defense
What clients say
A review on Google
★★★★★
“I cannot recommend Abel enough! … He was incredibly helpful and always took the time to answer all of our questions. We were even able to have him come with us to our interview, which gave us so much peace of mind.”