Giovanna Valdez is proud a first-generation Mexican American raised by Mexican undocumented parents. Ms. Valdez grew up in the Lake County Illinois suburbs and continues to raise her family there. Ms. Valdez grew up working at her family’s Mexican grocery store and taking yearly summer trips to Mexico with extended family. Her deep connection to her Mexican heritage and exposure to immigrants’ resilience, is what drove her to choose a career in immigration law. Her intention is to give the immigrant community a voice and empower them to thrive in this country.

Ms. Valdez is a founding partner of Valdez & Vilim, LLP and of her prior firm, Valdez Vilim & Wunrow, LLP. She focuses her practice in the area of immigration and nationality law, including family-based immigration, humanitarian immigration (asylum, VAWA, U Visas, T Visas and SIJS), naturalization, immigration appeals, and removal defense. She represents clients with cases before the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of State, and the Department of Justice. She was selected to the 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 Illinois Rising Star List by Super Lawyers.

Ms. Valdez is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) where she has served on committees and spoke at local and national conferences. Ms. Valdez currently serves on the board of directors for Latinos Progresando, a Chicago immigrant focused nonprofit.

Prior to co-founding Valdez & Vilim, Ms. Valdez practiced immigration law at a private firm in Chicago for 5 years. Ms. Valdez received her B.A. in Marketing with a Concentration in Professional Sales from Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois. She earned her J.D. from DePaul University College of Law with a certificate in Public Interest Law. Ms. Valdez is fluent in Spanish and is admitted to practice law in Illinois.