Finding a Place in the World: My Journey from Immigrant to Advocate 🌍➡️🤝

Yasin G Amba, Esq., Tampa Florida, March 2022

My very first business card, if memory serves, I made this in a IT class either sophomore or junior year at Samuel F. B. Morse High School. Circa 2006

Tyrion Lannister once said he had a soft spot for "cripples, bastards, and broken things"—for those the world overlooked, underestimated, or cast aside. I understand that sentiment deeply. For much of my life, I have lived on the outside, carving out my own place in a world that was never built for me.

For twenty years, my greatest ambition was to return to Ethiopia 🇪🇹 with my younger brother—not just as visitors, but as individuals who had achieved something abroad. This dream was tied to our pursuit of U.S. citizenship 🇺🇸, a milestone that felt both deeply personal and profoundly necessary. My brother became a citizen in 2015, and I followed in 2018. That same year, after years of hard work and sacrifice, we finally made the journey home. Watching my father cradle my little brother’s face in his hands after two decades apart remains the proudest moment of my life. 👨‍👦❤️

My second business card; I was President of my social fraternity, I was tutoring immigrant kids in English at a local elementary school, and worked with the County of San Diego developing San Diego’s throughout it’s middle and high schools. Circa 2010

But it wasn’t the trip I had dreamed of for 20 years. I had left Ethiopia as a child of six or seven, and I returned as a grown man. Although my brother and I had supported our family financially since high school, I felt alone and different from them. The emotions were confusing—I was home, but it didn’t feel like home. I was with my family, but it didn’t feel the way I thought it would. 🤔🏠

When I came back to the U.S., something shifted. They stopped being my priority, and I became my priority. I didn’t recognize it at the time, but I began letting go of all that I knew. I wrapped up my time as a public defender ⚖️, moved into corporate America 💼, and ended the five-year relationship that had brought me to Florida in the first place.

I extended my college to last five years so that I could both be president of my social fraternity and also participate in The Washington Center (affectionally referred to as TWC) which gave me the opportunity to discuss politics and also intern for a law firm in Washington, DC. Circa Fall 2011

A Paradigm Shift: Finding My Own Path 🛤️

On August 28, 2020, in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic 🦠, I stepped away from the career demands and billable hours that once seemed so important. I took a weekend near the water in Daytona Beach 🏖️, and for the first time, I articulated the shift happening within me.

I felt lost, alone, and purposeless. None of my success or relationships brought satisfaction. The pain of my relationship ending 💔, Kobe Bryant’s death 🕊️, and grieving the life I never had—growing up away from my family, never having a true childhood or youth—became undeniable.

A year later, when my father passed 😢, and I became the head of his family, I leaned even deeper into this realization—that in order to be at my best, I had to let go and move forward.

Leaving Florida, Grieving, and Rebuilding in San Diego 🌴🌊

My law school business card- what is left of it anyways. Circa 2013

Six months later, I left corporate America and the legal profession altogether, planning to move to Ethiopia and figure things out there. But what was supposed to be a short stop in San Diego became something more.

Leaving Florida and going to San Diego was not just about letting go—it was about continuing what had begun that weekend in Daytona Beach: to just be, to not work, and to let my mind ruminate on my life and answer the question: Who was I? 🧘‍♂️

The move was also about grieving. In fall 2020, I was diagnosed as clinically depressed 😔, and after my father passed in 2022, the weight and pain of losing the life I had envisioned with him hit me hard. More than anything, I needed time to breathe and just be.

San Diego gave me that space. Being close to family and my dog, Bella 🐕, whom I brought from Florida, helped in my healing process. By nurturing relationships with family members I grew up with in San Diego, I connected with an individual seeking an attorney for his nonprofit assisting recent refugees, leading to my role as Director of Legal Immigration Services.

That experience ultimately led me to conclude that I had to build my own firm—not just to practice law, but to create an office culture that reflected my personality and values.

My first business card as an attorney after graduating law school (in May 2016), sitting for the Florida Bar (in July 2016), moving to Florida (August 2016), and being sworn in as an attorney (September 2016).

Becoming an Immigration Advocate: The Lawyer I Wish I Had ⚖️🤝

Immigration law was something I understood without trying, simply because I had lived it.

In 2012, I attempted to become a U.S. citizen but failed—not because I wasn’t eligible, but because I couldn’t afford a lawyer. As a recent college graduate preparing for law school, legal representation was prohibitively out of reach. I now know that if I had an attorney, I likely would have succeeded on my first attempt.

In 2015, I assisted my younger brother through the naturalization process, and by 2018, I walked through the process again—but this time, as my own lawyer, now with two years of experience as a criminal defense attorney.

My passion for immigration law had already taken root in law school, where I participated in an immigration clinic, representing immigrants, including a teenage asylum seeker from the Dominican Republic 🇩🇴 and a stateless man from Ethiopia 🇪🇹.

During my sabbatical in San Diego, while reflecting on my journey, I realized I wanted to be that advocate again—the one immigrants can afford. I wanted to be the lawyer I wished I had in 2012, the one I was for my clients in law school, and the one I became for myself in 2018.

This realization, combined with my own lived experience, led me to build Amba Law—a law firm dedicated to ensuring immigrants do not have to navigate the system alone or wait until it’s too late.

After my incredible track record as a trial lawyer, it became obvious fairly quickly that I had options in corporate America, this first job essentially doubled my salary and exposed me billable hours and corporate culture. Circa 2020

Full Circle: Fighting for the Overlooked 🔄🛡️

Like Tyrion Lannister, I have been on the outside since arriving in the U.S. Perhaps that is why I, too, have a soft spot for those who are overlooked, underestimated, or cast aside.

That is who Amba Law is built for—for those of us who never truly fit in. I know what it feels like to be told to wait, to be trapped in systems that were never designed for you, to feel like you are alone in your fight. But I also know that our stories don’t end there. Life can still be lived, built, and reshaped into something meaningful.

After my father’s passing in October 2021, I left my first corporate job and accepted a position as a Commercial Litigator with Greenspoon Marder—it would last a mere 5 weeks, it became obvious to me that I was done with corporate America for certain and done with the legal profession unless I could do it on my own terms. Circa Spring 2022.

My clients are not just cases to me—they are my past, my present, and my purpose. The victories I fight for today are the ones I once wished for myself, my brother, and my community. Through Amba Law, I want them to see what I have come to understand: we don’t have to accept the limits placed on us—we can build the life we want, and in doing so, we can heal.

Serving as the Director of Legal Immigration Services at the Somali Bantu Association of America (SBAOA) marked my return to the legal profession after a year-long sabbatical. This role validated the perspective shared by a managing partner at Greenspoon Marder upon my departure: he couldn't envision me working for another firm and believed I was best suited to practice law independently.

Empowering the Overlooked: My Journey from Immigrant to Advocate

Reflecting on my journey, I recognize that my extensive experience as a trial lawyer and civil litigator, combined with my personal history as an immigrant and now an American citizen, uniquely positions me to serve those navigating the complexities of the immigration system. At Amba Law, we purposefully set our fees at a level accessible to individuals like my younger self—those who, during their college years, couldn't afford quality legal representation. This intentional approach ensures that financial barriers don't prevent deserving clients from receiving the assistance they need.

In the narrative of "Game of Thrones," Tyrion Lannister, despite his stature as a dwarf and his status as an outsider, rises to a position of significant influence, becoming the Hand of the King and playing a crucial role in shaping the realm's future. While I don't aspire to such lofty heights, my goal is to provide exceptional legal and integration services to those who need them most but can least afford them. Through this mission, I aim to build a supportive community for all of us who, like Tyrion, have felt marginalized.

Achieving this vision isn't a solitary endeavor. It requires collaboration with others who share similar objectives—clients seeking our services, dedicated professionals joining our team, and supporters assisting us in various capacities. Together, we can empower the "Tyrions" of the world—the young individuals striving to find their voice and make this great country their home—while fostering a community where they, in turn, can support others facing similar challenges.

With a rich background as a trial lawyer, civil litigator, and immigrant, I have founded Amba Law to provide accessible, high-quality legal services. My journey has uniquely equipped me to guide clients through complex legal landscapes, ensuring they receive the support I once sought. All my previous roles, education, and legal training have led me to this point, and I am excited to embark on this endeavor with the same passion and drive that have brought me here.