Tracy Smith has never been one to shy away from challenges.
Whether that’s teaching in a bilingual classroom, living in a foreign country, or advocating for her esteemed clientele as an immigration law consultation attorney with Rivas & Associates, Tracy Smith continues to meet the challenges she faces head-on.
“I think there is something to be said about baptism by fire – just learning by doing things,” Tracy Smith said.
One might say Tracy’s career as an attorney was preordained. A Tulsa native, Tracy excelled in competitive speech and debate at Booker T. Washington where she graduated from the school’s prestigious International Baccalaureate Program. “Graduating with the IB Diploma from Booker T. truly remains one of my proudest accomplishments,” Tracy Smith said.
“Everyone told me I needed to be an attorney,” Tracy Smith said. “It was something that resonated with me. I knew I wanted to use the skills I picked up in speech and debate professionally.”
Tracy attended Emory University and the University of Oklahoma Honors College after high school and earned a B.A. in English with minors in Spanish and Political Science. She then attended the University of Kansas School of Law where she obtained her Juris Doctorate in 2006.
Tracy passed the Oklahoma Bar examination in 2007 and began working as a criminal prosecutor in a small county outside of Oklahoma City. She then made a career about-face and decided to become a bilingual teacher in Austin, Texas, where she resided from 2009-2019. Although she adored her job teaching fifth-grade dual language, she felt compelled to get back into law.
“I wanted to find a field where I could use both my J.D. and Spanish speaking skills,” said Tracy Smith, who has been fluent since she was in fifth grade as a result of Tulsa’s Spanish Immersion Program.
An opportunity at Rivas & Associates presented itself during the summer of 2021 and, after a short stint back in the classroom, Tracy has been working with the well-known Tulsa-based immigration law firm since 2023.
“The appeal of working with Lorena (Rivas) is strong,” Tracy Smith said. “Her passion and pride are so strong that it’s really ingrained into the culture of the firm. Honestly, it really is more like a community than a law firm.”
As an Immigration Law Consultation Associate Attorney, much of Tracy’s work centers on analyzing intakes, interpreting evidence and documents, and providing her clientele with options for relief.
“The pace is really challenging, but it is very rewarding,” Tracy Smith said. I just think it is so neat that the work we do has such an impact on people’s lives. We are helping them achieve their American Dream.”
Tracy remains very active when she is not hard at work at Rivas & Associates. She is a dedicated volunteer with Oklahoma Westie Rescue and has three rescue dogs of her own. A former ballet dancer, she also volunteers with the Tulsa Ballet. Tracy also enjoys writing and recently had her first literary non-fiction piece published in a national literary magazine.