Melissa A. Bryan was born and raised in Portmore, Jamaica. She came to the U.S. as an international student and has a first-hand experience as an immigrant. Marrying her experience as an immigrant with her studies in law and criminal justice, she specializes in immigration law handling family and business visa petitions.
She also helps criminal clients with traffic, felony and misdemeanor offenses and is experienced in family law, specifically divorce, child support, and paternity cases. Melissa is a prime example of having an attorney when it matters as she uses her skill set in these various areas of law to navigate clients through some of the most difficult times in their lives.
Before joining HAWM Law, Melissa was an Advanced Law Student Legal Advocate representing clients at the Barry University, Dwayne O Andreas School of Law’s Immigration Clinic. She was also a Legal Clerical Assistant at Foley & Lardner LLP handling civil and construction litigation matters.
During her law school studies, she graduated in the top 20 % of her class in law school with cum laude honors, and litigation honors certification. She served as the president of the Barry Law’s Federal Bar Student Association and the Caribbean Law Students Association, and co-authored and edited numerous articles for publications such as the Child & Family Law Journal, Howard Law Journal, and the Carolina Academic Press. Melissa also served as a speaker and panelist for the Howard Law Journal Branton Symposium in 2020 & the ABA Section of Civil Rights & Social Justice on climate gentrification in 2021.
Attorney Melissa A. Bryan is dedicated in aiding families with their legal problems as she views herself as an esteemed problem solver. Attorney Bryan is currently MBA candidate with the aim of using the wealth of knowledge from her masters to strategically plan and to develop business strategies aligned with the law. Attorney Bryan strives to advocate for every individual regardless of race, ethnicity, and economic status.
When she is not fighting for the rights of her client, you can find her traveling and visiting friends and family. Her favorite motto is “Be that change you want to see in the world.”
