Nicole Bluefort announced her arrival in downtown Manchester in grand style: on a giant billboard across the street from SNHU Arena.
The Law Offices of Nicole Bluefort, which opened at the end of July at 1155 Elm St., aims to fill a niche the attorney says is underserved in New Hampshire: serving people of color.
“I honestly did not see any law firm in the state of New Hampshire that looked like our law firm,” Bluefort said during a recent interview. “Sure, I saw some women-owned firms but not too many, if at all, of women of color. I don’t think I’ve seen one. I think New Hampshire needs a law firm like us.”
The Queen City spot marks the third location for Bluefort, who also operates offices in Boston and Lynn., Mass., where she opened for business 13 years ago.
Bluefort says she decided to enter the New Hampshire market after receiving inquiries from people seeking her services. She was admitted to practice law here in June.
“We’re in the areas of family law, probate, criminal defense, like probably a lot of general practice law firms in New Hampshire,” she said. “So why New Hampshire? A multitude of reasons. First and foremost, we’ve been getting a lot of calls from people that are from Massachusetts that have gone into New Hampshire and have had some issues and now need help.”
The firm currently employs 13 and includes people who speak Haitian Creole, Spanish and Portuguese.
“Just like any other service, it’s important to be a reflection of the clients that you serve,” she said. “The fact that people are out looking for it and couldn’t find something like that in their location, I think is an important need to address.”
The Manchester office initially will be staffed by her and an assistant, but she expects to expand to five people.
“I’m anticipating three attorneys in this office location, a receptionist and a paralegal,” Bluefort said. “It’s going to be a fully operational office. So that means anybody going in at any time between the hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. can go in. It’s not going to be like a satellite office. We’re going to be in there.”
Bluefort grew up on the North Shore.
She initially planned to pursue a medical degree but found that math and science were not her strongest suits (though her path would include earning a master of public health degree).
“I made the most important decision in my life, which was to be undecided and being comfortable with not knowing where I was going,” she said.
During her junior year at Boston College, Bluefort got hooked on shows like “Judge Judy” and “Law and Order.” She took a law class and decided to apply for law school at Northeastern University.
Attorney Nicole Bluefort announced the opening of her new office in Manchester with this billboard on Elm Street south of Old Granite Street. (Photo by Mike Cote/NH Business Review)
In 2011, she opened her first office in Lynn, her hometown.
“For me, it was like a no-brainer to start where I grew up, because those people that I grew up with are naturally going to come to me over somebody that they don’t know,” said Bluefort, whose early clients included high school classmates, people she knew from church and other social connections.
“I started off as a solo practitioner, but before I knew it, I was hiring people left and right. And here we are,” she said. “Within a couple years of business, I ended up opening a Boston location in the Seaport.”
Since becoming admitted to the New Hampshire Bar, Bluefort has already made an appearance in Laconia District Court for a hearing.
“I had a warm welcome from New Hampshire staff and from opposing counsel. It’s definitely a different feel from Massachusetts,” she said. “It’s a small legal community but very supportive. And I’m very excited about what I can bring.”
In June, Bluefort was honored by the Massachusetts Black Women Attorneys with the Ida B. Wells Award, which the nonprofit gives to an “African American or Black female attorney who exemplifies the pioneering spirit and courage of Ida B. Wells, as well as those whose intellect, skill and achievement make them great contributors to the Massachusetts legal community.”
Bluefort plans to be active in the New Hampshire Bar Association and is particularly interested in its diversity, equity and inclusion committee.
“Part of what we’re trying to do is increase the diversity in the legal practice,” she said. “My hope is being on that committee; maybe I can even attract more people of color, even more women, to be a part of practicing in New Hampshire.”
