Gabrielle S. Johnson, Esq.

Gabrielle was born into the traveling life of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus surrounded by a diverse and largely immigrant community of performers, crew, and sellers from all walks of life, from all over the world.

After the circus, Gabrielle’s family moved to Phoenix, Arizona. The Phoenix area especially became a hotbed for immigration issues during her high school and college years. It was in Arizona that Gabrielle became an advocate for important and worthy pursuits in the name of the public interest.

Gabrielle studied law at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, engaging actively in the Immigration Law Students Association and leading the Carolina Public Interest Law Group. Her legal career began in Las Cruces, New Mexico, focusing on eviction defense and public benefits law for low-income individuals at New Mexico Legal Aid. She then briefly practiced private family law.

Eventually settling in New Bern, North Carolina, she launched her immigration law career at the Immigration Program at Inner Banks Legal Services in Little Washington, serving over 200 clients before the program’s closure.

This experience led her to establish this firm, Zia Pathways Law, named after her beloved dog, Zia. Zia’s name was inspired by the Zia Sun Symbol of the Zia Pueblo, which reflects humanity's four sacred obligations: developing a strong body, a clear mind, a pure spirit, and devotion to the welfare of one's people. It is this last obligation especially which guides Gabrielle in her current practice.

Gabrielle is committed to guiding clients through complex immigration processes, offering services including filing family petitions, apply for humanitarian status, representation removal defense, and more. A complete list of our services and rates can be found here.