HelenPArsonAge Attorney

&Associate
F
or attorney and associate Helen Parsonage, of Elliot
Pishko Morgan PA, the journey to practicing law
involved several stops along the way, but her passion for
the law kept her pursuing what she believes in: fair and just
representation.
Helen Parsonage was born and raised in London, England, the
second of four children. “My father was a college drop-out
who went on to become a film cameraman and later a lecturer
in film and the administrator of the London International Film
School. My mother was a homemaker and later a librarian
with a passion for books and reading. I went to university in
Birmingham, UK, where I met and married my husband of 30
years, Derek Parsonage,” recalled Parsonage.
In 1991 the Parsonage family moved to Winston-Salem, NC
after Derek took a position at Wake Forest University. “After
spending a number of years as a stay at home mom, partly
due to the fact that my visa status didn’t come with a work
permit, I went to work as a paralegal in an immigration law
firm in 1998 and started evening classes at Forsyth Technical
Community College to obtain my AAS in Paralegal Studies.
In 2002 I was accepted into the evening program at North
Carolina Central University School of Law and spent the next
four years driving to Durham three evenings a week, while
still working full time and doing all the domestic/mum stuff. I
estimate I drove 65,000 miles to get my law degree. I
graduated in 2006, second in my class,” Parsonage said.
Since earning her law degree, Parsonage has practiced criminal
defense, immigration, workers’ compensation and Social
Security disability law. “Immigration law is still my first love.
What all my areas of practice have in common is that each
one involves individuals who have to deal with the
government, many times in an adversarial setting. Everyone
has the right to have someone who will see they are treated
fairly and with respect and that the best possible outcome is
obtained for them,” commented Parsonage.
At the end of the day when the court room doors close,
Parsonage goes home to her family, husband Derek, the one
son still living at home, Jacob, and four cats. Her eldest son,
Ben, graduates from UNCG in May, and
middle son, Zach, is now a freshman at
Appalachian State. “My sons have
seen me along my path to becoming an
attorney; from studying for law school,
to taking the bar exam, to researching
the law and preparing for hearings. It
is important for me to share with them
my professional life and for them to see
and understand the life that I have away
from home,” Parsonage stated.

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