William Gaston McLean III

William Gaston McLean III

4.8
Rating: 7.8

Licensed for 14 years

Immigration Lawyer at Chicago, IL
Practice Areas: Immigration, Criminal Defense, Family

318 W Adams St, 1517, Chicago, IL

About William

Biography

Practice Areas

3

Practice Areas

Immigration 85%

In this area of the law I help immigrants win benefits from the federal government for themselves and their families, and their employees. I specialize in family-based immigration, employment-based immigration, deportation, citizenship, humanitarian relief, and non-immigrant visas. This has always been my favorite area of the law and the one closest to my heart. it is currently quite difficult for immigrants in the U.S. to win any immigration benefits, so having the right lawyer is crucial!

14 years | 500 cases

85%
Criminal Defense 10%

Many times immigration and criminal law overlap. Even if I do not handle your criminal case, and you have another lawyer defending you against your charges, you should definitely consult with me to make sure you do not plead to a crime involving moral turpitude, or some other crime that could get you deported! My most common criminal cases are misdemeanors, such as DUIs and other traffic matters, but I also have handled some felonies.

14 years | 50 cases

10%
Family 5%

Like criminal law, family law often overlaps with immigration law. I mainly handle child custody, child support, and divorces.

14 years | 10 cases

5%

Fees and Rates

Cost

Retainer

Always


Payment Methods

  • Cash
  • Check
  • Credit Card

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Licenses

Licensed in Florida for 11 years

State: Florida

Acquired: 2014

Member in Good Standing

No misconduct found

Licensed in Illinois for 14 years

State: Illinois

Acquired: 2011

Active and Authorized to Practice Law

No misconduct found

Location

The Law Office of William G. Mclean III

318 W Adams St, 1517, Chicago, IL, 60606

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William Gaston McLean III's Reviews

Avvo Review Score

4.8 /5.0

16 Client Reviews

5 star (15)
4 star (0)
3 star (0)
2 star (0)
1 star (1)

Posted by Brito | June 29, 2025 | Hired Attorney

This review is from a person who hired this attorney.

A good lawyer thank you.

We hired McLean once we able to get the opportunity to regular our status he was really straightforward. We really appreciate it. Thank you.

Posted by anonymous | June 19, 2025 | Hired Attorney

This review is from a person who hired this attorney.

Not recommended

I had a very disappointing and frustrating experience with William McLean. I hired him for a U visa case, and he charged me an outrageous $20,000 — a price I later found out was far above the norm after consulting with top immigration attorney Charles Kuck, who advised me to cancel and request a re...fund. I initially paid $1,000. When I asked for it back, Mr. McLean said he would only refund half. We had clearly agreed that the consultation was $300, so I reasonably asked for $700 back. He still refused. This felt like a clear case of overcharging and taking advantage of someone in a vulnerable immigration situation. I strongly urge anyone considering hiring him to think twice. Based on my experience, I cannot recommend his services to anyone.

William McLean

Replied last June 20, 2025

Criminal issues make cases expensive. Let Attorney Charles Kuck know that I think we need to talk.

Posted by anonymous | May 28, 2020 | Hired Attorney

This review is from a person who hired this attorney.

Focus Devotion and Result

I had a very complicated case with several legal issues that William had to evaluate. He was very aggressive and pushed for benefits that i may not have with another attorney or firm . In the end it took several years but victory was mine I won my permanent resident status

Posted by Pablo | February 13, 2020 | Hired Attorney

This review is from a person who hired this attorney.

Professional with ethics

He was with me through the whole process from the beginning, to obtain the American citizenship, explaining in detail what the process is, and answered all the questions that I had to my entire satisfaction. Everything went well....he was very supportive all the time. I highly recommend this profess...ional in the law field.

Posted by Ingrid S | September 22, 2018 | Hired Attorney

This review is from a person who hired this attorney.

Very helpful professional

Since day 1 he explain your options with detail. He was patient with all the questions that we had and anser them all. We truly recomend him. We are a very highly satisfied customers.

See All Client Reviews

William Gaston McLean III's Lawyer Endorsements

Endorse William
Kathleen Ann Schulz headshot
Kathleen Schulz

Immigration lawyer | Aug 09

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"As a fellow attorney practitioner of immigration law in the Windy City I am more than comfortable in saying that Mr. McLean is an honest, knowledgeable, and talented lawyer. I have bounced ideas back and forth with him more than once and always walked away with fresh Insight and new confidences. He is an absolute pleasure to work with in this often grey area of law, thus, it is no wonder his Client are proud to have him by their side."

Pushkar Mitra Singh headshot
Pushkar Singh

Immigration lawyer | Jul 25

Relationship: Friend

"Attorney McLean is a top attorney in Downtown Chicago area. I consistently see him in his office helping Clients of all backgrounds- who speak Spanish, Filipino, and much much more. Plus, he is never too far from a treatise or secondary source to help his Client. He consistently reads news articles and cases to stay relevant and current with the law. He can handle any Immigration matter, especially those that require the his experience and penmanship. Hire him now."

Timothy Peter Brown headshot
Timothy Brown

Unknown lawyer | Apr 05

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer."

Chase N Morinaka headshot
Chase Morinaka

Immigration lawyer | Jun 19

Relationship: Other

"I endorse this lawyer. He is respected in his community."

Pamela Faye Trachtman-Allen headshot
Pamela Trachtman-Allen

Immigration lawyer | Dec 12

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I know Mr. McLean from law school and was always impressed by his hard work and dedication to his career. He is well versed in his practice area and I would absolutely endorse his practice."

William Donahue Pavy headshot
William Pavy

Immigration lawyer | Dec 03

Relationship: Friend

"I endorse this lawyer."

Susan N Novak headshot
Susan Novak

Immigration lawyer | Dec 03

Relationship: Other

"Will is widely respected for his legal skill, professionalism, and compassion for his clients."

Benjamin Condon Hughes headshot
Benjamin Hughes

Immigration lawyer | Dec 03

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"Mr. McLean is an upstanding member of the Illinois legal community. He demonstrates empathy, compassion, and most importantly, professionalism when dealing with his clients. I would recommend Mr. McLean to any of my clients that have immigration and/or criminal defense legal issues without hesitation. I am privileged to associate with Mr. McLean in a professional and personal capacity."

Art Stresing headshot
Art Stresing

Immigration lawyer | Nov 18

Relationship: Friend

"Will's work ethic and knowledge of Immigration Law speak for itself. He cares deeply about his clients and strives to help those in need. I endorse this lawyer."

Joseph Andrew Brabender IV headshot
Joseph Brabender

Immigration lawyer | Oct 19

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"As someone who works in close proximity to Will every day, I've grown to respect hist vast knowledge of immigration law. Whenever I have an immigration question, I turn to Will."

View All Endorsements
Kathleen Ann Schulz headshot
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Experience

Rating:  7.8 (Very Good)

Honors

2010

Barbara C. McAlla Memorial Award, Florida Coastal School of Law

Work Experience

2012 - Present

Immigration Attorney, Law Office of William G. McLean III, P.C.

2011 - 2012

Immigration Attorney, M.A. Ramos and Associates, P.C.

Associations

2014 - Present

Florida Bar

Member

2013 - Present

Chicago Bar Association

Member

2012 - Present

American Immigration Lawyers Association

Member

2012 - Present

Illinois State Bar Association

Member

2009 - 2010

Criminal Law Society - Florida Coastal School of Law

Treasurer and Member

2009 - 2010

Immigration Law Society - Florida Coastal School of Law

President and Member

Sample of Legal Cases

Cancellation of Removal

Success

Transportation Letter

Success

Joint Motion to Terminate Proceedings

Removal Proceedings Terminated

See More Legal Cases

Education

2010

Florida Coastal School of Law

JD - Juris Doctor

2006

New York University

BA - Bachelor of Arts

Speaking Engagements

2015

DACA/DAPA Workshop

DACA/DAPA

2015

DACA/DAPA Workshop

DACA/DAPA

2013

Sin Censura with Vicente Serrano

Immigration Law

Publications

2013

http://www.mclean-law.com Transportation Letters

Languages

English

Spanish

Activity

Avvo Rating

Our Rating is calculated using information the lawyer has included on their profile in addition to the information we collect from state bar associations and other organizations that license legal professionals. Attorneys who claim their profiles and provide Avvo with more information tend to have a higher rating than those who do not.

What determines Avvo Rating?
  • Experience & background Years licensed, work experience, education
  • Legal community recognition Peer endorsements, associations, awards
  • Legal thought leadership Publications, speaking engagements
  • Discipline Disciplinary information may not be comprehensive, or updated. We recommend that you always check a lawyer's disciplinary status with their respective state bar association before hiring them.
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