Nico Ratkowski Email & Phone Number

St Paul, Minnesota, United States

Located in St. Paul, Minnesota, Ratkowski Law provides legal services to individuals in need of legal assistance with all types of immigration, criminal, and civil rights cases.

Greater Minneapolis-St. Paul Area

Practice areas: immigration (family-based petitions, removal defense, employment-based immigrant visas, and nonimmigrant visas), criminal defense, specific tax issues, contract drafting and review, small-business acquisitions, FOIAs, administrative appeals, and federal litigation. Duties: draft administrative law briefs, trial court briefs, amicus briefs, and various appellate briefs (including writs of certiorari before the U.S. Supreme Court). Oral argument (before immigration judges, magistrate judges, District Court judges, and panels of the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals). Extensive persuasive writing. Nuanced motion practice involving motions for reconsideration, motions for remand, motions to reopen, motions to substitute counsel, motion for change of venue, motions to administratively close proceedings, motions for summary dismissal, etc. Perform legal research for litigation purposes. Navigate, interpret, and apply complicated statutory language and case law. Draft internal memorandums analyzing case-specific legal issues. Strategic planning. Interview clients and draft affidavits. FOIA requests. Interact with multiplicitous federal and state administrative agencies. Document collection. Draft residential lease agreements. Form business entities. Draft articles of incorporation and organization. Draft company bylaws and operating agreements. Client consultations and contract signing.Immigration-specific experience: I-601As, I-601s, I-589s, I-918s, I-918As, I-918Bs, I-929s, I-539s, I-751s, I-765s, I-290Bs, I-129s (O-1B, P-1B, and E-2 change of status petitions), I-907s, I-129Fs, I-130s, I-131s, I-134s, I-192s, I-360s, I-485s, I-485As, I-824s, I-864s, I-864As, 42A COR, 42B COR, I-821s, I-821Ds, I-914s, I-90s, DS-156s, DS-156Es, DS-160s, DS-260s, E-2 visa applications, F-1 visa applications, bond matters, administrative appeals, petitions for review, IV and NIV consular processing, N-400s.

Kalispell, Montana

Founded and incorporated a nonprofit corporation that obtained federal tax-exempt 501(c)(3) classification with the IRS as a private operating foundation. Recruited board members. Drafted and filed articles of incorporation, bylaws, and all internal policies (whistleblower, conflict of interest, document retention, & sexual harassment) (conflict of interest, whistleblower, & document retention) to comport with all IRS and state corporate law requirements. Completed IRS Form 1023, including Schedule H, and drafted all documents in support. Drafted donor solicitation legal compliance guidebook for volunteers / board members. Dissolved organization due to fundraising difficulties (all money was donated to The Wild Animal Sanctuary in Keenesberg, CO.

Greater Minneapolis-St. Paul Area

Represent low-income taxpayers in their tax controversies. Draft Tax Court petitions. Communicate with clients, IRS, and state revenue agents. Draft offers in compromise and other IRS/client correspondence. Help clients navigate audit and collection procedures. Perform legal research. Tax-specific experience: determining filing status; dependent(s) evaluation; earned-income tax credit; state taxes (MN); innocent spouse; substantiation issues; net operating losses and associated carrybacks (related to unsold inventory); negotiate installment payment agreements; negotiate OICs with IRS.

Greater St. Louis Area

Participated in witness interviews and drafted witness statements. Digested trial court materials for use during appellate proceedings. Conducted extensive document review for appealable issues including ineffective assistance of counsel, jury bias, and Brady violations. Oversaw other legal interns in supervisory role; occasionally assigned tasks and answered questions. Partnered with county clerks to obtain and digitize files necessary for document review.

Tacoma, Wa

I built commercial chain link fences that varied in height and gauge (10'​ tall 6 gauge was largest fabric I handled). Operated heavy duty boom-reach lifts and used them to place 40 foot (schedule 40) steel posts into 8'x3'​ holes; the posts were for baseball/softball backstops. Operated scissor lifts (duties included extracting extraneous objects from tall posts and installing fence 10'​ taller and above). Guided cement trucks with hand signals. Operated skid steer with 3'​ auger bit, 12"​ auger bit, 8"​ auger bit, and bucket attachments. Consistently had to carry 100+ pounds long distances. Used wide variety of hand tools and power tools including, but not limited to: hand held concrete saws, a one man auger, cable jacks and come-alongs. Was in charge of delegating and prioritizing tasks for lower-ranked employees. Learned to read and interpret blueprints correctly. Daily communication with other companies' supervisors on the jobsite to ensure maximum jobsite productivity. This position involved a great deal of travel and overtime. Most weeks, I was out of town for at least three nights a week. Biggest job: Eisenhower High School athletic and perimeter fences in Yakima, WA

Moscow, Idaho

Participated in hiring decisions. Handled payroll, set employee schedules, and scheduled patient appointments. Managed/reorganized filing system. Collected on overdue accounts. Managed employees. Monitored inventory and performed other general tasks to ensure hospital ran smoothly. Served as OSHA coordinator & project manager.

Doctor Of Law (J.D.), Law

Activities and Societies: Minnesota Journal of Law, Science, and Technology

Criminal Justice, B.A., Criminal Justice

Activities and Societies: Alpha Kappa Lambda