After graduating first in her class from John F. Kennedy School of Law in 1996, Phyllis Beech was admitted to practice in California in May of 1997. She is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, the National Lawyers Guild and the Fresno County Bar Association.

Prior to her legal studies, Ms Beech worked for many years in immigration law firms and pro bono asylum projects. Her background gives her a unique and profound understanding of the interpretation of United States immigration and nationality law, and has also left her with a deep understanding of U.S. immigration policy, as well as the policies and procedures governing practice before the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of State, the United States Immigration Court, the Board of Immigration Appeals, and the United States Court of Appeal for the Ninth Circuit.

Ms. Beech also worked with the Immigrant Legal Resource Center in San Francisco, California, shortly after her admission to the California Bar. There, she assisted in the research in writing of the ILRC publication, "How to Sue an Immigration Consultant in Small Claims Court" in 1999. She continues to provide her services on a volunteer basis to the ILRC, participating in its community forums in the San Joaquin Valley of California.