PILAR C. NICHOLS obtained her Juris Doctor from The Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law in Washington, D.C., where she also received a specialized certificate from the Institute for Communications Law Studies. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree from the Pennsylvania State University in State College, Pennsylvania. She is admitted to practice law before the state and federal courts in Maryland and the District of Columbia, as well as the United States Supreme Court.

A founding partner of Nichols Gelmann LLC in Rockville, Maryland, Pilar concentrates her practice in family law and criminal defense. Immediately preceding the founding of Nichols Gelmann LLC, she was a principal in the family law department of a large firm. Prior to private practice, she served as an Assistant State's Attorney for Prince George's County and as Legislative and Regulatory Counsel for the National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors. Pilar is a trained mediator, is regularly appointed by the Court to serve as child counsel in high-conflict custody cases, and appears regularly as a presenter and panelist in CLEs.

Pilar has been selected by the Washingtonian as one of “Washingtonian Top Lawyers”, to “Best Lawyers in America, Family Law”, and to Bethesda Magazine’s Top Attorneys, Family Law”. Pilar was designated a "Rising Star" by Super Lawyers Magazine from 2012 to 2015 and has been designated a “Super Lawyer” from 2016 to 2023. Super Lawyers Magazine further awarded her with inclusion in the “Top 50 Women Maryland Super Lawyers List” in 2019 and 2021 - 2023, and the “Top 100 Maryland Super Lawyers List” from 2019 to 2023. She received the “Leading Women” award in 2019 and the “Leadership in law” award in 2020 from the Daily Record.

Pilar is the president of the Bar Association of Montgomery County, serves as a member of the Judicial Selections Committee, and previously served as co-chair of the Family Law Section. She is a Master of the Bench in the Montgomery County Inns of Court, a Fellow of the Maryland Bar Foundation, currently serving on the Board of Directors, and a Montgomery County Bar Foundation Bar Leader. She is a former MSBA Leadership Academy Fellow, currently serving on the Leadership Academy Committee, and co-chaired the MSBA’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee from 2020 - 2023. Pilar is an active member and past president of the Maryland Hispanic Bar Association and continues to serve on the association's Judicial Selections Committee.

In addition to practicing law, Pilar has been adjunct professor at The Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law in Washington, DC since 2010. She is fluent in Spanish and resides in Montgomery County with her husband, young sons, and their German Shepherds, Ares and Nala.