EXPERT INSIGHT 50 WWW.LAWYER-MONTHLY.COM | MAR 2022 mmigration law can often seem overwhelming, especially to clients whose needs are often both urgent and personal. What facets of immigration law do you most often assist clients in understanding? Immigration law is deceptively complex. I focus on navigating clients through all the potential pitfalls of this system. I work primarily with the US Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS), the agency responsible for adjudicating applications for both nonimmigrants and immigrants coming to the United Sates. Our firm assists a variety of clients – from asylum seekers to families, and start-ups to billion-dollar corporations – achieve their desired immigration goals. USCIS aims to have a customer service focus; however, due to bureaucracy, complexity, and the size of the organisation, it often falls short of delivering. USCIS cannot provide legal advice and often cannot effectively assist their customers, resulting in making matters more difficult for the applicant, petitioner, or beneficiary. We take that burden from the client. I also work with the Department of State (DOS) in visa processing and the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) for those in removal proceedings. These are the three main agencies I navigate clients though in what is often one of the most puzzling, stressful, and high-stakes events in their lives. To navigate the US immigration system, you must understand the intersectionality of immigration law, federal policy, local practice, and individual variances in circumstances. A nuanced approach that only an experienced immigration attorney can provide is often the difference between a family reuniting or an individual receiving status and the protections of the United States. The most important lesson I can pass along to my clients is that it is my job to monitor the overall landscape of US immigration law and policy and how Making Immigration LawWork for Clients An all-too-often overlooked aspect of immigration law is the wellbeing of those whose lives it shapes. As an immigration lawyer it is sometimes not sufficient to simply do one’s job, but to go above and beyond in delivering compassionate, attentive advice. We hear from L Durbin on what makes an exceptional professional in this field. I
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