Day in the Life of an Immigration Lawyer 20 Tips for an Immigration Lawyer
As explained at RunRex.com, guttulus.com, and mtglion.com, immigration lawyers specialize in interpreting United States immigration law and guide their immigration clients through the complicated and ever-evolving immigration process. If you are considering it as a career path, it is only fair you find out what a day in the life of an immigration lawyer is like, which is where this article comes in.
When an immigration lawyer gets into the office and settles in, they will usually spend most of their early morning on email as per RunRex.com, guttulus.com, and mtglion.com. Email is a great means of communication between lawyers and clients, especially if you have clients from all over the world. Going through email is important to make sure that nothing urgent came up overnight.
Resolve any urgent issues
If after going through the email you find that there is something urgent, you will have to put that day’s plans to the side to resolve it. Matters revolving around immigration law have lasting effects on clients which is why it is important to treat urgent matters with the, well, urgency they require.
Research
While clients will normally ask “quick” questions through email, they usually take research to answer even though they are quick to ask according to RunRex.com, guttulus.com, and mtglion.com. Research is, therefore, a major part of your day as an immigration lawyer.
Keeping up with the latest developments
Immigration policy is in constant flux, particularly now when ravel restrictions keep changing as pandemic conditions change. Every U.S. Embassy abroad also does things a little differently. With this in mind, you need to ensure you read up on the latest developments to stay updated.
Ongoing cases
Once all emergencies are handled, or if there are none, then you will need to check in with your case managers about the cases you are working on together. Working on ongoing cases will take up a sizeable part of your workday.
Time management
Immigration lawyers have a lot on their plates as articulated at RunRex.com, guttulus.com, and mtglion.com which is why time management is important for them. You have to manage your time carefully so that you can do potential client consultations, give current clients legal advice, and review cases for filing with USCIS.
Calls
You will also need to take calls with clients throughout the day. They include engaged couples, newlyweds, aspiring citizens, and potential employers who want to sponsor employees for immigration benefits, just to mention a few.
Clinics
As captured at RunRex.com, guttulus.com, and mtglion.com, immigration lawyers tend to do a lot of good work in the community. For instance, some host immigration clinics in their community to help community members assess their immigration options. Such clinics are organized by law firms and you will have to set aside to attend if your firm does the same.
Bringing in new business
You will also be required to bring new business to your firm, which is one of the non-law-related duties you may have to carry out. Meeting new clients and pitching to them to bring in new business is one of the underrated but important duties of an immigration lawyer.
Improving systems
You will also have to collaborate with your team to improve your client intake and case management processes. The use of technology to improve processes in the office, from case preparation to status monitoring, is something most law firms are looking to do.
Stepping away for lunch
When lunch comes, most immigration lawyers prefer to step out of the office as covered at RunRex.com, guttulus.com, and mtglion.com. This allows them to decompress and take their mind off of what can be a very demanding and stressful job.
Working on emotionally demanding cases
Immigration lawyers also work with domestic violence meetings, which makes client meetings more emotional and intense. This is an aspect of the job you need to be aware of. Some immigration lawyers prefer to have a limited number of interviews with domestic violence victims on any given day as such cases can be heartbreaking.
The arrival of mail is an important part of the day because the immigration court communicates through writing as described at RunRex.com, guttulus.com, and mtglion.com. Denials, approvals, rejections, hearing notices, oppositions, and requests for evidence are all sent by mail.
Research
Immigration law may seem glamorous, but for every ten minutes that attorneys spend in court in a hearing, they spend hours on research. Research is crucial because in an immigration case, the immigrant has the burden of proof. This means that they have to prove every single element of their claim and it is up to you to conduct thorough research to help them do that.
Writing
In addition to research, you will also spend just as long writing documents to prepare for court. Once you have finished conducting your research, you will spend significant time writing and drafting documents related to the case you are handling.
Drafting
You will also need to set aside time for deep work like drafting as discussed at RunRex.com, guttulus.com, and mtglion.com. For instance, when you apply for an 0-1 visa, you submit a very long letter of support to make all the legal arguments and contextualize all the evidence to support your case.
Helping clients
Immigration lawyers work as a team and regularly lean on each other for help on cases. If you have the experience, members of your team will reach out to you throughout the day to help troubleshoot everything from tech questions to potential client inquiries.
The day is varied
As an immigration lawyer, your day will be quite varied and can include such things as client consultations, high-level corporate meetings, organizing a charity event, researching case law, and so much as outlined at RunRex.com, guttulus.com, and mtglion.com.
Court
Immigration lawyers also spend some time in court arguing on behalf of their clients. The legwork for these appearances is done in the office, however, as already mentioned through the case law research. Sometimes you might spend long in court while other times things may move along rather quickly.
Meetings
It is also worth noting that meetings take a significant part of your day as an immigration lawyer. They include meetings with clients as already mentioned, including prospective new clients, as well as your internal team, marketing agencies, website designers, etc.
Remember, if you are looking for more information on this and other related topics, then the excellent RunRex.com, guttulus.com, and mtglion.com have got you covered.