Picking a good immigration attorney

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By Jim Nolan | August 16, 2008

Since September 11^th obtaining a work visa and “green card” is getting more difficult and frustrating.

One of the most important things for a foreign person is picking a good immigration attorney. Of course, I think I can help, but I would like to share some ideas how to tell if someone is probably not the attorney for you.

Obviously, the attorney must know immigration law. I believe that an attorney who occasionally does immigration is not the best choice because immigration is getting too specialized. An attorney who does immigration cases as part of a general practice can cause trouble.

I would suggest asking an attorney you are considering the following to check if he or she really is specialized in immigration:

1. Is the attorney a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA)? If not, the attorney will have trouble keeping up with changes in the law.

2. Does the attorney’s Web site say he or she does many types of law, including immigration? If so, I would be careful.

3. Ask if the attorney has ever published any articles about immigration or given any lectures about it? If not, I would be careful.

4. Does the attorney use specialized software to prepare the immigration forms? If he or she is still using a typewriter I would get out fast!

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