California lawmakers pass bill allowing undocumented immigrants to obtain law licenses

The California Legislature has acted quickly to pass a bill that allows people who are in the country illegally to obtain law licenses. Lawmakers approved the bill on Thursday evening, though it was introduced just last week, the Los Angeles Times reports. The measure now goes to the governor. Assemblywoman…

Sep 13, 2013 2:53 PM CDT

Top Calif court skeptical about undocumented law grad’s right to be licensed to practice

Justices of California’s top court were skeptical Wednesday during oral arguments about an undocumented resident’s claimed right to be admitted to the state bar despite his immigration status. The state bar and state attorney general are backing Sergio Garcia’s effort to become a licensed lawyer, since he has passed the…

Sep 4, 2013 10:55 PM CDT

Michigan lawyer wins inaugural ABA Journal/Ross Contest for Short Fiction

Michigan lawyer Lance Hendrickson has been selected winner of the ABA Journal/Ross Contest for Short Fiction. Culled from more than 135 entries, Hendrickson’s short story, “It’s Legal, There,” traces the fictional case of a woman accused of killing her child two years after the fact. The judges said Hendrickson’s story…

Aug 30, 2013 11:54 PM CDT

2nd Circuit: Man held for 4 years is a US citizen; ruling on immigration law could also help others

After being held for more than four years as he awaited deportation, a New York auto mechanic has been determined by a federal appeals court to have been a U.S. citizen since 1994. In a Monday opinion (PDF) that could also help others in a similar situation, the New York…

Aug 13, 2013 9:00 PM CDT

‘My sentencing instincts suck,’ blogging judge admits, wishing ex-con-turned-law-student well

This week, we noted that Shon Hopwood—who wrote a rare winning certiorari petition to the U.S. Supreme Court while in federal prison for bank robbery and has since been released and entered law school—has been hired as a clerk for Judge Janice Rogers Brown of the U.S. Court of Appeals…

Aug 9, 2013 1:30 PM CDT

Hearsay: Leader of the pack

Aug 1, 2013 8:30 AM CDT

Florida Bar supports undocumented law grad’s effort to win admission

Responding to an unusual attorney petition to the Florida Supreme Court seeking to amend state bar rules to allow the admission of undocumented immigrants, governors of the Florida Bar last week expressed support for the proposal. Organized by Talbot “Sandy” D’Alemberte, a former ABA president and former president of Florida…

Jul 29, 2013 10:20 PM CDT

Ex-clients can seek emotional distress damages in legal malpractice case, top state court says

Iowa’s top court has, for the first time, OK’d potential emotional distress damages in a legal malpractice case. An immigration lawyer should have known that his inaccurate advice could cause severe emotional distress to his clients, an Ecuadorean couple who were separated from their children for a decade after following…

Jul 22, 2013 10:15 PM CDT

Lawyers can’t use someone’s immigration status to intimidate them in civil cases, says ethics rule

Mentioning an individual’s immigration status in court might not seem all that intimidating to a U.S. citizen. But it can deter someone who is undocumented from pursuing a civil claim, or improperly influence a jury, the Washington Supreme Court says. It clarified an existing state rule of legal ethics last…

Jul 17, 2013 9:35 PM CDT

Bad experience as immigration client and ‘weird’ website helped lawyer build successful practice

A lawyer from India who has built a successful Maryland immigration boutique from the ground up credits her experience as a client of an uncaring immigration attorney and her website for the Murthy Law Firm’s success, despite her admitted past failings as a boss. Sheela Murthy herself endured a 12-year…

Jun 26, 2013 6:40 PM CDT

Feds raid 7-Eleven stores at 54 sites, allege $180M ‘plantation system’ immigrant fraud

In one of the biggest criminal cases ever brought by the Department of Justice over the employment of immigrants, federal agents have seized the franchise rights of 14 7-Eleven stores and announced charges against nine individuals responsible for their operation. The feds also seized five homes and are executing search…

Jun 18, 2013 8:36 PM CDT

Question the quality of client leads from the Web; Should you link up with competitors on LinkedIn?

Last month, Arizona criminal defense attorney Matt Brown noted at Tempe Criminal Defense that he was taking a break from blogging to go on a 700-plus-mile hike. But he checked into the office periodically. “At some point after climbing onto the Colorado Plateau, however, the volume of voice messages increased,”…

May 17, 2013 1:30 PM CDT

Immigration ‘lawyer’ conned clients and courts for years, 35-count indictment alleges

Although Michael Schorr is not a lawyer, he practiced in immigration courts in New York and New Jersey for four years by simply borrowing other attorneys’ bar registration numbers or using a fake number, authorities allege. Arrested Friday and held without bail, he is accused of stealing tens of thousands…

May 7, 2013 7:00 PM CDT

Marriage as a loophole—what’s love got to do with it?

May 1, 2013 5:50 AM CDT

May 6, 1882: Congress passes first major law restricting immigration

May 1, 2013 5:40 AM CDT