How to become an immigration lawyer
Full Answer
To become an immigration lawyer, you must first earn a bachelor’s degree from a college or university. At some point towards the end of the four-year program, you will take the law school admissions test (LSAT). The standardized exam assesses a person’s reading comprehension, logical, and verbal reasoning proficiency.
“We looked at who else is here," said Christine Zeller-Powell, an immigration lawyer with RISP and one of the founders ... for a work permit it can cost nearly $500 and needs to be renewed every two years. It took Cortez 13 years to become a citizen.
All told, an aspiring immigration lawyer needs a total of seven years of full-time study after high school to obtain a Juris Doctor degree. He will also need a few more months to pass the bar exam and meet local bar association requirements.
What are some of the most important skills for Immigration Lawyers to have? Good judgment, creative solution problem-solving abilities, excellent communication skills with customers, the ability to speak in public, compassion and good people skills.
The salaries of Immigration Lawyers in the US range from $55,870 to $187,200 , with a median salary of $115,820 . The middle 60% of Immigration Lawyers makes between $115,820 and $120,480, with the top 80% making $187,200.
Some of the highest-paid lawyers are:Medical Lawyers – Average $138,431. Medical lawyers make one of the highest median wages in the legal field. ... Intellectual Property Attorneys – Average $128,913. ... Trial Attorneys – Average $97,158. ... Tax Attorneys – Average $101,204. ... Corporate Lawyers – $116,361.
An immigration lawyer is a legal professional who helps people from other countries who wish to live, work or study within the United States. Immigration laws are typically very complex, and the average person often needs legal assistance to fully understand them. Immigration lawyers work with people regardless of their resident status.
Immigration law has the potential to impact a person's life in many ways, such as the ability to work or run a business, pay their taxes and take care of their families. Immigration lawyers may occasionally work on criminal cases as well. Some common types of cases for immigration lawyers include:
After graduating with a bachelor's degree, it's time to pursue your J.D. from a law school. If you have the option, it's helpful to choose a concentration or specialization in immigration law to better prepare yourself for your future career.
Political science. Economics. International studies. These fields of study cover topics such as labor laws, the politics of immigration and the most common reasons for immigration. They also provide you with strong writing and critical thinking skills, from which all lawyers benefit. 2. Obtain a J.D.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there is a 4% expected growth rate in the number of all lawyers for the next ten years, which is the average anticipated growth rate for most occupations in that time frame.
Throughout your studies and after graduation, it's essential to gain hands-on experience, as many clients and employers look for this when considering who to hire. Whenever possible, seek out internships, volunteer opportunities and part-time jobs that allow you to gain exposure to anything related to your specialization. While any experience working with the law is good, future employers and clients may prefer experience with immigration law.
In many situations, strong interpersonal skills are also needed. During any given day in immigration practice, an attorney may work with people who have undergone exceptionally traumatic experiences, including suffering persecution, human trafficking, or torture.
Immigration lawyers may represent clients in administrative courts, or they may counsel clients about their legal rights and obligations related to immigration, among other things. They also suggest courses of action based on their knowledge of immigration law.
Another helpful resource is the American Immigration Lawyers Association, a national organization of more than 15,000 attorneys and educators who practice and teach immigration law. This nonpartisan nonprofit provides continuing legal education, information, and professional services.
Because immigration law provides you with a foundation to represent people who have immigration matters to resolve, but it also allows you to recognize how a person’s immigration status might impact them in many seemingly unrelated ways.
An attorney who accepts a position with a small immigration nonprofit, for example, may choose that option with the understanding that while the salary is lower than average, the work offers the opportunity to serve people in life-altering situations who lack the resources to obtain legal assistance otherwise.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the median annual wage for all lawyers is about $120,000. Median salaries top $140,000 for those employed by the federal government, while pay for state and local government ranges from $85,000 to $93,000 annually.
Advanced degrees are generally pursued by those who hope to teach law or conduct scholarly research.
Pick a major that you're interested in. There's no pre-law undergraduate major, so law schools don't require you to have a certain major to gain admission. Take useful classes. The best classes to take will emphasize writing, reading, and critical thinking. Foreign language classes can also be helpful.
Large numbers of immigrants also came from Vietnam, China, the Philippines, India and Korea. Immigration to the US from Asian countries has continued to grow for several years and represents the largest group of immigrants to the US.
Attend an annual conference to rub shoulders with establish immigration attorneys. The continuing legal education courses offered by professional organizations are a great way to supplement your law school education.
Immigration Lawyers in America make an average salary of $93,406 per year or $45 per hour. The top 10 percent makes over $178,000 per year, while the bottom 10 percent under $48,000 per year.
The best states for people in this position are New York, Massachusetts, Washington, and Vermont. Immigration lawyers make the most in New York with an average salary of $138,636. Whereas in Massachusetts and Washington , they would average $123,400 and $116,134, respectively. While immigration lawyers would only make an average of $108,463 in Vermont, you would still make more there than in the rest of the country. We determined these as the best states based on job availability and pay. By finding the median salary, cost of living, and using the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Location Quotient, we narrowed down our list of states to these four.
An immigration lawyer is a legal personnel specialised in resolving issues related to citizenship denials, appealing citizenship denials and obtaining visas. In order to become successful in the arena, one needs to stay well-informed with the migration laws of different countries and the process to apply for the same.
The eligibility conditions for law courses usually vary as per the program and university you have chosen. Most students opt for BA LLB or LLB programs to become a lawyer. Later, students can go for LLM specializations after finishing their bachelor’s.
To become an Immigration lawyer, one must possess certain skills in order to do justice to the field. Even though most of the skills can be developed over a period of time, after completing a degree in the field. Some skills need to be built by the candidates who aspire to become a successful Immigration lawyer. Given below are some of them:
The path toward becoming a successful Immigration lawyer requires a lot of effort, but it is a rewarding career option. Given below is a list of programs that will provide a base to meet your licensing requirements:
There are various educational institutions that offer diplomas, bachelor’s and master’s programs in Immigration law and its related courses. Given below is a list of one of the top law colleges across the world:
The demand for Immigration lawyers in every corner of the world has increased the career opportunities for students pursuing a course in the very field. Studying a course in the very field from renowned universities abroad have various benefits. Let’s look at some of the job profiles, which students can pursue after completion of course:
All told, an aspiring immigration lawyer needs a total of seven years of full-time study after high school to obtain a Juris Doctor degree . He will also need a few more months to pass the bar exam and meet local bar association requirements. Those who pass the bar exam on their first try can be licensed as attorneys about seven and a half years after graduating from high school.
Most US law schools offer few if any courses in immigration law. Additionally, immigration law is ignored on my state bar exams and bar review courses. Because of this, and because few immigration cases are published, the typical immigration lawyer’s knowledge comes from hands-on practice experience. The lawyer may start his career in a junior position at an immigration law firm, work his way up, and perhaps even open his own law office.
Immigration law is one of the most politically sensitive areas of law, and it can change with astonishing rapidity. Changes in immigration law have proceeded at a dizzying pace during the Trump administration, for example. It is for this reason that when you select an immigration lawyer, you should choose a candidate with recent experience in ...
Jurisdictional Freedom. Immigration law is federal law, not state law. As a consequence, obtaining a license to practice law in any state will entitle you to practice immigration law anywhere in the United States without taking the time to join that state’s bar association.
Since the US does not offer separate licenses for different legal practice areas (with limited exceptions), an immigration lawyer is typically entitled to practice in any area of law, and many immigration lawyers do exactly that. Be wary of this type of “jack of all trades” lawyer. Immigration lawyers perform the following tasks, among others: