Cynthia Aziz says she has always been passionate about immigration issues. After graduating from college in Massachusetts, she worked with nonprofits in the state to better understand the hardships immigrants face. Decided to turn lawyer to defend the rights of this community.
After taking the bar exam in Massachusetts and North Carolina, he says he wanted to demonstrate his commitment to the practice of immigration law. For this reason, in 1997, it was part of the first group of immigration attorneys to be certified as specialists by the North Carolina Bar Association.
“I had already taken two bar exams, and then I had to take a third exam for the specialization. That means either that I am crazy or that I am dedicated. I hope it’s the latter, ”Aziz assured with a smile.
Aziz is one of the 43 attorneys in the state what are certified as immigration law specialists by the Board of Legal Specialization of the North Carolina Bar Association. With 16 lawyers certificates, Charlotte have the highest number of these specialists in the state.
To receive this title, attorneys must meet a number of requirements. Among them, have worked in immigration law for a minimum of five years, comply with a process of peer evaluation Y, pass an exam which takes six hours.
Specialization is not a requirement
It is not mandatory to specialize to work as a lawyer immigration in the state. However, Brian Oten, executive director of the North Carolina Bar Association specialization program, says certification can be a good tool when people are looking for a lawyer.
“The reality is that finding an attorney can be difficult. Choosing who to work with can be stressful, ”explained Oten. “The specialization program was created with that first objective of identify lawyers who not only claim that they practice in a particular area, but also can demonstrate their competence in that area. “
Aziz says that was one of the reasons she chose to get certified and that it has led her to continue to renew her certification every five years.
“The measure of my success as an attorney for a client is my work ethic and how much time and commitment I am going to put into your case. And if they see that my firm is only for immigration, they will see that I am dedicated to this field, ”Aziz explained.
It says that changes in immigration laws are constant. Explain that between October 2019 and March 2021 there were about seven changes to the requirements to demonstrate economic self-sufficiency in applications for permanent residence.
According to Aziz, immigration law is so complex that the outcome of a case may depend on the knowledge of the lawyer.
Jennifer Cory, who is also specialized, agrees with Aziz. He says he has had cases of individuals who have been advised by notaries, Who They are not certified attorneys.
“There are many people who are not certified as lawyers like notaries who give incorrect advice. And sadly the people who take these tips It can be seen faced with difficult situations, ”Cory said.
Your firm has a client who was advised by a notary public. Cory says the woman unknowingly signed papers to request asylum in the United States and the notary told her that she should lie in her interview. Now, Cory says the woman is facing the possibility of deportation.
Cory mentions that she chose to major in 2013 to demonstrate her dedication and expertise in immigration law. He was recertified in 2019 and recognizes that this can give his clients confidence by verifying that he has continued with his training in immigration law and that he is aware of all the new developments in immigration law.
“It made sense for her to be recognized as someone who has focused on this area of the law and not just as someone who practices in different areas of law,” Cory said.
A growing area of expertise
Although the specialization in immigration law carry 20 years of existence, the number of specialized lawyers is still relatively low.
According to Oten, there are about 25,000 active attorneys in North Carolina. From that number, 1,100 are certified in one of the 13 areas of expertise available. Y less than 4% of them is it so specialized in immigration.
However, Oten indicates that the number of lawyers specializing in immigration is increasing. In 2020, 14 lawyers applied for the specialization and five got it.
“About 15% of the applications were for immigration certification,” Oten said. “That tells me that there are more people interested in applying. And that is why I think that although the number is not very high yet, it is growing because there is more interest and more need to obtain services in the area of immigration law. “
Oten says that not only are there more attorneys in general participating in the program, but there are also more public service attorneys who are seeking to be certified. These are attorneys who work for the government or non-profit organizations.
“They don’t really gain anything from the certification, in terms of personal benefits,” Oten explained. “They want their clients, who really need legal services the most, to feel confident in them and the legal services they are receiving. And I think that’s important. “
Anna Cushman is part of that group. She is a lawyer for Legal Aid NC, a non-profit organization that provides legal services to low-income people, and received its certification in 2020.
“I always saw it as something that I wanted to achieve and that it would be an indicator of my experience. And I wanted to dedicate my career to becoming an expert in this area, ”Cushman said.
A report from North Carolina Equitable Access to Justice Commission found that the immigration is the fifth area most mentioned in unmet legal needs, in people with low economic resources in the state.
Cushman says she notices a clear gap in access to justice, especially on immigration issues. He says that while certification is not necessary to be a good immigration attorney, the program can help begin to close that disparity.
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