(In)Frequently (Un)Answered Questions
- 1. Why do I need a lawyer? I can find all information I need on the Internet.
- I agree. You don’t need an immigration lawyer any more than you need a doctor to put a cast on a broken leg, a dentist to extract a bad tooth, a mechanic to fix a car, a chef to make a souffle…you get the idea. Sure, you can probably do it yourself. Don’t let me stop you. Just don’t expect either sympathy or discount if you screw up.
- 2. What is immigrationado? What does it mean?
- I coined this word to describe myself and my law practice. At the time, existing word choices for an immigration lawyer who is more intrinsically motivated than extrinsically motivated to practice immigration law seemed so inadequate that I just had to invent one. So you will not find immigrationado in the Webster’s, not yet anyway, but here’s the suggested entry for future consideration:
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Main Entry: im·mi·gra·tion·a·do
Pronunciation: \ˌi-mə-ˈgrā-shən-ˈnä-(ˌ)dō\
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural im·mi·gra·tion·a·dos
Etymology: immigration + aficionado
Date: 2008
: a person who likes, knows about, and appreciates a usually fervently pursued interest in immigration law : - 3. Are you really an immigration lawyer? I have never seen an immigration lawyer’s website like yours.
- I am delighted to hear that. To dispel doubts about my eligibility to practice law, you can verify my attorney license with the Massachusetts Board of Bar Overseers.
- 4. How is your practice different from other immigration lawyers?
- I’d be happy to give a few examples. Many other immigration lawyers only use their left brain hemisphere. I also use my right. Many other immigration lawyers only see a picture of a hat when you show them a picture of a boa constrictor digesting an elephant. Many other immigration lawyers make simple things complicated. I make complicated things simple.
- 5. What’s the difference between a large law firm and a small law practice such as yours?
- You may have heard this joke before: Q. How many lawyers does it take to change a light bulb? A. How many can you afford? The fundamental difference between a large firm and a small practice is that you get more lawyers per light bulb. And they usually charge by the hour.
- 6. What do Russian nesting dolls have to do with immigration?
- Besides serving as an obvious sentimental reminder of where I come from, Russian nesting dolls on my site represent the antithesis of the American E Pluribus Unum motto with which most of us are familiar through the U.S. currency. Instead of being “out of many, one” these matryoshkas stand for “out of one, many.” And this is what makes these nesting dolls appropriate as the symbolic icons representing immigration and immigrants. Immigration of one person always contains in it the possibilities of immigration of another. In that sense, every matryoshka is a perfect microcosm of these possibilities.
- 7. Why do you not offer free consultations? All other lawyers I know offer free consultations.
- Because I have no service to offer that is so worthless and unpopular that I should give it away for free. And I would find it degrading to cater to those who value my work no more than they would a supermarket cheese sample on a toothpick.