Paralegals play an integral part of working in law offices. Law is a very broad subject and its components include criminal, business, entertainment, immigration, and copyright law. This publication would be based on immigration.
Immigration is on the most talked topic in America with the current climate the country is in at the moment Law offices are very busy helping with current legal and illegal immigrants. With busy schedules with law offices, attorneys are always on the run and the workload is very hectic. That is where paralegals come in, they help with the day to day activities in the law office.
Andre E. Kevin who works as a paralegal in Southern California shares his experience working with clients on behalf of the attorneys he works with. Before he became a paralegal, he had worked as a Legal Business affairs assistant in the entertainment industry. “After years of working in entertainment and getting to learn more about legal matters I was intrigued and wanted to be involved in immigration because my stepdad was an immigrant, said Mr. Kevin.”
Before transition, he was attending a paralegal program at the University State of California and attended their Immigration Clinics. Like most paralegal positions, becoming a paralegal in immigration law absolutely requires an extreme degree of organization and attention to detail. All lawyers require paralegals who can both aid with routine matters of scheduling and paperwork and also provide input on legal strategy and information about case law.
When it comes to immigration there is room in the field for practices that specialize in international human rights or incorporate employment. Immigration paralegals are found working for tiny non-profit legal aid clinics, or big international law firms, and at every type of practice and agency in between. This helps them gain more experience and exposure from different immigrants.
These immigrants come from various parts of the world and each countries process of coming to America is different, depending on the embassy. “Learning how my stepdad struggled to get his naturalization. I wanted to help other people with their immigration process because it is not an easy one, said Andre.”
Kevin’s paralegal experience has made him learn that Immigration law deals with individuals who are seeking temporary or permanent legal status in the United States. And establishes eligibility requirements for entry, duration periods for residence, and conditions for departure. These laws further specify how individuals can apply for residence, what documents they must produce, and processes they must follow to support their application, and how long they must wait to be approved for it.
Nene Kabutey Lander 