Choosing the right immigration attorney is a critically important decision that will have lasting consequences for your organization (if you are an employer), for your career future (if you are a student or researcher), or for your financial well-being and family (if you are an alien worker who wants to live and work in the U.S).
However, at the moment you may be unsure — or perhaps you may be confused and concerned — about how to move forward and find the right immigration attorney, which is a professional who is experienced, knowledgeable, responsive and dedicated to guiding you through the process step-by-step.
Recently, we shared a list of 5 critical questions that you should ask an immigration attorney. As part of this commitment to help you make a smart and safe decision, here are some publicly-available online resources to learn more about immigration attorneys in your area:
Avvo is one of the best known (if not the best known) online resource that features profiles for lawyers in different practice areas — including immigration law — and in various regions and cities in the country. In addition, each lawyer is rated based on aspects such as experience, knowledge, client service, and so on. Importantly, the Avvo rating cannot be influenced by advertising or any other form of payment.
LII is housed at Cornell Law School, and is a collaboration of publishers, legal scholars, computer scientists, government agencies, and other groups and individuals around the world who promote open access to law. Among other useful features (such as an online legal encyclopedia), LII features profiles of immigration lawyers across the country.
Facebook reviews, which typically include written feedback and a rating out of 5 stars, are provided by current and former clients. While these reviews can indeed be useful, it’s important to keep in mind that some individuals who are deeply disappointed with a decision by USCIS or the Department of Labor (or sometimes even their own employer) may “vent” their frustration through a negative review. As such, it is wise to approach this resource accordingly and understand that, in many cases, there is more to the story.
Birdseye is a unique source of information on immigration attorneys (along with other types of attorneys), because it does not feature reviews posted by users/visitors. Rather, it aggregates feedback from various review sites, social media, customer surveys, etc.
Similar to LII, Justia offers free legal information to the public on a broad range of topics, as well as profiles of lawyers across the country.
A Final Word
Please note that while the above resources can indeed help you learn more about an immigration attorney, they should not be treated as “100% authoritative” — simply because they are not vetted by a third party (e.g. State Law Board, industry association, etc.). The best approach is to use them as part of your evaluation process.
Learn more about Pollak PLLC's managing partner Karen-Lee Pollak, and be sure to check our profiles out on any of the above resources. Then contact us for your free, no obligation consultation to learn more about our experience, approach, and commitment to client service.
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Karen-Lee Pollak is the Managing Attorney at Pollak PLLC located in Dallas, Texas. She is a frequent speaker, author and blogger on immigration issues. She can be reached at karenlp@pollakimmigration
