Immigrant Attorneys Among Us - Successes and Challenges from Our Colleagues Who Were Born Outside the United States

Deadline to Register: January 15

Immigration Law and Policy remain major issues in Congress and in the states.  State Supreme Courts and State Legislatures have struggled with how to treat foreign nationals seeking bar membership, as evidenced by high profile bar applications in California and Florida.  This CLE will bring attention to these developments and provide an opportunity for successful immigrant attorneys among us to speak about their careers, going through law school in the United States, obtaining a Minnesota law license, and practicing in different practice settings.  The panel discussion will allow speakers to share successes and challenges with particular consideration for their experience as immigrant attorneys.  

The panel speakers include Ruslan Bocancea, who is an immigrant from Moldova and Romania, who came to the United States initially on a summer work/study visa, then obtained his Bachelor’s degree and eventually his law degree. After graduation and passing the bar, he established his own immigration practice in Minneapolis as well as a satellite office in his “hometown” of Bucharest, Romania. Catherine Bauer is an immigrant from France who first came to the United States with her family on a J visa then obtained an immigrant visa through the diversity lottery program. Catherine pursued a Bachelor degree with a major in Communications then went on to William Mitchell to get her law degree. Catherine now runs her own successful immigration law practice in Rochester, MN.  Abdinasir Abdulahi is an ethnic Somali immigrant from Ethiopia, who was a lawyer and judge in Ethiopia before immigrating to the United States.  He now manages a diverse, general practice in Minneapolis, where he handles a wide range of matters.  Inchan Hwang is an immigrant from South Korea, who lived in the United States as a child, went to college in Japan, then returned to the United States as an employment-based immigrant, eventually going to law school and ending up as a partner in the Corporate and International Practice Groups at Gray Plant Mooty.

Materials will include:

• From California:  No green card? No problem – undocumented immigrant can practice law, court says (cnn.com – January 2014)
• From Florida:  Are undocumented immigrants eligible for Bar admission? (The Florida Bar News, July 2013)
• From Florida:  Illegal Aliens aren’t eligible for Florida bar membership (WA Post, March 6, 2013)
• From Florida:  Governor signs undocumented attorney bill (The Florida Bar News, June 2014)
• Legal Ethics:  Lawyer suspended for ‘illegal alien’ comment (ABA Journal, Sept 2013)

Lunch and registration begin at 11:30. There will be a brief presentation from the UMN & St. Thomas Law Schools at 11:45 and the program will begin at noon.