More than just an immigration lawyer

My law degree didn't prepare me for being a therapist, financial advisor, marriage counselor, and career coach.

Yet that's exactly what immigration attorneys become for their clients.

Law school taught me how to analyze and interpret statutes, regulations, and case law. 

It didn't teach me how to respond when a client calls about their visa application... and ends up sharing the details of their divorce.

Immigration law is deeply personal. 

We're not just handling a business transaction or a discrete legal issue - we're guiding people through a process that impacts every aspect of their lives:

- Where they can live

- If they can work

- Whether their family stays together

- How they plan their future

When these fundamentals are uncertain, everything else in life seems unstable.

So my clients don't just share legal details. They tell me about:

- Relationship problems

- Financial struggles

- Family conflicts

- Health concerns

- Career uncertainties

I know the most intimate details of my clients' lives. And it's not just me who cares — my friends and colleagues often find themselves rooting for my clients too.

They'll ask me, "How's that client whose husband left her right before the interview?"

Or, "Did that guy finally get that promotion?"

Because once you hear someone's story, it's hard not to want the best for them.

I could redirect these conversations. 

I could say, "Let's focus on the case." But I don't.

Why? It's simple:

Understanding a client's full situation often reveals critical information for their immigration case.

But there's another reason too: 

I genuinely care. 

Immigration cases can stretch for years. I'm not just working on a file – I'm accompanying people through some of the most stressful periods of their lives.

I've been there myself with my husband.

This "social-worker" side of immigration law isn't taught in any classroom. But it often separates an attorney who merely processes paperwork from one who truly guides clients.

The most meaningful client relationships I've built aren't just about successful case outcomes – they're about being present for the whole journey, detours and all.

What unexpected lessons have you learned in your profession that weren't in the job description?