Choosing the right immigration lawyer is critical to the outcome of your case. It is important to make sure that the immigration attorney you select has the right background, training, credentials, associations, and track record. To help ensure that you select the best immigration attorney, there are certain criteria that you should utilize during your selection process. In particular, there are six measures which should be positively satisfied before making your decision.
The first criterion is whether or not the attorney exclusively practices immigration law. Unfortunately, many lawyers list immigration law as one of a variety of types of legal matters they handle. It is tough enough for a full-time immigration lawyer to keep abreast of all of the developments in the practice area. It is nearly impossible to be a top notch immigration lawyer while trying to balance being an expert in many other practice areas as well. A second measure is the number of years in practice. It is preferable to retain an immigration attorney who is seasoned and, by virtue of their professional history, has experienced the outcomes of most types of cases. Much of immigration law is unwritten and the longer one is in practice, the broader the base of examples from which they may draw insight. A third important factor is to inquire about whether the immigration attorney is a member in good standing of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA). AILA is probably the immigration lawyer’s best resource for up-to-date information and indicates that the lawyer is on the pulse of this rapidly changing field of law. A fourth way to assess the efficacy of the immigration lawyer is to see if he or she has been published or cited in any major publications, journals, magazines, or newspapers. The ability to get published indicates that the lawyer’s expertise has been recognized and is respected. A fifth selection yardstick is to see how the attorney is rated on AVVO. AVVO is a reputable online legal rating service that provides comprehensive profiles and a rating of lawyers based upon a thorough evaluation of a lawyer’s background. It has become one of the leading websites for consumers looking to find the best attorney for their case. A final way to determine if the immigration lawyer you are considering hiring is the best for your case is to read online reviews posted confidentially by past clients who have had personal experience with the lawyer. Both Google and Lawyer RatingZ allow the general public to provide confidential ratings, reviews, and recommendations about specific attorneys. The reviews are important because they provide information about the lawyer’s personality, “deskside manner,” and communication style which are just as important as their resume.
In analyzing all of the selection measures, it is clear that Edward Shulman, Esq., founder and head attorney at the Shulman Law Group, LLC, meets all six criteria. He only practices immigration law and that is his sole expertise. He has been practicing immigration law for 20 years which has given him exposure to all types of immigration-related cases. Not only is he a member in good standing with AILA, but he is a former Chairman of the New Jersey chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, is a National Mentor who advises new immigration attorneys when they have trouble with their cases, and is a regular lecturer at the immigration association’s annual conferences. He was showcased as a leading immigration attorney in the United States by both Newsweek and Time magazines and was cited in New York Magazine as one of the best lawyers in the New York area in the field of Immigration Law. Mr. Shulman’s AVVO rating is 10/10, which is the highest score any attorney can achieve. According to Lawyer RatingZ, he has an EXCELLENT rating with 17 online reviews, all of which were 5 out of 5, which is the highest score a former client can give to an attorney. Apart from meeting all of the selection criteria, Mr. Shulman is known to be the best immigration lawyer because of his intelligence, creativity, work ethic, professionalism, and warm personal style. He treats every client as he would treat his own family member and he experiences genuine pride when he is able to achieve a fruitful outcome, whether it is helping a client with a deportation matter, obtain or renew a visa, receive a green card, or become a United States Citizen.