Finding an Immigration Attorney

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Federal Trade Commission (FTC)

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is a U.S. federal government agency aimed at protecting consumers and competition by preventing anticompetitive, deceptive, and unfair business practices. One of their strategic goals is to protect consumers from unfair and deceptive practices. The FTC works to prevent fraudulent, deceptive and unfair business practices in the marketplace and to provide information to help consumers spot, stop and avoid them. The FTC’s Consumer Information website (https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/) contains a significant amount of helpful information related to both preventing and responding to incidents like financial scams, immigration scams, identify theft, and many other consumer complaints. ISS encourages all international students to review the information at https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/ so they are better informed and prepared to identify issues. If you believe you have been subject to any form of scam or identify theft, ISS strongly recommends you review the information at https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/ in detail and take the action(s) recommended by the FTC. Some of the most relevant FTC webpages that may be of interest to international students include the following:

• Immigration Help https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0142-immigration-help
• FTC Complaint Assistant https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/#crnt&panel1-1
• Identity Theft https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/topics/identity-theft and https://www.identitytheft.gov/ (managed by the FTC)
• Buying & Owning a Car https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/topics/buying-owning-car
• Renting & Timeshares https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/topics/renting-timeshares
• Limiting Unwanted Calls & Emails https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/topics/limiting-unwanted-calls-emails
• Online Security https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/topics/online-security
• Protecting Kids Online https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/topics/protecting-kids-online
• Scam Alerts https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/features/scam-alerts

10 Tips on Hiring an Immigration Attorney

1. Ensure that the attorney is experienced in immigration law and that he or she devotes a majority, if not all, of his or her practice to immigration matters.
2. Interview a minimum of two attorneys before making your decision—be weary of attorneys who will not take the time to meet with you before taking your case.
3. Ask friends and colleagues if they have suggestions or experiences with the attorneys you are considering.
4. Discuss the fee up front and in detail; do not hire an attorney that will not provide you with a detailed, written, fee agreement.
5. For immigration matters it is usually customary and preferable to negotiate a fixed fee for service.
6. Be concerned if the proposed attorney fee is too low as it may indicate that the attorney may not be providing all necessary and customary services.
7. Remember that you are hiring the attorney and that you have the right to ask questions about his or her professional credentials and practice experience.
8. Hire an attorney that communicates with you well on both a personal and professional level.
9. Avoid making your decision based on cost alone—the best attorneys will generally not charge the lowest fees. 
10. Prepare for your initial interview in advance & be punctual: bring your immigration documents; a list of questions, and prepare a written narrative of your situation (the narrative should be fact based, clearly indicate in the body that is intended for communication with your attorney).

10 Questions You Should Ask When Hiring an Immigration Attorney

1. How many years of experience does the attorney have practicing immigration law and what percentage of his or her practice is devoted to immigration cases?
2. Does the attorney have specific experience with your type of immigration case?
3. Is the attorney Texas Board Certified in immigration law?
4. Is the attorney a member of the America Immigration Lawyers Association?
5. What is the attorney’s Martindale peer review rating?
6. Does the attorney charge by the hour or by a fixed fee; how much will he or she charge to take my case; is the entire fee or a percentage required up front; does the fixed fee include an appeal if my petition is denied by USCIS?
7. What are the strengths and weaknesses of my case and what are the chances of my success?
8. Will my case be delegated in whole or in part to a paralegal or an associate attorney?
9. How long does the attorney estimate it will take to resolve the case?
10. How will the attorney and his or her support staff communicate with me about the status of my case?

Resources for Finding Immigration Attorneys

1. U.S. Department of Justice List of Pro Bono Legal Service Providers: https://www.justice.gov/eoir/list-pro-bono-legal-service-providers
2. American Immigration Lawyers Association’s Immigration Lawyer Search Tool at: www.aila.org.
3. The American Bar Association (“ABA”): www.abanet.org.
4. Martindale.com.
5. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) (search “Finding Legal Advice”).
6. State Bar of Texas: www.texasbar.com.
7. The Texas Lawyer Referral Service: 1-877-9TEXBAR.
8. The Yellow pages: www.yellowpages.com (search: “Immigration Attorney”).
9. Ask your friends or colleagues.
10. Ask respected professionals in the community such as accountants, attorneys practicing in other specialties, ministers, doctors etc.