I am a dual licensed immigration attorney (Washington and British Columbia, Canada) in Bellingham. Before law school I was a tour guide in Yellowstone National Park for seven summers and worked as a literacy tutor in public schools.
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What is the most interesting case you have handled in your career so far and why?
In order to document the U.S. citizenship of a client, I interviewed one of the founding disciples of the Hare Krishna movement. He lived modestly and didn’t have a car, so after the interview I gave him a ride home.
If you could change one thing about the legal system, what would you change?
I am licensed in Washington and British Columbia, Canada. The most striking difference between the two licensing processes is that B.C. requires applicants to attend a 10-week Practical Legal Training Course that highlights practical legal skills like drafting motions and arguing them in chambers. It also requires a one-year articling period with an experienced attorney (similar to a medical residency) during which the articling student has an opportunity to be mentored in the trade prior to fully entering practice. A similar program in Washington would increase the number of attorneys ready to enter practice out of law school.
Why did you become interested in your practice area?
Most practice areas involve a conflict with parties set against each other. Immigration practice is focused on persuading the other party (usually Citizenship and Immigration Service or Department of State) to approve a benefit. Don’t get me wrong, some USCIS officers are happy to set an adversarial stage, but in the end immigration lawyers get to be ambassadors more than warriors.
How do you define success as a lawyer?
When the candy bowl on the front desk is full and I can take time off to spend with family whenever I need.
LIGHTNING ROUND
If you had to give a 10-minute presentation on one topic other than the law, what would it be and why?
Always Yellowstone National Park. I was a tour guide in Yellowstone for seven summers. I love talking about the national park idea and all of the economic, political, and geological factors that came together for a federal government to protect nature for nature’s sake.
What is your favorite smell?
Jeffrey pine bark. On a warm summer day, the bark can smell like vanilla and pineapple. I had a goal of visiting half the national parks before my 30th birthday. The best pines are in Mt. Lassen National Park in California.
What is your best random fact that you would share with others at a party?
Isa Lake in Wyoming drains to both sides of the continental divide, backward.
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