California has become a state that is almost synonymous with immigration. Illegal immigrants alone make up an estimated 7% of the state's population. It's no surprise that California immigration attorneys are in high demand. Here are some things to consider if you are looking for an immigration attorney in California.
First, review the general strategies outlined in this section entitled, Finding an Experienced Immigration Attorney or Law Firm. This will give you a general overview of how to search for and find a qualified immigration attorney, regardless of where you live.
California Immigration Lawyer Resources
Your next step is to visit directories for immigration attorneys in your state. There are many online directories providing thousands of listings targeted by location and practice area. Attorney Pages provides listings, for example, of California immigration lawyers by county and city. Another important source is the State Bar website for California. It provides additional information for specific attorneys in the State of California. You can also search for an attorney by the county you live in and view their areas of specialization. California has a procedure where attorneys can apply to become certified in immigration law. This means they have met heightened requirements to practice immigration law. In an advanced search (referenced in the above paragraph), the California Bar website also allows you to search for attorneys by areas of specialization.
Researching Attorneys Through Local Bar Associations
California, like most states, is divided into counties. In addition to your State Bar association, every county usually has a local bar association. Contact information for the bar association in your area can be found somewhere at the local court house. If it is a larger organization, it may actually have a listing in the phone book. Ironically, more bar associations are also trying to communicate with members and potential clients via other web options like Face Book and twitter. Some of these options will give you search engines for additional information. From the local bar, you can learn which attorneys do immigration law. From the attorney’s Face book page, you can begin to get an idea of how you feel about that particular attorney and background info on the types of cases they handle.
If possible, try to find an attorney within California that can resolve your employment issues. Local counsel will usually fair better when dealing with agencies because they already have a working relationship with them. They will also be more familiar with local rules and procedures.