THE IMMIGRATION PRACTICE AT THE LAW OFFICES OF
CHICAGO-KENT COLLEGE OF LAW
We aggressively and zealously represent our clients in a complete
array of immigration-related services. Our office is committed to
providing outstanding service to our clients through legal acumen,
practical experience and superior technology. We recognize that
immigration cases typically involve serious ramifications and high
personal stakes. Accordingly, we strive to treat our clients with
respect and diligence throughout the attorney-client process.
With Natalie Brouwer Potts and the Law Offices of the Chicago-Kent
College of Law, you will be represented by a dedicated immigration
attorney with access to all of the resources of a leading law school.
ABOUT US
Biography
Prior to joining the Law Offices as an attorney and clinical assistant
professor, Natalie Brouwer Potts was an attorney for a Washington,
D.C. law firm with a national immigration practice, where she focused
her practice exclusively on immigration and employment law. She
has handled administrative immigration matters before the U.S. Department
of Labor and various state labor agencies. In addition, she has
represented clients in federal courts around the country, including
in civil RICO litigation involving novel immigration claims, and
has regularly provided counseling on immigration law compliance.
As part of her practice in Washington, D.C., she routinely attended
congressional hearings pertaining to controversial immigration issues.
Ms. Potts has been invited as a speaker by legal and community organizations,
law schools and media workshops on a wide array of legal topics.
She has served as a volunteer attorney for the Legal Assistance
Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago, seeking immigration status adjustment
for domestic abuse victims under the federal Violence Against Women
Act.
Having parents who both emigrated from Cuba during a politically
unstable period makes Ms. Potts very sensitive toward the significant
role immigration problems pose to daily lives. She knows how challenging
it is for individuals who do not speak English well or at all to
navigate the legal system in the U.S. and to forge a life in a new
country. As a first-generation American, it is with great pride
that she helps individuals legalize their immigration status and
come to the U.S. to work. Ms. Potts understands more than the legal
aspects of immigration law, she fully appreciates the substantial
impact it has on people and their families in every aspect of their
lives.
Ms. Potts received her undergraduate degree from the University
of Chicago, spent four years studying and teaching undergraduates
in a Political Science Ph.D. program at Indiana University (Bloomington)
and received her J.D. from the Cornell Law School. As a Cuban-American
attorney, Ms. Potts is a member of the National Hispanic Bar Association.
She is also a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association.
She is licensed as an attorney in Illinois, the District of Columbia
and Florida.
Law Offices at Chicago-Kent College of Law
The Law Offices at Chicago-Kent College of Law is a teaching law
firm which has a dual mission - to provide high-quality clinical
education to over 150 student interns and externs who enroll each
semester; and deliver outstanding legal services to its clients.
A unique aspect of the Law Offices' in-house clinical program is
its fee-generating model in which experienced and highly competent
lawyers deliver competitively priced legal services for a fee. For
more information about the Law Offices, please visit the following
website:
http://www.kentlaw.edu/academics/clinic/
SERVICES
Our office provides a complete array of immigration-related services,
including the following services described below. We recommend that
you contact us if you have any questions regarding an immigration
matter and we will promptly reply to determine if we can be of assistance
to you.
EMPLOYER AUDITS, COMPLIANCE AND SANCTIONS
U.S. employers must comply with all relevant immigration laws with
respect to their workforces. We can visit your worksite to perform
an in-house audit to ensure that your business is in compliance
with all relevant immigration-related laws and regulations. An audit
can provide a valuable assessment of the strengths and weaknesses
of your employment procedures. In addition, our office can provide
training and "best practices" guidance to your management
team and/or human resources department regarding immigration requirements.
If your business is facing an investigation or sanctions by the
U.S. Department of Labor or the Department of Homeland Security,
our office will help you in preparing for audits, inspections and
court ordered discovery, handle negotiations with the agency and
represent your business in administrative proceedings. Additionally,
our office can help business clients in enforcement and administrative
matters before the U.S. Department of Justice and other federal
or state agencies.
VISAS
Our office can represent clients with their efforts to obtain appropriate
permanent or temporary visas for business or personal use. Our office
will determine eligibility, prepare required documentation (including
petitions and applications), advise on the adequacy of supporting
documentation and complete all follow-up matters necessary to obtain
the following visas:
- Business and Employment Based Immigration (Permanent Residence)
- Family Based Immigration (Permanent Residence)
- Fiancée of a U.S. citizen (K-1, K-2) and Spouse of a
U.S. Citizen (K-3, K-4)
- Academic Students (F-1, F-2)
- Vocational Students (M-1, M-2)
- Temporary Visitors (B-1, B-2, Visitor Waivers)
- Exchange Visitors (J-1, J-2)
- Agricultural Workers (H-2A)
- Specialty Workers (H-1B, H-1C, H-4)
- Temporary Workers (H-2B, H-4)
- Persons of Extraordinary Ability (O-1, O-2, O-3)
- Intracompany Transferees (L-1, L-2)
- Treaty Traders (E-1) and Treaty Investors (E-2)
- Trade NAFTA Professionals (TN)
NATURALIZATION
A foreign citizen or national can become a U.S. citizen through
a legal process called naturalization. In order to be naturalized,
an applicant must first be qualified to apply for citizenship. He
or she must then complete an application, attend an interview and
pass an English language proficiency test and a civics test. Upon
successful completion of these steps, the applicant takes an oath
of loyalty and becomes a citizen. Becoming a U.S. citizen provides
many benefits, including the right to vote, the availability of
certain government jobs, the right to be an elected official, the
right to petition on behalf of relatives for permanent residency
and the right to obtain a U.S. passport and travel out of the country
without time restrictions.
Should you meet the legal requirements for citizenship, our office
can help you with the necessary steps to become a U.S. citizen.
Our office will prepare your application for naturalization, evaluate
potentially disqualifying factors, assist you in studying for the
English and a civics test, accompany you to the interview and complete
any follow-up work necessary to obtain your Certificate of Naturalization.
IMMIGRANT VICTIMS OF CRIME
Our office may be able to help immigrant clients who have been
victims of crimes in adjusting their immigration status. The federal
Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) allows certain immigrants who
are victims of domestic violence and are (1) the spouse or child
of a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident or (2) abused parent
of a U.S. citizen son or daughter to self-petition for lawful immigration
status. The VAWA applicant must have been subjected to battery or
extreme cruelty by the abuser and meet other requirements.
The federal Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act
created two new non-immigrant visas for immigrant crime victims,
the T visa and the U visa. Both visas are designed to provide temporary
lawful immigration status to non-citizens who are assisting or are
willing to assist authorities investigating crimes. For U visa eligibility,
your abuser need not be a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident,
and you need not be married to the abuser. The T visa allows victims
of severe forms of human trafficking to remain in the U.S. and assist
federal authorities in the investigation and prosecution of human
trafficking cases.
Our office will assess whether you are potentially eligible for
a VAWA self-petition, a U visa or a T visa. We will review your
claim, help to prepare your application, and document your claim
for adjudication. Additionally, we will help you obtain the necessary
documentation from medical or mental health professionals if necessary
to support your case.
ASYLUM
An individual may be granted asylum if he or she can demonstrate
a "well-founded fear of persecution" based on race, religion,
political opinion or membership in a particular social group. Individuals
who meet the requirements for asylum and who are already in the
U.S. or who are seeking entry into the U.S. at a port of entry may
qualify for a grant of asylum and be permitted to remain in the
U.S. as long as they are not barred from either applying for or
being granted asylum. Individuals who are granted asylum are eligible
to apply to adjust their status to that of a lawful permanent resident.
Our office will review your claim for asylum, help to prepare your
asylum application, research country conditions and document your
asylum claim for adjudication. In addition, we will assist you in
preparing for your asylum interview.
NEW CLIENT INQUIRY
Please contact us at the following:
Natalie Brouwer Potts, Attorney At Law
Chicago-Kent College of Law
565 W. Adams
Chicago, IL 60661-3691
npotts@kentlaw.edu
312-906-5047 (Direct)
312-906-5050 (General)
312-906-5299 (Fax)
Copyright © 2009 Chicago-Kent College of Law
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