should recent immigrants be allowed to become lawyers of our country?

[should recent immigrants be allowed to become lawyers of our country?]

should recent immigrants be allowed to become lawyers of our country?

Yes

 20 (90.9%)

No

 2 (9.1%)

Total Members Voted: 22

[ohhhyeah]

If the recent immigrant wants to be an attorney for the government, then there might be more of a problem because of security concerns etc.

I don't understand what kind of security concerns there exist. There're hundreds of ways for terrorists to come to this country without becoming a lawyer. Wouldn't it be a little expensive and time-consuming to make a terrorist go to a law school and become a US lawyer?

I do also find the terms used by the OP to be ambiguous. And yes it would most likely be an inefficient way for someone who wanted to wreak havoc to do so by entering the country and immigrating in order to become a government attorney. Nonetheless, people will have their reservations especially with the popularity of "the war on terror" in the media.

[Kirk Lazarus]

If the recent immigrant wants to be an attorney for the government, then there might be more of a problem because of security concerns etc.

I don't understand what kind of security concerns there exist. There're hundreds of ways for terrorists to come to this country without becoming a lawyer. Wouldn't it be a little expensive and time-consuming to make a terrorist go to a law school and become a US lawyer?

I work for the justice department and I know that the background checks are extensive. I didn't say they SHOULDN'T be allowed to work in the government, I said there might be more of a problem. In general, my point was that qualified people whether or not they are immigrants should be allowed to practice law.

[BearlyLegal]

Yes, they should be allowed. It's so easy to be a lawyer for the government, even a caveman can do it...


sh*t, worse than a caveman. Monica Goodling could do it.

that's VERY debatable

Touche, my friend, touche!

[Astro]

you mean U.S. Attorneys?

AUSA?

Justice department?


or just regular attorneys?

Nobody should be an attorney in the US without going to law school imo. If an immigrant goes to law school and is proficient in the law, I don't see what's holding him back from being an attorney...

If the recent immigrant wants to be an attorney for the government, then there might be more of a problem because of security concerns etc.

I believe that the issue of an immigrant wishing to become a government attorney should be taken into consideration on a contingency basis. Security checks should be in place for positions of authority in government for both citizens and recent immigrants. I don't believe in going in with the mindset that immigrants alone will be security concerns in positions of power. All individuals that seek these positions should be of good moral character and should undergo a screening process.

Then again, I'm a Canadian and we seem to be a bit more accepting of immigrants

I think the issue is moot because I believe you have to be a citizen to work for the Fed. Gov't

But I assume you would feel the same way in terms of security concerns for a recent immigrant that recently attained citizenship in the US. I am unsure as to how long the process is in the US but in Canada it is generally 3 years after being a landed immigrant that an individual can obtain citizenship. If it is similar then they would still be fairly recent "immigrants" to the country, would they not?

5 years, actually.  But your point stands.

[Burning Sands, Esq.]

If the recent immigrant wants to be an attorney for the government, then there might be more of a problem because of security concerns etc.

I don't understand what kind of security concerns there exist. There're hundreds of ways for terrorists to come to this country without becoming a lawyer. Wouldn't it be a little expensive and time-consuming to make a terrorist go to a law school and become a US lawyer?

Speaking as a current bar exam applicant, any security concern issues that might be raised are more than killed by the 20 page character and fitness portion of the bar application.  The bar gets into your life like the CIA.

[Thistle]

If the recent immigrant wants to be an attorney for the government, then there might be more of a problem because of security concerns etc.

I don't understand what kind of security concerns there exist. There're hundreds of ways for terrorists to come to this country without becoming a lawyer. Wouldn't it be a little expensive and time-consuming to make a terrorist go to a law school and become a US lawyer?

Speaking as a current bar exam applicant, any security concern issues that might be raised are more than killed by the 20 page character and fitness portion of the bar application.  The bar gets into your life like the CIA.

its worse than my application for a top secret sci security clearance

[Thistle]

TS/SSBI here, and it was a cake walk. Hardest part was the interview with the DipSec *cough*CIA*cough* guy who obviously had experience debriefing defectors. I know that the SCI's tougher, though. I don't think I'll have any problems with the C&F portion of the bar, either. I was too good a kid and an adult.

i've filled my closet with a skeleton or two since then.  ah well, if they wont admit me, i'll go teach somewhere.

note to self:  do per se petition to set aside conviction and seal records

[obamacon]

Any full citizen should be allowed to practice law. Law school is unnecessary.

[Kirk Lazarus]

Any full citizen should be allowed to practice law. Law school is unnecessary.

In all honesty, I have no clue why law school is 3 years. 2 at most is what it takes.

[Thistle]

Any full citizen should be allowed to practice law. Law school is unnecessary.

In all honesty, I have no clue why law school is 3 years. 2 at most is what it takes.

follow the money