Today we’d like to introduce you to Lisa Scott.
Lisa, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I grew up in an immigrant household in an immigrant community in Brooklyn, New York. It was a great experience being exposed to so many different languages, cultures and food. When the German food at my house was not appetizing, I could go across the street to eat Lebanese grape leaves, Italian ravioli, or Swedish Limpa bread.
I graduated from Fort Hamilton High school, the first high school graduate in my immigrant family. I left Brooklyn for Vassar College (the name of which my French teacher, Madame Parry, helped me learn to pronounce) on a scholarship and federal government grants. Upon graduation, I applied for a job with an immigration law firm in New York City. The job advertised was for a paralegal. I had no idea what a paralegal was but I met the other requirements: I spoke German and French. After about six months, I informed my boss that the job “was boring” to which he replied that I should go to law school. That started my career in immigration.
After law school, I started my own firm with an advertisement in La Raza, a Spanish language newspaper. I spoke no Spanish but I was hoping to work with individuals applying for legalization under the Immigration Reform and Control Act which President Reagan signed on November 7, 1986, the day after I was sworn into the Illinois State Bar. I now speak Spanish, a language I learned from my clients.
My practice now focuses on employment-based immigration but we still work with individuals to help solve immigration problems.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
When I first started as an immigration lawyer the world was a different place. We were not the globalized world in which we live today. Immigration lawyers were not “hot” as NPR recently described us. As a result, it was very difficult for me to find a job as a lawyer with an immigration law firm. Most immigration law firms were comprised of sole practitioners, or sibling lawyers. As a result, I started my practice in my convertible studio apartment, rolling my TV out of the living room whenever I had clients.
Technology, as we know it now, was non-existent. I wore a beeper to get phone messages and then would run to the nearest pay phone to return calls. Like now, I did my own typing but the application forms had carbon pages that made completing immigration forms laborious. Social media did not exist and so building a client base was challenging. Research materials were expensive and so, I often sat on the floor in front of the immigration books at Loyola University law library.
Being a woman lawyer was, and unfortunately in many ways, remains challenging. When I was selected to appear on a PBS program following interviews of more than twenty Chicago immigration lawyers, I was told that “the issue was not being taken seriously because a woman lawyer was chosen to appear (on the program).” When I would speak at conferences I would get notes about how many words I spoke a minute. I am from NYC and I speak quickly, and even more quickly when I get nervous.
As a single working mom, I had to decide whether to grow my practice or purposefully keep it small so I could experience my daughter grow up. When my daughter left for college, she gave me a mandate to “grow” my firm. In the last two years, I have taken significant and calculated steps towards fulfilling Sasha’s mandate. I have to say that while the area is much more competitive, it is also less of a struggle to get noticed in the field.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Scott Global Migration Law Group – what should we know?
My firm partners with companies, universities, hospitals and individuals to solve U.S. immigration legal questions. We help international students navigate “Life After F-1 Student Visas” and we work with companies and institutions to help them hire and retain international talent. We also work with companies to help move their employees around the world.
I am very proud of the fact that the clients who join us, stay with us for decades (one company has been with me since 1987) as we partner together to find legal solutions to what are these days challenging immigration questions. That speaks volumes of the legal knowledge and customer service we provide.
Our firm has received many of the same international and national awards as the “big guys” and I believe that we needed to work a lot harder to get that recognition. Passion for excellence, and passion for immigration sets us apart.
Within the firm, our culture is that of we play hard, we work harder.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
I teach Immigration Law at Case Western Reserve University School of Law and I informally mentor young lawyers. When anyone asks how I became successful or what they need to do to achieve success, I tell them that they need to focus on finding their passion. I feel that if you are passionate about something, you will do the best you can in that area, and success will follow. Also, I like that I feel like I have never worked a day in the 30+ years I have practiced immigration law.
Pricing:
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Contact Info:
- Address: 2011 North Racine,
Chicago, Illinois 60614 - Website: www.scottimmigration.com
- Phone: 312-578-1230
- Email: lisascott@scottimmigration.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ScottImmigration
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/scott-global-migration-law-group-chicago?osq=scott+immigration
- Other: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisascottimmigrationlaw
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