Statutes of Liberty: Meet your new immigration lawyer, Austen Soare

This sponsored column is by Law Office of James Montana PLLC. All questions about it should be directed to James Montana, Esq., Doran Shemin, Esq., and Janice Chen, Esq., practicing attorneys at The Law Office of James Montana PLLC, an immigration-focused law firm located in Falls Church, Virginia. The legal information given here is general in nature. If you want legal advice, contact us for an appointment.

Today, we begin a new series here at Statutes of Liberty, in which we interview professionals in our field to provide our readers with varying perspectives on what it is like to work in the immigration system.

For our first installment — Meet Your New Immigration Lawyer — we’re pleased to introduce Austen P. Soare, Esq., the new attorney at The Law Office of James Montana PLLC. A Q&A between Mr. Soare and the pointy-headed boss James Montana follows here.

Montana: Hi, Austen. You have an unusual last name. How do you pronounce it?

Soare: Sir-RAY.

Montana: Did your new boss mispronounce it repeatedly during the interview process and for your first two days on the job?

Soare: I have no regrets about accepting this job offer and am excited to work at the firm.

Montana: Why on earth did you become an immigration lawyer?

Soare: I enjoy helping people from a variety of backgrounds. I find myself learning a great deal from different sorts of people, and enjoy the broad array of cases that immigration law has to offer. I find it fulfilling to help people to pursue their dreams and goals, and finding ways to realize them.

Montana: What makes practicing immigration law different from other specialties?

Soare: I previously worked with criminal defense attorneys when I was a law student. In specialties like criminal defense, you see a lot of similar cases; in immigration law, the variety is endless. For example, every asylum case presents a completely different life story. Telling that story, as part of the process of seeking relief, is an exciting way to practice law.

Montana: Before you came to the lovely premises of The Law Offices of James Montana, what did you do for a living?

Soare: I worked at the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota. There, I dealt mainly with pro bono cases, naturalization, DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) and TPS (Temporary Protected Status) cases. It was a wonderful nonprofit to work at, with a strong educational component. I enjoyed it very much, and it led me to continue working in the field.

Montana: If you could tell our intelligent and thoughtful readers one thing about immigration law that they ought to know, what would it be?

Soare: There are many forms of relief, some of which are not always obvious. It’s important to speak to an attorney before concluding that you don’t have any options. Where one avenue appears closed, another may open. There is no substitute for expertise.

Montana: Do you have any advice for law students who are considering becoming immigration lawyers?

Soare: Find volunteer work in the field. Nonprofits are always looking for smart young people who want to volunteer their time. Seek out coursework in immigration law. Stay up to date on the news — DACA litigation just took a turn yesterday! — and learn everything you can. Immigration is a great field to pursue.

Montana: Are you accepting new clients?

Soare: Yes.

Montana: How can they reach you?

Soare [audibly groaning]: I can be reached at [email protected] or by phone at 571-562-5003.

Welcome to the firm, Austen!

As always, we welcome your comments and will do our best to respond.