“Legal profession admits undocumented immigrants”

At least in New York and California, if not every state. [John Steele, Legal Ethics Forum] Curiously uncontroversial, no? In 2012 we noted: “Among the trip-ups are that lawyers are sworn by oath to uphold the laws of the land; that federal law bars the granting of state professional licenses to illegals; that federal law makes it unlawful to offer employment to them; and that clients might find themselves in a pickle were their attorneys whisked away on zero notice to face deporation.” More: Scott Greenfield.

3 Comments

  • “Among the trip-ups are that lawyers are sworn by oath to uphold the laws of the land”. How does this work since by the very act of being here, they are in violation of the law? I’d be interested in how the lawyerly types respond.

  • Mere quibbles.

  • We lawyers are supposed to be self-policing…so this problem probably doesn’t come up much.