When Lucy Lu and Hsiao Mei Chou began their regulation follow, they needed to assist their group and people who won’t have entry to authorized providers get the assistance they want.
“We each are Chinese language and need to do some bit extra for our group,” mentioned Lu, who additionally speaks fluent Mandarin and Cantonese. “Not simply from the immigration viewpoint, however to supply authorized providers to the Chinese language group and principally to all of the communities which might be underserved and underrepresented.
“That is nonetheless our main focus. A variety of our purchasers usually would not be capable to afford a lawyer after they actually do want authorized providers. Authorized providers shouldn’t be a luxurious for individuals.”
In 2020, the legal professionals opened Chou & Lu Law, LLP in Middleton, specializing in enterprise, immigration and employment regulation; litigation and various dispute decision.
Among the many providers they supply are helping international staff in sustaining and/or buying authorized standing, navigating what generally is a tough and complicated course of. Her clientele ranges from teachers and scientists to companies and extra. In 2022, Lu was acknowledged as one in every of Wisconsin’s Rising Stars by Super Lawyers, a part of Thomson Reuters, a research-driven, peer influenced ranking service.
Hong Zhan, an assistant scientist for the John W. and Jeanne M. Rowe Center for Research in Virology of the Morgridge Institute for Research, is one in every of Lu’s purchasers. He has labored with Lu on quite a few instances for a nationwide curiosity waiver, a way of acquiring a work-based U.S. lawful everlasting residence with out an employer sponsor. Zhan appreciated Lu’s help in serving to him perceive the method of acquiring his inexperienced card.
“I might Google inquiries to ask her about issues and he or she would write again to me in a short time,” Zhan mentioned. “She’s very straightforward to speak to…. So if I’ve any questions, or a really essential drawback with sending the shape, she would in a short time inform me ‘Oh, it’s best to do that and this and that.’”
Lu helped Zhan draft a petition letter explaining why it was necessary for him to remain within the U.S. Since he works as a scientist, writing the letter in a method that was straightforward for individuals with out scientific information to grasp was necessary.
Zhan has labored with Lucy since 2017 and plans to proceed acquiring her help when wanted.
“I follow Lucy as a result of she may be very educated,” Zhan added. “The immigration workplace modifications the principles, insurance policies yearly or after a sure period of time, however Lucy retains every little thing up to date, which is sort of essential. She is aware of precisely in regards to the regulation and explains it to me in a short time and in lay phrases, so I perceive what I must do.”
Lisa Pence, CFO of EPIC Creative, a advertising and marketing and promoting company, reached out to Lu in 2021 as a result of an worker wanted to be sponsored for a inexperienced card. Pence was one in every of Chou & Lu’s first company purchasers; they’ve labored collectively for nearly a yr and a half.
“Through the course of to use for a inexperienced card, we appreciated Lucy’s endurance in answering our quite a few questions, a number of instances, as a result of we weren’t understanding the method and the varied authorities necessities,” Pence mentioned.
“She is element oriented, which is required in the course of the visa and inexperienced card course of,” Pence added. “There are various steps and knowledge wanted to use for the inexperienced card and visa. Lucy additionally made positive we had the suitable proof to help the information offered within the functions, in case the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) needed to audit our utility.”
Through the technique of making use of for the inexperienced card, their worker’s visa was set to run out, and Lucy was capable of assist Pence work to finish and submit the appliance. The worker was capable of renew the visa in November.
“We’ve got not accomplished all of the steps to acquire the inexperienced card, nevertheless, Lucy has helped us get by way of the Labor Certification and the appliance for everlasting employment was licensed by the DOL,” Pence mentioned. “First step executed, many extra to go, and I anticipate that Lucy’s expertise and information will assist us get hold of a inexperienced card.”
Lu mentioned she is grateful for her enterprise accomplice and that it has been great working their follow collectively.
She can also be grateful for the belief of their purchasers.
“In my follow, if I win a case, it does not solely imply that the consumer will get a everlasting job, it does not solely imply that they get a inexperienced card,” Lu mentioned. “Generally it means they will have a greater life, typically it implies that a household can reunite.”