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As an international entrepreneur myself, I try to keep up with the latest news regarding visas like H1B, O1, E2 and others. I figured that the best way to understand the immigration system was to network with attorneys that work in this field. This led me to meeting Donny Smith from Litwin & Smith a few months ago.
In this interview he shares his views on immigration, visas and more.
Great having you on Future Sharks, Donny. Please introduce yourself to the community!
I am a 2nd generation law graduate and future attorney/associate/partner of the firm. I am responsible for learning the trade and assisting with the management of the firm’s marketing campaigns. This includes the firm’s social media accounts, website, and advertising. I enjoy working on solutions to complex problems and I am always looking for the little bit of improvement that can take things to the next level.
Why did you decide to go to law school? What motivated you?
As a child I became aware that the fundamental difference among men is there are those that “have” and those that “have not.” Those that “have” created a system that enables them to preserve what they have to the detriment of those that “have not.” The law is the best means of giving the “have nots” a shot of “having.”
This has been proven over time as minorities have entered the legal profession, so has their access to fundamental freedoms and participation in the political process. As an immigration attorney, I help underrepresented professionals enter the US thereby enabling others to benefit from greater representation in the political landscape.
Thus, I was motivated to enter the legal profession to enable those that do not presently have a voice to speak for those that cannot be heard.
What excites you the most when working with immigration issues?
I’m changing the makeup of America. Immigrants are the engine of economic development. However, quite a bit of fearmongering takes place at their expense. I believe that this is due to a lack of familiarity.
One of my favorite quotes is “Is a tiger fierce because it is, or because we believe it to be so?” This is the nature of the immigration debate. Many Americans dislike immigrants because they have a predetermined opinion that immigrants are bad for them and this country. However, many of the people that I have talked to that are anti-immigration will change their opinion when they find out that a friend is an immigrant.
This was proven when Trump began deporting students. At first there was wide acclaim for the policy, but eventually the common opinion was that he shouldn’t deport “the good ones.” Many small town Americans are more than happy to be anti-immigrant until they realize the consequences of that stance.
What do you think about Trump’s policies on immigration?
Trump’s policies are invocative of the immigration policies of the 1920’s where Western European whites were preferred over all other races and Asians were outright banned. Just look at The Johnson-Reed Act our first foray into merit based immigration.
Do you have a personal anecdote you wish to share?
There is always a solution. Even if it’s one that you do not like.
To end it, what advice would you give to a young lawyer that just started practicing?
Volunteer and find out what the job is really like. Many of the students I went to school with thought that the legal profession was like a TV show. Many were surprised with all of the technical reading that is involved. More so, many students become disenchanted over time because there are no easy solutions and justice eludes many people.
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If you are looking for immigration and non-immigration visas contact Donny Smith at LitwinLaw.com.
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