Lucy Lu thinks legal expert services must not be a luxurious | News

When Lucy Lu and Hsiao Mei Chou began their legislation follow, they preferred to help their neighborhood and those who may not have obtain to lawful solutions get the assist they need.

“We both are Chinese and want to do a small bit much more for our neighborhood,” claimed Lu, who also speaks fluent Mandarin and Cantonese. “Not just from the immigration place of perspective, but to offer lawful providers to the Chinese group and generally to all the communities that are underserved and underrepresented.

“That’s however our big emphasis. A good deal of our consumers generally wouldn’t be ready to afford a law firm when they really do have to have lawful providers. Lawful companies should not be a luxury for people today.”

In 2020, the attorneys opened Chou & Lu Regulation, LLP in Middleton, specializing in business, immigration and employment legislation litigation and different dispute resolution.

Amid the products and services they provide are assisting international workers in keeping and/or buying legal status, navigating what can be a challenging and confusing process. Her clientele ranges from lecturers and researchers to businesses and additional. In 2022, Lu was acknowledged as just one of Wisconsin’s Rising Stars by Super Lawyers, part of Thomson Reuters, a analysis-pushed, peer influenced score service. 

Hong Zhan, an assistant scientist for the John W. and Jeanne M. Rowe Middle for Analysis in Virology of the Morgridge Institute for Investigation, is a person of Lu’s consumers. He has labored with Lu on numerous scenarios for a nationwide desire waiver, a strategy of getting a work-primarily based U.S. lawful long lasting residence without the need of an employer sponsor. Zhan appreciated Lu’s aid in assisting him realize the process of getting his green card.

“I would Google concerns to request her about things and she would compose back again to me really quickly,” Zhan stated. “She’s extremely uncomplicated to discuss to…. So if I have any questions, or a very very important difficulty with sending the type, she would pretty promptly convey to me ‘Oh, you should do this and this and that.’”

Lu served Zhan draft a petition letter detailing why it was crucial for him to remain in the U.S. Given that he performs as a scientist, composing the letter in a way that was effortless for people today devoid of scientific expertise to have an understanding of was crucial. 

Zhan has labored with Lucy due to the fact 2017 and strategies to proceed obtaining her assistance when required.

“I stick with Lucy for the reason that she is very proficient,” Zhan included. “The immigration place of work improvements the procedures, insurance policies just about every 12 months or right after a sure amount of money of time, but Lucy keeps every little thing current, which is fairly critical. She is familiar with just about the law and describes it to me quite speedily and in lay terms, so I have an understanding of what I will need to do.”

Lisa Pence, CFO of EPIC Creative, a promoting and advertising and marketing agency, attained out to Lu in 2021 since an personnel necessary to be sponsored for a eco-friendly card. Pence was one of Chou & Lu’s initial company consumers they have worked collectively for virtually a 12 months and a 50 %. 

“During the procedure to utilize for a environmentally friendly card, we appreciated Lucy’s tolerance in answering our numerous queries, several times, due to the fact we ended up not knowing the system and the several authorities needs,” Pence claimed.

“She is element oriented, which is necessary throughout the visa and inexperienced card procedure,” Pence extra. “There are lots of steps and facts essential to utilize for the eco-friendly card and visa. Lucy also produced certain we had the suitable proof to assistance the information furnished in the programs, in case the  U.S. Office of Labor (DOL) wished to audit our application.”

During the method of applying for the eco-friendly card, their employee’s visa was set to expire, and Lucy was in a position to aid Pence do the job to total and submit the application. The employee was able to renew the visa in November. 

“We have not accomplished all the measures to get the eco-friendly card, on the other hand, Lucy has assisted us get through the Labor Certification and the application for long lasting work was certified by the DOL,” Pence explained. “First action accomplished, quite a few additional to go, and I anticipate that Lucy’s expertise and understanding will enable us acquire a green card.” 

Lu mentioned she is grateful for her enterprise spouse and that it has been amazing functioning their exercise jointly. 

She is also grateful for the rely on of their clients.

“In my exercise, if I acquire a circumstance, it isn’t going to only mean that the client gets a long-lasting work, it would not only indicate that they get a inexperienced card,” Lu said. “Sometimes it indicates they can have a far better daily life, from time to time it suggests that a household can reunite.”