Posted on 04/15/2012 3:00:24 PM PDT by moonshinner_09
Can an immigrant without a green card get a Florida Bar card?
Aspiring lawyer Jose Godinez-Samperio, 25, a Tampa-area resident, is hoping the answer is yes.
A native of Mexico who entered the United States legally with his parents 16 years ago on a tourist visa, Godinez-Samperio is a graduate of the Florida State University College of Law, the valedictorian of the Armwood High School class of 2004, an Eagle Scout — and an undocumented immigrant.The Florida Board of Bar Examiners, which grants membership to the Bar, has asked the state Supreme Court to determine whether it can accept someone who is not in the country legally. The Supreme Court flagged the case as "high profile" last week.
"No one who has shown this guy's level of contempt for American law should be practicing law," said William Gheen, president of Americans for Legal Immigration, a political action committee that opposes amnesty for undocumented immigrants.
Tom Fitton, president of the conservative watchdog group Judicial Watch, agreed.
"He can't practice as a lawyer," Fitton said. "He is not legally able to work in the United States. … It seems to me that it would be an absurdity to give him a Bar card at this point."
Neither Fitton nor Gheen was aware of the Florida case before it was flagged as "high profile" last week. Similar applications are pending for students in California and New York.
But Godinez-Samperio, who once described himself as "undocumented, unapologetic and unafraid," has influential allies who believe his immigration status should not keep him from getting a license to practice law, even though federal statutes would forbid him using that license to earn a living.
(Excerpt) Read more at sun-sentinel.com ...
Ship him back to Mexico, the last thing we need in this country are more lawyers!
Kathy Castor is the spawn of Betty Castor, AKA “Betty Boop”. Boopsie was told by the FBI that an “institute” on the campus of the University of South Florida (USF)was a front for Jihadi criminals.
Boopsie was President of USF when the FBI so informed her. One of those Moderate Muslims left the USF campus and became the head of Palisimian Jihad, or some such. Sammi al Arien was head of the USF “institute” dubbed ‘W.I.S.E.’, or some such” at this time.
Boopsie said she could not and WOULD not “restrict academic freedom”.
Boopsie - to know her is to loath her. Her spawn is equally loathsome and laughable.
Gutless politicians will cave and bend or break every rule to supply more democrat voters. This will go the same way. This guy will get a pass, even with the rules saying criminals can’t be officers of the court as a bar lcertified lawyer is supposed to be.
Will someone please explain to these highly educated idiots the meaning of the word “illegal”?
Interesting example of creative editing. They mention that he entered the country on a tourist visa, but they fail to mention the reason he’s still legal. The most likely reason for that would be that he overstayed his visa.
The entire article is in and of itself outrageous, in that this is being debated at all, or that this person is asking for this publicly.
Don’t we already have enough law breaking criminals with law degrees?
Calling someone an "Undocumented Immigrant" is like calling shoplifting an "Undocumented Sale."
This is an interesting dispute. In most states (I don’t know about Florida)a natural born citizen who has a felony conviction such as drug possession cannot be a member of the Bar and practice Law.
Many felons in this position cannot practice law, medicine, real estate or any professions requiring licensing because of their record, no matter how talented or intelligent they are.
In this instance on the other hand, we have a natural born citizen of another country who not only admits to the felony of being in the country illegally, he apparently prefers that status to going to his home country and entering the US legally to obtain citizenship in order to practice law.
And if he can practice law, he could equally be able to get a medical license, real-estate license, CPA, etc.
White Hispanic or what?
We already have two of them running for president, so why not?
Next he will run for President of America
“undocumented immigrant”=burglar: unauthorized occupant
illegal alien= resident foreign criminal
He can take his US taxpayer bought education back to Mexico and set up practice there. He’s sure to have lots of business from the cartels.
And women will vote for him if he looks good.
which is worse, an illegal alien or a lawyer? Tough call
The ruling classes will only take illegal immigration seriously when their jobs are threatened.
I'd like to see 11 million illegal attorneys licensed to practice. Then politicians might do something about the 11 million illegals who don't threaten their jobs but do take the jobs of ordinary Americans.
“I’d like to see 11 million illegal attorneys licensed to practice”
The thought of 11 million attorneys of any stripe makes me want to vomit.
Lawyer. That’s reason enough to deny a bar card and even more reason to expedite deportation.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.