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We Understand its Consequences

For U.S. citizens, facing serious criminal charges can be one of the most difficult and terrifying moments in their lives. But for non-U.S. citizens, it’s even worse. A person from another country may find themselves facing a legal system they don’t understand, that isn’t spoken or written in their native language. When someone doesn’t understand the extra burden placed on non-U.S. citizens, it can lead to severe constitutional violations, ruined lives, and harm to their human spirit. This is why STERN Law exists. We are here to provide consistent and thorough protection and guidance for immigrant clients who are so much more than what they’re accused of doing.

STERN Law was founded in 2013, and after five years of focusing on criminal defense work for clients of all kinds, we realized there was a significant gap in representation for people who are not U.S. citizens. The criminal justice system already poses numerous challenges for standard U.S. citizens, but there are added pressures and consequences for immigrants. For them, a criminal charge could mean being separated from their families, losing a chance to live in the U.S., or having their legal status impacted based on that charge or potential conviction.

We realized the need to serve the unique challenges for non-U.S. citizens and fully understand the consequences of immigrants facing criminal charges. It became obvious that our STERN Law team should focus exclusively on defending non-U.S citizens. We didn’t want to be distracted by working on standard criminal defense work without an immigration component, so we established ourselves as a CrImmigration law firm. Our focus is entirely on criminal defense for immigrants and fighting deportation charges and other issues that can naturally result from being charged with a crime.

The move from criminal defense work to exclusively CrImmigration has been immensely rewarding. It is something we have done for years, and what we will continue to do as long as people need our help. We’re Criminal defense attorneys at the foundation of STERN Law, but we have the ability to work with families who are closely tied to their situation. We have the opportunity to get involved and connect with our clients at a much deeper level. Immigration work allows us to work with the same clients for years at a time; we watch their families grow and expand. We can see that what we do has a positive influence, not just for them personally, but for their loved ones as well. It makes the work we do extremely fulfilling.

There needs to be someone standing beside our clients to protect them and not let discrimination and institutional racism or prejudice get in the way of them leading normal, fulfilling lives. That is our team. Our reputation is that we will not take “no” for an answer. Our clients have too often heard “no:” “No, this is impossible,” or, “no, you’re not worthy,” or, “no, you do not have this opportunity.” When there is a criminal issue that took place in their history or their present that creates an obstacle in improving their circumstances or immigration status, we stand with them and fight for a better way.

We’re able to resolve what otherwise may have seemed impossible and help our clients achieve a future and a life for themselves that they may have never experienced. It is our clients’ belief in themselves, the drive to ensure they do everything they could to have the opportunity to fight, and their trust in us that allow us to do great work and make an impact.