Los Angeles immigration lawyer Susan Qin said, “I have helped many people win their cases in court this year. Each person’s case has their own story. It’s not easy for everyone to move from one country to another, facing language and cultural barriers, saying goodbye to family and friends, and familiar environment, and starting over in a new place to learn how to survive. Every time I help them win, I am deeply moved.”
After graduating from the renowned Duquesne University School of Law in Pittsburgh with a Ph.D., professional immigration lawyer Susan Qin, holding licenses in California, New York, and Washington state, has helped many Chinese individuals win immigration cases for over seven years, with a success rate of over 80%. What qualities are needed to become a professional lawyer? Why was she willing to enter the field of immigration law to help the Chinese community after receiving mainstream American education? Susan Qin accepted an interview with The Epoch Times to share her journey into the immigration law field.
Having immigrated to the United States with her parents at a young age, Susan Qin grew up in the U.S. and received Western education. She studied media in her undergraduate, then chose law during her master’s studies, focusing on Labor and Employment Law. While studying in Pittsburgh, she was one of the few Chinese faces in a predominantly Western society. She felt the importance of protecting individual rights: “Everyone may encounter unequal treatment at work, such as salary increases, wage deductions, etc. Without knowing the law, one may not know if they are protected. Due to being Asian, one may face discrimination, the boss not giving promotions. In fact, the U.S. has many laws that protect racial diversity. Learning labor law opened my eyes, making me realize that legal knowledge can help not only myself but also many others around me.”
Established in 1911, Duquesne University’s School of Law has nurtured many outstanding judges and lawyers over a century. Some families have a tradition of studying law through generations. Susan Qin mentioned that she felt honored to be able to study at this school: “During our studies, we often had various activities. Every weekend, we would invite celebrities, judges, even governors who graduated from our law school to give lectures. We also invited outstanding lawyers from well-known law firms for training, which expanded our horizons.”
Her experience pursuing a Ph.D. in law at Duquesne University was a challenging three-year process for Susan Qin: “In the first year of my Ph.D. studies, none of my classmates didn’t cry because of the high pressure. At that time, there weren’t many translation tools like Chat GPT, so when a teacher asked us to read a 200-page constitution article, the next day we were quizzed on it. We had to read a large amount of legal documents every day, digest them, and express them in our own words.”
Facing language barriers, Susan didn’t retreat but doubled her efforts. She said, “There were many unfamiliar words, including French and Latin. A crucial skill a lawyer needs to have is writing ability. I put a lot of effort into studying legal writing and achieved the second highest grade in class.”
Apart from English proficiency, Susan also mentioned the need for a significant change in thinking: “Studying law enhances logical thinking significantly. It overturns your worldview. in the past, I was more inclined towards literary types, liking poetry and novels. But after studying law, all forms of expression changed. If a simple sentence can convey the meaning, don’t split it into two sentences, don’t describe your feelings, everything is very rational.”
During her internship at Pittsburgh Legal Aid, Susan worked on criminal defense cases. Following a seasoned criminal defense lawyer, she was exposed to a large number of cases. Initially, she was assigned to work as a public defender, representing juvenile offenders in criminal cases, marking her first step into the legal field. Over more than a year of internship, she gained valuable experience.
“Many juvenile delinquency cases involved theft, fighting, engaging in illegal activities. Initially, I thought, committing a crime means facing legal punishment. But on the first day I attended court, the judge told the accused juveniles that the court wasn’t a place for punishment but for education. That had a big impact on me. The legal system is not for punishment but to make you realize that your actions are unacceptable in society, prompting self-reflection and improvement to live up to this society and people around you.”
This experience brought important insights to Susan, understanding that she represented not a criminal per se but a young person who could improve, requiring compassion and patience for education. She learned to represent each individual facing court from their perspective. “If you have prejudice against a person or don’t understand something very well, you make a subjective judgment, making it difficult to handle the matter effectively. So I believe that for every case and every person who approaches me, I will look at the issue from their perspective.”
After completing her internship in the juvenile court, Susan moved to another department, where she assisted another senior criminal defense lawyer in defending criminal homicide cases. Describing the experience, she mentioned, “The first time I accompanied the lawyer to a corpse examination, I almost vomited. Seeing a female corpse up close for the first time, an 18-year-old shot twice. I thought about what it takes to be a lawyer representing a murder victim; it’s not something an average person can bear. It’s a professional job; you can’t let your emotions affect your work. After more exposure, the fear dissipated.”
Another memorable experience for Susan was her first visit to a federal prison, acting as a defense lawyer for an inmate. “We entered the men’s prison, and the waiting area for visitors was a small room surrounded by walls, with only a small window on the door and a table in the middle. While waiting, the alarm suddenly went off; the entire prison was in lockdown. There had been a fight between two inmates. Concerned about potential jailbreak attempts during the chaos, the prison was locked down, stopping all visits and services. We couldn’t work but were stuck in a small room.”
At that moment, Susan didn’t know how long she would be trapped inside. Her phone had no signal, unable to contact anyone for help. She, as a young Asian woman, was trapped in a men’s prison, facing murderers, and feared not being able to leave or contracting any diseases inside the prison. She felt a whirlwind of thoughts, envisioning various scenarios. She experienced the longest prison lockdown, being trapped for 8 hours, still giving her chills when thinking back. “After that, every time I go to defend in prison, I make preparations. Besides professional skills, I also learn some survival skills, carry water and food, understand the background of the prison before going, and broaden my knowledge.”
She cited the saying of the 19th-century German philosopher Nietzsche, “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” She believed that in her internship, facing her inner fears head-on made her stronger. Her experience as a criminal defense lawyer enhanced her understanding of the intricate workings of the court and sharpened her observation of details. Through encountering various cases continually, she developed excellent defense abilities.
During her studies in Pittsburgh, Susan’s social circle was primarily composed of white individuals, with few Chinese faces. “In our class, out of 150 students in the law school, only two were Chinese. Though I got along well with my friends, I questioned if I would have to work in a white-dominated mainstream society in the future. However, I always have a Chinese face, speak Chinese, and am familiar with American culture. Why not leverage my strengths to help the Chinese community?”
While assisting the Chief Judge at the Federal Court in South Pittsburgh, she dealt with numerous civil and criminal cases, some involving federal criminal cases where she saw Chinese immigrants encountering legal problems upon arrival in the U.S., bringing distress to their families, sparking deep sympathy in her.
Growing up in a traditional Chinese family, Susan received upbringing based on kindness, cultural values, moral upbringing, clarity of right and wrong, and a commitment to seeking justice. These principles made her sympathetic towards those forced into exile by political persecution, hoping to assist every Chinese individual in a foreign land in need of help. Graduating, she decided to develop her career in New York or Los Angeles, acquiring licenses in California, New York, and Washington state, officially becoming a practicing lawyer, and establishing the “Susan Qin Law Firm” in her name.
She recalled a case involving human rights lawyer Li Runchu, who often advocated for vulnerable groups in mainland China. Li himself faced harassment from pursuing fairness, justice, and democratic freedom since high school. Through his diligence, he passed the bar exam, aiding underprivileged individuals in seeking their rights, like those facing forced demolitions or struggling to receive their entitled wages. However, he also faced hardships due to his advocacy. Li understood the manipulation of laws by the Communist Party in China where subjective “laws” were imposed above the formal legal system, losing hope in Chinese society, he left for the U.S. for political asylum.
Despite being well-prepared with sound reasoning and concrete evidence, Li couldn’t pass the fear interview. Even after several years of litigation with various law firms, he wasn’t satisfied with the process. In April of this year, Li turned to the Susan Qin Law Firm, presenting a thorough 28-page personal statement. Susan diligently organized his materials, simplifying his complex and lengthy story, making it clear to the judge. She also coached him on response techniques, successfully transferring his case to a faster docket, achieving a positive outcome in court in September.
Reflecting on her experience in representing Li Runchu, Susan said, “Although he is a lawyer himself and thinks he understands many things, in the U.S., without professional legal training, even in a good case, you may not succeed. Even if your story is true, certain strategies are necessary.”
“After operating a law firm in Los Angeles for seven years, many clients are repeat customers, with cases involving criminal, civil, and immigration matters. Being an immigration lawyer is very fulfilling because each person coming to the U.S. has faced challenges.” Susan shared that handling cases for religious groups, minority populations, human rights lawyers, single-parent families moved her deeply. Many individuals arrived in the U.S. seeking political asylum to escape persecution by the Chinese Communist Party. Some cases took years to resolve, helping them successfully obtain asylum and freedom felt very meaningful to her.
Today, the Susan Qin Law Firm has expanded its operations, opening a new office in New York and inviting the East Coast’s first Asian-American immigration judge Sandy Hom. With 30 years of immigration judiciary experience, Hom has retired and now presides over cases at the New York branch of the Susan Qin Law Firm. Susan expressed her deep respect for Judge Hom, who excelled in handling intricate cases. With Judge Hom overseeing, she feels confident. Due to the pandemic, some cases have shifted to online court hearings, breaking geographical constraints. Some New York cases no longer require her physical presence, enabling remote court appearances. She hopes her law firm can assist more needed Chinese individuals, especially those facing persecution by the Communist Party, whom she refers to as “warriors,” helping them settle in a free society to start a new life.
The Susan Qin Law Firm is a full-service immigration law firm providing comprehensive expert guidance and representation for individuals and businesses in all aspects of immigration law. A seasoned team of immigration lawyers is dedicated to helping clients navigate the complex immigration system and achieve their goals, including work visas, green cards, citizenship. The senior immigration experts personally handle cases, with 40 years of experience, successfully resolving thousands of cases.
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