Hernandez told the media, “It’s scary, but after all the research we have done, we feel comfortable … There is a need.” Roberson chimed in saying “We decided people here needed legal assistance … Some of these people are an invisible segment of the population because they are illegal, and they are afraid to really go anywhere.”
Some may argue that jobs being invisible, it’s logical to investigate invisible segments of clients for fresh law graduates, but the KU duo does not think so. They are firm in their commitment to the society and are thorough in their research.
Both view the decision as service-based. According to them, while the number of Spanish speakers is continuing to grow in the locality, there are only about 20 bilingual attorneys in Kansas City. The imbalance, according to Hernandez, creates life difficult for those not proficient in English. He said, “I would go to a restaurant and just talk to the waiters and servers, and I would be like, ‘So I am thinking of doing this, do you think there would be a need?’” He recounts having a server say, “Yeah, it took me two months to talk to an immigration lawyer.”
However, before they launch their law firm they are working to gain extra experience as interns over the summer for a Catholic diocese for immigrants in El Paso. They intend to gather experience in immigration law and put their bilingual skills to use. And then they have to pass the bar exams.
Robertson says, “It’s a service thing first … The money will come later. We really just want to be problem-solvers within the community.”
Our best wishes guys, good thinking.