Mercedes Cano ’99 is an immigration attorney with more than 20 years in the field. When she arrived in the U.S. she was undocumented and didn’t speak English. Cano took classes at Queens College and went on to earn her degree from CUNY Law, but not before she founded Centro Comunitario y de Asesoria Legal, Inc., a non-profit that educated immigrants about their legal and civil rights. Four years later, she opened her own law practice. Here’s how she keeps it all in the balance.
On a typical morning:
When my wife is not in town, I watch TV while having breakfast because I need to know the latest news. When my wife is in town, she gets up early and briefs me on the news while we have breakfast together. Once or twice a week, I try to make it to the pool for exercise. Some mornings I sit in my living room and meditate for a few minutes to give life a “thank you” for everything I have. It really makes my day so much easier.
On her first job after graduation:
I was able to secure a grant from a student organization at Yale Law School that helped me to start a not-for-profit organization. With that grant, I was able to reach more than 1,700 families to inform them about their rights and obligations as immigrants and as new citizens. That was the greatest gift I ever got and the best way I was able to serve my community. Today, taking the time to go to churches, hospitals, schools, or other not-for-profits to talk to communities is the best way I can give back to communities in the spirit of what CUNY Law gave me.
On changes to immigration:
In the immigration field, raids, hate speech, and social media have made families very afraid of everything and have pushed many of them to seek help from non-lawyers, unscrupulous lawyers, or lawyers with minimum experience in the field. The results are mistakes made on cases that are very expensive to appeal, deportations that could have been stopped, stress on families, and distrust of practitioners. The unscrupulous practice of many firms using these families’ fears is having a devastating effect on the legal relief that was available to them in the past. In addition, the current administration is attacking these types of relief under the new immigration laws. For example, Special Immigrant Juvenile Status used to be a relief if a minor had been abused or neglected in his/her country. We were also able to get asylum seekers or victims of domestic violence in their home countries out of detention and obtain relief for them in many forms. But it is much more difficult now. Families trust attorneys less and attorneys are feeling the pressure to yield results that are very difficult to obtain today. Overall, it makes the practice of immigration more complex and stressful.
On the value of meetings and networking:
I belong to the Queens Latino Lawyers (I previously was their president for two years) and participate in many of their events. Meeting with colleagues and friends in my field at different events refreshes me a lot. Meeting with law students and/or attending the CUNY Law events and participating in some classes allow me to see how far I have come. Students inspire me!
On adoptions for LGBTQ couples:
I think many attorneys don’t really understand the concept of gay couples wanting to form a family and don’t take the time to find out how to “present a case with minimum family history because the couple lives hiding their sexuality.” I have seen cases denied just for lack of preparation, and that, compiled with the fear and distrust that the LGBTQ community has of government, has a devastating effect on some of these cases. More education is needed for all parties involved, including the judicial one.
On maximizing a Friday:
On Fridays, I don’t see clients, but work a few hours in the morning and religiously meet with my publicist to strategize marketing for my law office. We review what happened during the week, what should we post, the topic, the types of clients that are coming, etc. We have fun dreaming of re-inventing our practices, our business, and analyzing what we did right or wrong.
On how she spends her downtime:
On the days I do not see people or have court, I may listen to a history podcast. I like to walk a bit in my neighborhood. Sometimes my wife and I go to Martha’s bakery, our favorite, for dessert with our daughter.
On winning the Distinguished Public Service Award in 2007:
At that ceremony, I remember feeling unstoppable pride and joy for everyone who graduated that day. I know how hard it is just to finish law school. I know that everyone is full of good intentions upon graduation, to help people, to give back to our communities, and I also know that the road to getting there after graduation is a long one. I wanted to share my mistakes and guide graduates to make their lives easier than mine. I continue to meet with students and recent graduates who want to start their own law firm. I love their energy and enthusiasm. It inspires me to keep on going.