A bar register is issued by the authority that grants the licence. A profile on a review site is created by whoever fills in the form.
Reviewed by Ekaterina Fitenko, Esq. — Florida Bar #1064536. With 20+ years of experience in the legal field, she advises Russian- and Ukrainian-speaking clients on immigration filings and case strategy, in English and Russian.
Every U.S. state bar publishes a searchable register of the lawyers it has admitted. That record is maintained by the body that issues and can revoke the licence, which is what makes it authoritative.
A profile on a review site, a legal directory or a firm's own page is a different kind of object entirely: it exists because someone filled in a form. The two look similar on a search results page, and the gap between them is where unlicensed practitioners operate.
Immigration law is federal. A lawyer admitted and in good standing in any state may represent you before USCIS and the immigration courts regardless of where either of you is located, so admission in another state is not a warning sign. Absence of admission anywhere is.
A bar record normally shows the name as admitted, the date of admission, current status — active, inactive, suspended — and any public discipline. Status is the field people skip: a lawyer can be admitted and not currently entitled to practise, and only the register says so.
Some non-lawyers may represent people before the immigration agencies: accredited representatives of recognised organisations, usually non-profits. That accreditation is also verifiable from official lists. Anyone who is neither a lawyer nor an accredited representative cannot represent you, whatever their business card says.
Form G-28 is the notice of entry of appearance as attorney or accredited representative. Only those two categories can sign it, and it is what makes a person responsible to the agency for your case. Asking who will sign it converts a claim about qualifications into a checkable fact.
Search the public register of the state bar that admitted them. That register is maintained by the authority that issues the licence, unlike a directory or review-site profile.
No. Immigration law is federal, so admission and good standing in any U.S. state is sufficient to represent you before USCIS and the immigration courts.
The admission date, the current status — active, inactive or suspended — and any public discipline. Status matters most, because an admitted lawyer may not currently be entitled to practise.
Only an accredited representative of a recognised organisation, and that accreditation is verifiable from official lists. Consultants, agencies and notaries cannot represent you before the agencies.
It is the floor, not a recommendation. A valid licence says the person may act; whether they regularly handle your category is a separate question worth asking directly.
$200 for 30 minutes, in English or Russian. Call (305) 315-3425 or email fitenkolaw@gmail.com to schedule, or start with the intake form.
This article is informational only and is not legal advice. Immigration rules, fees and processing times change; confirm current requirements with the agency or with counsel before relying on anything here.
Fitenko Law PLLC, 11555 Heron Bay Blvd, Suite 277, Coral Springs, FL 33076 (main office); 600 Three Islands Blvd, Hallandale Beach, FL 33009 (by appointment only). Phone: (305) 315-3425. Email: fitenkolaw@gmail.com