How to end a conversation with USCIS
 

This is a recount of my conversation with the customs inspector in EWR, returning from SJO.

Them: What food did you bring back?

Me: Chocolate covered coffee beans.

Them: Visit any other countries?

Me: No.

Them: How long were gone for?

Me: Less than a week.

Them: Purpose of visit?

Me: Vacation.

Them: Why a vacation?

Me: Just graduated.

Them: Graduated from?

Me: Emory University Law School.

Them: Thank you, good day.

I always knew my JD would payoff.^^^^

They asked you a lot more questions than I got on my arrival in SFO last week. Usually all you get is how long, where, and the food thing. Maybe what do you do for a living. My guess is the agent was afraid you were going to tell him about all the great job offers you were getting and wanted to get rid of you. :)

I have great job offers? This is news to me.

Congradulations man.

Some advice from a 10-year lawyer:

The culture of law enforcement despises attorneys. To them, lawyers are the people who publicize their screwups and their violations of law.

Generally speaking, LEOs come down harder on attorneys. I never re-enter the U.S. with business cards and don't have anthing in my wallet which IDs my profession.

Congratulations on the J.D.

Congratulations and best of luck on the July Bar.

Some rebuttal from a 28 year lawyer. I have never encountered this sentiment at JFK.

I think the point is that throwing around the "I'm a lawyer" thing is as likely (if not more so) to bring on additional hostility as just remaining silent, given the overall "popularity" of lawyers. It certainly isn't likely to intimidate anyone. :)

Now, if you were to say you were an IRS agent... :p

Once upon a time the Mrs. worked in a facility at which a laptop had gone missing. A detective interviewed all the employees at great length. Then it was Wifey's turn:

Q: I'm here to investigate the missing laptop.
A: Should I call my husband? He's a lawyer.

(Detective closes notebook and leaves without another word)

She came home and wanted to know why the detective had left while all the other employees were questioned at length. I explained to her that by saying the word "lawyer" she had, quite inadvertently, invoked her 6th Amendment right to counsel and the detective was at that point required to stop questioning her.

I wonder whether the OP's mention of "law school" triggered the same response from the LEO, and for the same reasons.

That's not much different than the conversation I had with the Customs agent in Miami when I was coming back from a cruise in the Caribbean. In this case, the item in question was Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee. If he keyed on me being an ex-cop (and they frequently do - we can pick one another out of a crowd), he didn't mention it, and neither did I. But he didn't ask me why I took a vacation (same reason anyone else does, I suppose). He just stamped my customs form and welcomed me home.

I think a lot of you folks go looking for trouble.

Tell me how her question triggered the requirement that the detective not question her further.

1. She wasn't in custody, and presumably free to leave. Had this not been the case, I doubt if the detective would have just walked away.
2. There is no indication that she was the focus of the investigation or suspected of any crime. The detective was only gathering information. Miranda only attaches when the person being questioned is (a) not free to leave and (b) asked potentially incriminating questions. Even then, there are many exceptions to the Miranda rule.
3. There was no demand to speak with an attorney or to have one present during questioning. There was only a question as to whether she should call one. The appropriate response would be, "Whether you want to call an attorney or not is up to you. You certainly have the right to do so." But she was not compelled or coerced to answer any of the detective's questions, and the detective apparently thought she was more trouble than any information she might have furnished was worth. I have made the same decision many times.

Cops who know what they're doing are not intimidated by attorneys, or the mention of them. Attorneys seem to like to believe the mention of their status causes stalwart lawmen to quake and wet their pants, but I have never witnessed this to happen. And I have arrested several attorneys.

Are you sure you're a lawyer? This is pretty basic stuff.

Doubtful. In your case the officer was conducting a criminal investigation and questioning specific people, whereas the Immigration officer was asking standard questions asked of all persons entering the country. As I pointed out, the OP actually got more questions than I usually get.

I had a new experience with USCIS the other day: no questions at all.

First one in line after an early morning arrival from NRT. Say "Good Morning," hand over my passport, get it back, and waved through without the immigration inspector saying a word.

Not that I'm complaining. :D

Very similar subject came up when coworkers and I were asked if we ever dropped our company's name or partner's name. Most of us have. Our company's partner is one of the most well-known lawyers in the US.

An coworker (from a Muslim country (still a citizen of said country, still uses said passport) that gets a lot of suspicion right now, warranted or not) relayed a story of coming back from a vacation outside of the US. She was detained in some back room. Then they started in with the questions. As soon as she answered the "who do you work for?" question, she was immediately let go.

You work for Denny Crane? ;)

Thanks for the support on the Bar.

I did not state in any way that I am a lawyer, it would be unprofessional for me to do so. :p

P.S. if any of the attorneys on here would like to hire a young hard working litigation associate, please feel free to PM me.