Jim Hacking was recently asked by the U.S. District Court to serve as Guest Speaker at a January 2015 Naturalization Ceremony. Â The event was held in the en banc courtroom of the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals. Â Judge Nanette Baker swore in fifty men and women from across the globe after a brief ceremony.
In his remarks, Jim discussed the long journey of many steps that the new citizens had to take in order to reach this stage - coming to the U.S. as an alien, applying for lawful permanent resident status, being a person of good moral character and passing the naturalization exam. Â The important role that immigrants continue to play in America in 2013 was highlighted.
Jim mentioned his gratitude for all of the wonderful immigrants in his life - not only his many clients, but more specifically, his long-time legal assistant, Adela Zepcan, herself an immigrant from Bosnia-Herzegovina. Â He also discussed his wife Amany's journey from El Mansura, Egypt to the U.S. back in 1979.
The highlight for Jim was seeing a client become a citizen after a long fight and appeal with USCIS. Â The man had waited several years to become a citizen.
