Question about job description/support letter

gingerygirl

New Member
Hi all - I'm a lawyer with a law degree obtained in the US and registered in the state of NJ. I just accepted a job offer as an in-house counsel with a start-up. I'm currently on the TN status as an in-house counsel with a different (and bigger) company. From what I've read on this forum, and based on the relatively straightforward job category I'm applying in (and the fact that I'm a lawyer myself, though not an immigration lawyer), it doesn't seem necessary to engage a lawyer for the support letter. I'm therefore drafting the letter myself based on the letter that my current company drafted for me. I have a few questions:

-- Since this is the first legal hire at a relatively small start-up, the job listing online includes "managing the legal department". I understand that TN does not allow "managerial duties". There's only me in the legal team for now, and they won't be hiring in the foreseeable future, so there's really no one to "manage". To avoid any unnecessary confusions, should I ask my employer to remove the listing?
-- I'm hired by the US subsidiary of a foreign company. The US team is relatively small, and there's no manager/CEO for the US side yet. My immediate supervisor is located abroad in the foreign headquarter. Should he sign the support letter, or should someone with signatory authority for the US entity sign the letter (even thought he leads a different/unrelated department)?
-- Does the company size matter for the TN application? This is a respectable start-up funded by some big names, but the US subsidiary has just been established recently.
-- I don't have my original undergrad diploma with me - it's at home in Canada. The TN requirement for "lawyer" requires either a JD or bar membership, both of which I have, and I have the original diploma to show as proof. Do I still need to request an original undergrad diploma (a lengthy complicated process)? I have never been asked to show that, but I read somewhere on the forum that he/she was asked to show undergrad diploma even though it's not required under TN.


Sorry about the many questions - thank you so much!!
 
Your letter won't. Managing a legal firm is not even lawyer work. Change it

The size of the firm nor the person signing is that important.

Your proof that you have is sufficient.
 
Your letter won't. Managing a legal firm is not even lawyer work. Change it

The size of the firm nor the person signing is that important.

Your proof that you have is sufficient.

Thank you, Nelsona. Re your first point - do you mean that the letter should avoid mentioning anything "management" related (it won't, since there's no one to manage), and ask employer to remove the online job listing?
 
The job duties should be that of a lawyer. An office manager is not a lawyer. And, as you say, you aren;t managing anything, neither people nor a department. The letter should describe your activities as a lawyer.
The TN letter is specific to getting a TN, it is not a job listing, it is not an offer sheet.
 
The job duties should be that of a lawyer. An office manager is not a lawyer. And, as you say, you aren;t managing anything, neither people nor a department. The letter should describe your activities as a lawyer.
The TN letter is specific to getting a TN, it is not a job listing, it is not an offer sheet.
Thank you so much for the help!
 
Sorry one more question - does the TN letter need to address a specific border? I haven't finalized my travel plan yet, so would love to leave it as just the "U.S. Custom and Border Protection"

Thank you!
 
No, you do not need to address a specific border and I think it should be just fine at U.S. Custom and Border Protection.
 
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