"The Voice of the New Due Process Army" ————– Musings on Events in U.S. Immigration Court, Immigration Law, Sports, and Other Random Topics by Retired United States Immigration Judge (Arlington, Virginia) and former Chairman of the Board of Immigration Appeals Paul Wickham Schmidt. To see my complete professional bio, just click on the link below.
🇺🇸⚖️🗽👨🏻⚖️😎 JUDGING: WHAT MADE IT ALL WORTHWHILE!
From my inbox:
Greetings & invitation to my father’s celebration of life
Dear Honorable Judge Schmidt,
I am so glad that Laura provided me with your contact – and hope all is well with you!
Laura likely mentioned this to you already; you were my father’s (Bing Li) judge in 2013 when he was placed behind bars at Rappahannock. Time truly flies – it is hard to believe that a decade has already gone by. But the impact that you’ve made – the decision to give our family a fighting chance to stay together in this country – will always be of life-changing significance. In the ten years since, I graduated from Princeton University with a degree in Chemistry and am now a junior engagement management at McKinsey driving energy transition work in Houston. All of this is possible thanks to the faith and fairness you’ve given my father during his most critical time.
Sadly, my father passed away to Stage IV Colon Cancer during the height of COVID-19. Long overdue, we’re finally able to plan a celebration of life at the National Club Press this Friday, Feb. 16th, and I would like to cordially invite you as my guest. It would be an enormous privilege to have you there, and I sincerely look forward to the opportunity of conveying to you, in-person, the consequential difference you made for our family. On that note, before my father passed away, he was able to compile his diaries from Rappahannock in which your name had come up a number of times. I will be reading some of his excerpts during the event.
Bing Li
In either case, truly, truly appreciate your time and consideration, Judge Schmidt! If Friday evening does not end up working out for you, I would love it if you have time for me to pay you a visit sometime in the near future when I’m next in DC!
Please take great care and look forward to your thoughts!
Best,
Jessica Li
*********************
The “little things” we do make a big difference.
Thanks so much for your kind words and allowing me to share this Jessica. Condolences to you and your family. And, congratulations on your family’s stellar contributions to America. I know your father must have been so proud of your accomplishments. It’s an honor to have played a role in making it possible!
I was not previously aware of the dramatic impact that Judge Schmidt had on the life of Li Bing and his family, but such conduct was characteristic of the way that Judge Schmidt administered his court room. I appeared before Judge Schmidt approximately six times on behalf of clients. On each occasion, Judge Schmidt was respectful, honest, helpful and encouraging to my clients. Hands down, he is the best judge I ever had the opportunity to appear before.
You are very kind. Thank you. And, I got lots of help from lawyers on both sides, interpreters, court clerks, security guards, JLCs, Court Administrators, my judicial colleagues, etc.
There are many more “moving pieces” to well-functioning courts than most folks realize. That’s why it’s such a shame that we keep appointing AGs and Senior EOIR officials who have not represented individuals before EOIR and often have little clue, and care less, what happens at the “retail level” of our justice system where lives, futures, and human dignity hang in the balance very day.
DPF and best,
😎
I was not previously aware of the dramatic impact that Judge Schmidt had on the life of Li Bing and his family, but such conduct was characteristic of the way that Judge Schmidt administered his court room. I appeared before Judge Schmidt approximately six times on behalf of clients. On each occasion, Judge Schmidt was respectful, honest, helpful and encouraging to my clients. Hands down, he is the best judge I ever had the opportunity to appear before.
Frederick Day
You are very kind. Thank you. And, I got lots of help from lawyers on both sides, interpreters, court clerks, security guards, JLCs, Court Administrators, my judicial colleagues, etc.
There are many more “moving pieces” to well-functioning courts than most folks realize. That’s why it’s such a shame that we keep appointing AGs and Senior EOIR officials who have not represented individuals before EOIR and often have little clue, and care less, what happens at the “retail level” of our justice system where lives, futures, and human dignity hang in the balance very day.
DPF and best,
😎