Though this law was passed in December, it was not highly publicized, and the move took many Puerto Ricans living in the US by surprise.

Rep. José Serrano from New York, who was born in Puerto Rico, told the Associated Press that “No one has thought about what effect this could have, if any, on those of us born in Puerto Rico who now reside in the 50 states.”

Why Are Puerto Rican Birth Certificates Being Invalidated?

Puerto Rico is a US commonwealth, meaning Puerto Ricans are US citizens at birth. Identity thieves targeted Puerto Rican birth certificates as desirable tickets to US passports and licenses.

The Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration website reported that hundreds of thousands of original birth certificates were not adequately protected and were stolen and sold on the black market for up to $10,000 each.

The US Department of Homeland Security and US Citizenship and Immigration Services stated that up to 40 percent of recent passport fraud cases involved Puerto Rican birth certificates. The law invalidating birth certificates was enacted to protect Puerto Ricans from further identity theft and credit problems.

How Can Puerto Ricans in the US Be Affected?

Puerto Ricans living in the US can no longer use certified copies of their birth certificates after July 1 as proof required for such actions as applying for drivers’ licenses and passports.

Rep. Serrano said that he has been fielding calls from many concerned citizens, but he is to curb some unnecessary panic about being forced to leave the country. “You’re established already, no one is going to ask you for a birth certificate,” Serrano said.

How Can Puerto Ricans Apply for New Birth Certificates?

On or after July 1, people born in Puerto Rico can follow these steps to replace their birth certificates:

• Go to the Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration website.
• Download and complete an application form.
• Include a photocopy of a government-issued photo ID, a self-addressed stamped envelope and a $5 money order to the Secretary of Treasury of Puerto Rico with the application form.
• Send the application to: Registro Demográfico
  P.O. Box 11854
  San Juan, PR 00910

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The history of court reporting shows that various forms of shorthand reporting go back thousands of years and have always been an integral part of the legal system.

The Birth of Shorthand

Shorthand can be traced back to a man named Marcus Tullius Tiro around the year 63 BC. Tiro was a slave belonging to Roman philosopher, lawyer and orator Cicero. Tiro’s duties showed that he was highly intelligent and capable: he was in charge of taking dictation and managing Cicero’s financial affairs.

To keep up with transcribing speeches, Tiro developed a system of symbols and abbreviations. He omitted short or common words that he could add later by memory or context. Tiro expanded his shorthand system to include over 4,000 signs, which were adopted by other scribes in Rome and eventually other countries.

Tironian notes weren’t just used for court reporting, dictation and other legal affairs — during Medieval times, Tironian notes were taught in monasteries and were common in everyday writing. Monks and scholars continued to expand Tironian notes to about 13,000 signs, but the system declined in use after the year 1100 AD.

Shorthand for English Speakers

In 1180, a monk named John of Tilbury created the first shorthand system for English speakers. Shorthand wasn’t widely used by English speakers until Dr. Timothie Bright published a system of 500 symbols to be used as English shorthand in his 1588 book “Characterie: An Arte of Shorte, Swifte, and Secrete Writing by Character.”

In 1602, John Willis published a shorthand system based on the English alphabet, rather than symbols. Over the next few decades, several people developed English alphabet shorthand systems, including a man named Thomas Gurney, who was appointed the first official shorthand writer of the English government in 1772.

English Shorthand in Court

Novelist Charles Dickens adopted Thomas Gurney’s shorthand methods when he began working as a junior law clerk, and again as a freelance reporter covering legal proceedings. His shorthand notes inspired scenes in novels like “Bleak House” and “Nicholas Nickleby.”

Gurney’s son, Joseph, used his father’s system when he acted as a court reporter for the 1788 trial of Warren Hastings, the first English governor-general of Bengal, who was accused of corruption and other high crimes and misdemeanors.

In 1837, Isaac Pitman created a shorthand system based on phonetics. The Pitman method is still widely used in the United Kingdom today.

Shorthand Comes to the US

Court reporters, secretaries and other professionals in the United States began using a shorthand system by John Robert Gregg, who left England to open shorthand schools in Chicago and Boston.

Gregg’s method, published in the US in 1893, only began to decline in use when the first stenotype machine began to rise in popularity, patented by an American court reporter named Miles Bartholomew.

Technology Improves Court Reporting

In the early part of the 20th century, court reporters experimented with adding recording devices to the stenotype machines to produce even more accurate transcripts.

In the 1950s, IBM partnered with the US military to create stenotype machines where typed words and even symbols could be translated into many different languages. When that project was scrapped, court reporters lobbied for computer-assisted stenotype machines.

Modern stenotype machines are more akin to a computer than a typewriter. They have microprocessors, individual keys with different sensitivity settings and LCD screens where the shorthand words appear in English.

As technology like voice recognition and translation software improves, court reporting techniques will continue to evolve. After reviewing the history, it’s clear that court reporting has always been a profession for those who are highly skilled, efficient and accurate.

As social networking proves to be an effective tool for attracting clients and customers, more law firms and legal associates have gotten involved with sites like LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. These sites allow for the quick and easy dissemination of information to a wide audience. A quick dialogue with an anonymous Internet user could lead to new business.

However, using social networking sites can have legal risks. It is a good idea to take precautions to mitigate potential liability.

Here are some things to consider when using social networking sites:

1) Be Careful Not to Share Too Much

It’s easy to get caught up in Twitter, where all you do is post updates of your current or recent activities in 140 characters or less.

The American Bar Association’s Model Rules of Professional Conduct require confidentiality between a lawyer and client. This is common knowledge, but an attorney who gets too caught up in the spirit of Twitter’s “say anything” theme might end up accidentally divulging too much information about a client or case.

2) Be Aware of Copyrighted Material

Information is passed around so quickly on social networking sites that it’s easy to forget where the material originated. Be careful not to post a piece that you do not have permission to use. Ask for permission to repost articles, and make sure you provide proper attribution for the material you use.

On the other hand, remember the right to your own intellectual property. Protect your writing by providing conditions for the reposting of your material. Monitor new trademarks, domain names and other online content to make sure that your company is not violating copyright and to be sure that competitors are not stealing from you.

3) Take Advertising Fundamentals into Account

You already know how social networking can be an effective marketing tool. But even though it can seem like anything goes when working with social media, you should still be careful to use smart advertising practices. If you’re advertising a particular promotion, do your best to actually promote it in several places beyond social networking sites — don’t just post it on Twitter in hopes of getting retweeted.

You also want to make sure your sites are free of “advertising in disguise.” For example, the Federal Trade Commission can fine a blogger up to $11,000 for not disclosing that they received compensation for a product endorsement. Although companies probably won’t send you products to review, it’s smart to be up-front about your services on your website, blog and any social media profile.

4) Create Policies for Social Networking Use

One of the reasons people are attracted to social media is that it’s quick and spontaneous. If you have employees managing a business Twitter account, there is no way you can hold off on posting updates until they are edited and approved — that’s just not the way Twitter works. Of course, leaving social media updates to different employees means information that should’ve been edited or dropped altogether might get posted for all the world to see.

Develop policies for employee use of social media. Instill employees with the knowledge that their actions on social networking sites are representative of the entire company. In your policies, cover your bases — discuss responsibility, ownership of intellectual property and liability. It would also be wise to look at each social networking site you use and go over the terms of service.

Keeping in mind the legal ramifications of using social networking sites is a good idea that will lead to a successful online presence!

Actually, being a good interpreter means a lot more than just being bilingual. It is in your best interest to hire a professional, since successful interpreting requires a lot of specific skills.

A professional interpreter:

1) Must Have an Immediate Understanding of Both Languages

The interpreter must be truly bilingual, not just somewhat fluent. There is no time to look up a word in the dictionary or ask the speaker what he or she meant.

There also isn’t always time to weigh the merits of other possible phrases or words. In a small setting, bilingual interpreters may be able to ask the speakers to clarify what they are saying. But in many cases, if the interpreter tries to think of the most precise or poetic way to interpret the beginning of the speaker’s sentence, he or she could lose the speaker’s next few words or even miss an entire thought.

2) Must Have Subject Area Expertise

Being bilingual doesn’t necessarily mean that a person knows specialized vocabulary. If an interpreter is hired for a trial but has no knowledge of legal terminology or phrasing, it could be very difficult to convey exactly what is happening in the courtroom, which could have detrimental results.

Bilingual interpreters must have some knowledge of the subject area. Only then can he or she convey what the speaker means without embellishing or omitting important details. A good interpreter can fully understand the thought coming from the speaker and explain it using the resources of another language.

3) Must Be Culturally & Professionally Aware

Simply being bilingual doesn’t guarantee that a person knows anything about the culture or society of the country in which their second language originates. A good interpreter is aware of the cultural expressions and actions that can potentially serve as bridges or barriers to good communication.

A good interpreter also knows the appropriate conduct of his or her surroundings. The courtroom interpreter, then, would dress appropriately and be familiar with legal protocol.

Being bilingual is obviously an excellent foundation — even a prerequisite! — for an interpreter. But the skills needed for the sensitive situations that require interpreters go above and beyond just the basic knowledge of a couple of languages.

Last fall, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services redesigned their difficult-to-navigate website to make it easier for people to use. USCIS also changed the way applicants can access their immigration application status online.

In addition, USCIS launched E-Notification, a system of letting an applicant know that his or her application was accepted if it was filed at the USCIS Lockbox facilities in Chicago, Illinois; Phoenix, Arizona or Lewisville, Texas.

About E-Notification

If you are submitting immigration forms to one of the three Lockboxes, then all you need to do is submit Form G-1145, E-Notification of Application/Petition Acceptance along with your application.

If you provide an e-mail address and a cell phone number on the G-1145, you will receive an e-mail and a text message from USCIS with your receipt number. You will receive your official receipt in the mail via the US Postal Service.

Many forms are filed at the Lockbox locations, meaning many applicants will be able to be notified when their immigration application or petition has been officially accepted by USCIS.

Applications and petitions filed at the Lockboxes include:

• Citizenship and naturalization forms
• Family-based immigration forms
• Adoption-based immigration forms
• Adjustment of status forms
• Employment authorization forms
• Travel document/advance parole forms
• Temporary Protective Status forms
• Card replacement forms

Submitting Form G-1145 only lets you know when your petition has been accepted. For further information on your immigration application status, you need My Case Status.

About My Case Status

My Case Status combines up-to-date information about the status of your immigration application with current application processing times, so you can estimate how long your application might take to get approved.

You can create a secure account with a username and password to check your case status quickly and easily. Once you are registered, you can sign up for automatic e-mail and text message updates every time your application status changes.

My Case Status also tells you how the current application processing step relates to the overall immigration application process, so you have a better understanding of the USCIS system.

Other Ways to Check Your Immigration Application Status

If you have questions about your application status, you can also call the USCIS National Customer Service Center, make an InfoPass appointment or, if you filed with a USCIS Field Office, write a letter to the office for an update.

But with the new e-mail and text message updates, it’s clear that checking your immigration application status has never been easier!

Becoming a US citizen is a process that takes years and costs thousands of dollars in fees. But United States Citizenship and Immigration Services recognizes the many sacrifices that members of the military make on behalf of the US. For this reason, the path to citizenship for military personnel is simple and expedited.

Meeting the Requirements for Military Citizenship

To qualify for military citizenship, a person must serve in the Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps or Navy. Certain members of the National Guard or the Selected Reserve of the Ready Reserve may also qualify.

While the military citizenship path is shorter, USCIS still upholds the security and integrity of the naturalization process. Military members must meet some of the requirements to become a citizen; for example, demonstrating excellent moral character as well as proficiency in English and civics.

Requirements that are waived include the fees for the application and the biometrics processing. Service members are not required to provide proof of a residence in the US.

Applying for Military Citizenship in Peacetime

To apply for citizenship through the military during peacetime, you must be a lawful permanent resident. You must have served for at least one year and show current honorable service. If you are no longer serving, you must show honorable discharge and file for citizenship within six months of leaving the service.

Applying for Military Citizenship in Wartime

If you apply for citizenship through the military during a specifically designated period of hostility, you do not need to be a lawful permanent resident, nor do you need to be active in the military for a certain amount of time.

You may qualify for military citizenship if you have been serving honorably on active-duty status for any period of time during war. In addition, USCIS now allows military members to become citizens while serving overseas.

Applying for Citizenship for the Family of Service Members

USCIS now allows spouses and children of US armed forces service members to obtain citizenship through the military.

Eligible family members can even obtain US citizenship without having to travel to the US or show proof of a US residence.

Obtaining Posthumous Military Citizenship

If a US service member fought during wartime and died in combat or as a result of disease or injuries incurred in that period, he or she may be eligible for posthumous citizenship.

If a family member or the Secretary of Defense completes a posthumous citizenship application with USCIS, the deceased veteran is considered a US citizen as of the date of his or her death.

The deceased veteran’s surviving spouse, children and parents are considered immediate relatives of a US citizen and are eligible to apply for citizenship.

A History of Military Citizenship

Speeding up the citizenship process for military members is not a recent development. The US has held overseas citizenship ceremonies in the past. During the Korean War, the US naturalized 7,756 members of the armed forces. 20,011 service members became citizens overseas during World War II.

The military citizenship path is perhaps the simplest route to citizenship. However, it should certainly not just be treated as an easy way around the process. Enrolling in any branch of the armed forces during a period of hostility requires the utmost commitment to the United States.

The Employment-Based Preference System

The employment-based preference system consists of five categories (EB-1, EB-2, EB-3, EB-4 and EB-5) based on college degrees and work experience. EB-1 is reserved for immigrants who are outstanding in their field. EB-2 requires advanced degrees or extraordinary ability, and EB-3 is for immigrants with bachelor’s degrees or some work experience.

Since EB-1 and EB-2 are highly scrutinized categories, many immigrants only qualify for EB-3. However, the 140,000 green card limit is divided up almost equally among the categories. Because the third preference category’s quota is met so quickly each year, there is a waiting period of about five years.

EB-2 vs. EB-3 Classification

Qualifying for the EB-2 rather than the EB-3 category is far more advantageous. United States Citizenship and Immigration Services interprets the “advanced degree” required for second preference as a master’s degree or higher, or a bachelor’s degree with five years of post-baccalaureate work experience.

Many more immigrants would qualify for the bachelor’s degree with five years of experience, but immigration services is very strict about how they interpret a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent: The immigrant must have graduated from a four-year program.

Unfortunately, many foreign bachelor’s degree or similar degree programs are for three years, and USCIS will not accept them as qualifying criteria for EB-2 status.

The 3-Year Degree Dilemma

In an era when three-year bachelor’s degrees are becoming fairly normal in the US, it is difficult to understand why USCIS is being so stringent on the policy that specifically requires an immigrant to earn a four-year degree to be eligible for a green card.

In fact, an immigrant can even have trouble getting approved under EB-3 status if the company sponsoring the immigrant for the green card does not specify that it accepts three-year degrees.

Until USCIS relaxes its standards of the required degrees for green card approval, the US risks losing workers with valuable skills.

InfoPass is a scheduling system provided by United States Citizenship and Immigration Services that lets you make an appointment to talk to an immigration officer. It lets you pick a time that fits in your busy schedule.

Before InfoPass, it was difficult to talk to an immigration officer. Long lines would accumulate outside of immigration services offices, and there was never any guarantee of a meeting.

The convenience of InfoPass allows you to go online instead of waiting in line!

Using InfoPass to Make an Immigration Appointment

Making an immigration appointment using InfoPass is easy. Just follow these 7 simple steps:

1) Go to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services website and click on “Make an Appointment (InfoPass),” or go directly to http://infopass.uscis.gov.

2) Choose a language. InfoPass is available in 12 languages.

3) Enter your zip code and select a nearby immigration office.

4) Select the immigration appointment option that best matches with your particular inquiry.

5) Enter the personal information requested, like your name, date of birth and telephone number. If you have a case number or alien registration number, you may also have to enter those.

6) InfoPass will generate possible appointment dates and times. Select the one that fits your schedule. If you can’t find an immigration appointment time that is convenient for you, continue checking the InfoPass system periodically, since more times are added each day.

7) Once you’ve selected your date and time, an appointment confirmation will pop up. You should print this, put it somewhere safe and bring it to the immigration appointment.

Preparing for Your Immigration Appointment

You must have the proper documents in order for your appointment. If you forget a receipt or identification card, it could mean that your appointment may need to be rescheduled, so it’s important to remember everything!

This includes:

• A printout of the appointment confirmation.
• Valid government-issued identification, such as an ID card, driver’s license, passport, I-94 entry card, employment authorization card or green card.
• Any forms, receipts, approvals or denials related to your inquiry. If you have original documents in a language other than English, bring certified translations.

If you lose your immigration appointment confirmation, you can generate a replacement by accessing InfoPass and entering the requested information.

If you cannot keep your appointment, you can cancel it through InfoPass. You will not be penalized for canceling or rescheduling an appointment.

Other Ways to Answer Your Questions

Appointments with immigration officers are useful when you have difficult questions or if you have received a notice requiring you to visit an office for further case processing. However, if you have a routine inquiry, there are better ways to find answers to your immigration questions.

The immigration services website — USCIS.gov — allows you to look at laws and regulations, check on your case status, obtain current application wait times and download forms. You must also file forms if you need to renew or replace green cards, I-94 cards or work authorization cards.

Simple questions can also be directed to the National Customer Service Center hotline at 1-800-375-5283. Don’t be afraid to call — it might even eliminate your need for an immigration appointment!

The growing immigrant and refugee population means that hundreds of languages and dialects are being spoken in the US every day. Many refugees and displaced persons know very little English, so they avoid situations where they might have to interact with native English speakers, like at the doctor’s office. This means that medical help might not be sought until the last possible moment, when the consequences of a doctor and a patient not understanding each other could be very dire.

The demand for medical interpreters is greater than ever. According to a recent Wall Street Journal article, between 15,000 and 17,000 people work as medical interpreters in the US, and the number is expected to increase as hospitals and clinics add more medical interpreters to their staff to ensure patients receive complete comprehensive care.

Laws Require Medical Interpreters

A study by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, a division of the US Department of Labor, predicts that the number of employed translators and interpreters will increase by 22 percent in the next decade.

Health care organizations are realizing the value of having a competent medical interpreting staff, as they do not want to be liable for medical details lost in translation that could lead to poor medical care and potential lawsuits.

Medical interpreters aren’t just helpful to have on a hospital staff — they’re required to be there. The law mandates that any health care organization that receives federal funding must provide medical interpreters to patients with limited or no knowledge of English at no additional cost to them.

California has made great strides in improving linguistic understanding in the medical field. In early 2009, California passed a law requiring all insurance or health care plans to provide interpreters for patients with limited English proficiency at no additional cost. Kaiser Permanente, the California-based managed care organization, asks patients their language preference before administering care.

Kaiser also developed a physician assessment program which tests doctors’ proficiency in other languages, determining whether they can assist patients speaking that language without a medical interpreter.

Medical Interpreting Field Continues to Grow

While the medical interpreting field has expanded, there are still a few hurdles to overcome.

There is no certification standard for medical interpreting; it is up to the employer to decide if the interpreter is qualified. Though employers use discretion during the hiring process and often put qualified interpreters though a training program just to make sure that everyone is up to par, many are lobbying for a national or statewide certification program.

Doctors also hesitate to hire medical interpreters because they end up paying for interpreting services. The fee for patients’ office visits is often not enough to reimburse the doctor for the interpreter’s payment.

Finally, it is hard to convince some patients that they should not just use a trusted friend or family member as their interpreter. Professional medical interpreters would be able to understand and explain confusing medical terminology and would stay neutral and unbiased while ensuring that nothing gets lost in translation.

Studies show that the quality of health care administered to people with a low English proficiency is not nearly as good as the treatment of people who speak English. Hopefully the increasing number of medical interpreters will change that statistic.