Hired! :)

Raymond Anthony Cruz Rico, J.D.

Joins

Garcia Immigration Law Firm, LLC

Garcia Immigration Law Firm, LLC in Kansas City, Kansas, welcomes Mr. Raymond Rico as an associate attorney.  Raymond was humbly born and raised in the Argentine barrio of Kansas City, Kansas.  Raymond is proud of his Mexican roots having a father who immigrated to the U.S. from Mexico armed only with a second grade education and a trashbag of belongings and a mother whose family migrated from Mexico and followed the railroad and other industrial labor factories eventually settling in Kansas City’s working class neighborhoods of Armourdale and Argentine.  Raymond is a USD 500 public school product who graduated from Sumner Academy of Arts & Sciences in 2001.  Raymond went on to KU and graduated in 2005 with degrees in Political Science and Latin American Studies while gaining experience interning at the Kansas City LULAC Educational Center, Coro Kansas City, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute Internship Program, Governor Kathleen Sebelius’ office, and the Kansas Hispanic & Latino American Affairs Commission. 

After graduating from KU, Raymond had a short stay as an organizer with Community Housing of Wyandotte County until Raymond was selected to be a Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute Fellow in Washington DC.  Through his fellowship, Raymond secured a policy analyst position with the National Immigration Law Center where he pushed for comprehensive immigration reform, fought anti-immigrant federal and state legislation, advocated in the halls of congress, spoke across the country about immigrant rights, and organized/facilitated the national United We DREAM Coalition in efforts to pass the DREAM Act.  Raymond completed his time in Washington working for the Alliance for Children and Families to advance the causes of non-profits throughout the United States. 

For the last three years, Raymond has attended the UMKC School of Law and led UMKC’s Hispanic Law Student Association.  Raymond graduated in May, 2011, and was admitted into the Missouri Bar September, 2011.  Raymond began working as a legal intern at the Garcia Immigration Law Firm, LLC in May, 2009 attending to the various needs of clients from all around the world who reside in the Kansas City area and surrounding states.  As Raymond transitions to an associate attorney position, Raymond states: “I am grateful and humbled by the opportunity to join the Garcia Immigration Law Firm and its wonderful staff as an associate attorney and look forward to growing professionally while serving the community alongside my longtime friend and mentor, Teodoro Garcia Jr.”  In addition to practicing immigration law, Raymond plans to become a more active member of the Kansas City community through participating in various associations and organizations, plans to advocate for immigrant rights, especially immigrant student rights, to fight apathy through civic and political engagement, and focus on promoting education in every way possible among the next generation of young Latinos. 

 

Two Big Sighs of Relief

Sorry it has taken me so long to return to my blog, I have begun many different posts am ready to get back on the saddle and write my thoughts. 

This week was truly one to remember while at the same time one to try and forget.

Sigh #1: The great news is that I passed the Missouri bar exam!

No, not that one, the actual Missouri Board of Law Examiners Bar Exam! 

Well, pursuing a law degree has a been a dream of mine for at least 13 years since winning a mock trial debate at the National Hispanic Institute Great Debate.  This bar exam was no joke and it kicked my butt every which way...but I fought the law, and I won!!  There's nothing quite like the overwhelming amount of information one must absorb and conquer, the time commitment it takes, and the stress associated with eating, sleeping, and shitting the law.  Having a headache for weeks prior to the exam and throughout day 2 of the exam didn't help and thoughts of my dad continued to dominate my mind on both test days.  Knowing that I have been dealing with a lot of emotions, I was advised to seriously think about dropping law school courses, taking them in the summer, and delaying taking the bar.  Again, I was having none of that! 

As fate would have it, my life circumstances served as both a distraction impacting my emotions and mental clarity...while at the same time these same circumstances served as fuel and trumped the distractions by serving as my greatest motivation.  The thing I kept thinking about was how much my dad was on team Raymond.  One of the last deep conversations I had with my dad was about how scared I was of this monster of an exam and how conquering it would be the last and hardest hurdle to achieving my dream.  His response: "God bless you boy!  I'm proud of you and just try your best!"  Law school plus the bar exam were the hardest things I ever achieved and there were no shortcuts.

How did I celebrate? I first went to go visit my dad.  I cried my eyes out the first time dad dropped me off at Kindergarten, and I must say I cried my eyes out 30 minutes after getting my results at my dad's grave site.  I took blades of grass from the grave site to go celebrate with me!  I went to give mom a big hug, saw my nephews (who also wished me congratulations), and went to meet up with the newest lawyers and close friends at the official Coors Lite/UMKC bar passage after party!

I received lots of love on facebook and, besides family, it made me proudest of all to hear folks from Argentine, KCK and the many Latinos who told me in one collective voice: "Oh, so now you think you all bad or what?"  This one's for you!

There are too many people to thank by name but just know that I could not have done this alone.  I'm a son of am immigrant with a second grade education, I'm a public school KCK USD 500 student, it took a barrio to raise this kid, I can not read fast, I don't believe I'm that smart of a guy (please don't disagree, believe me! I'm not!), and a poor Mexican-American average student from the barrio can become a lawyer.  The axiom is also true in this case: It doesn't matter where you come from, if your parents are wealthy or well-connected...If I can do it, you can do it too. If you think you can't do it, talk to me!

I will be making the best of it in Jefferson City (Sept. 26th) with my mother in attendance at the Oath of Admission to the Missouri Bar at the Supreme Court of Missouri.  

Lastly, what do I plan to do with my new law license?  Well, I don't know yet and is another topic for a blog another day.  But know this: I feel there's no point of getting a law degree if you can't do some damage with it.  I am a servant at heart, and when only 2.2% of lawyers are Latino, I won't let you down, I promise you, because I can't. 

Mission Accomplished!

Sigh #2 Survival

In the same week I find out I pass the bar and accomplished my dream, the dream almost ended on I-70 before it began.  I found myself lodged underneath a semi truck after it encroached into my lane causing me to swerve to avoid contact, losing control as a result, completely going sideways when I tried to correct my chevy impala and ended up in a t-bone formation under the semi.  We were going over 60 mph, I was dragged under the semi until we came to a complete stop (which felt like an eternity), and I can think of 999 ways that this crash could have ended in disaster.  Not to sound conceited, but even I can take a step away and appreciate the tragedy this could have been given the good news I received this week and the tragedies that have already befallen my poor mother.  I have been told by many that my dad was looking after me.  I can't say I disagree.  I can not answer for the life of me where my head was at the time of impact and why I was able walk away with only a concussion and a lovely looking forhead.  But I am ok, and all I know is that I'm very blessed, thankful, and someone is looking after me.  Life is a little bit sweeter today. 

 Scene of the accident.  I was in lane three and a semi was in lane two.  The semi entered my lane, I swerved to the right to avoid contact and lost control as I tried to correct to the left and ended up lodged under the semi.  You can see the tire marks in this photo as we entered the "V" of the split.  The marks are from my tires as I was sideways being dragged for what seemed like an eternity.

KU Medical Center Emergency Room

Where my head was at the time of impact.

The steel frame that saved my life as it impacted the underside of a semi at 60 mph. 

Totaled!

Video!