The Law Offices of Spar & Bernstein put 15 questions to one of its awesome immigration attorneys, Melissa Desvarieux:
Where did you get your indergraduate degree? And which law school did you graduate from?
University of Pennsylvania for my undergrad, Tulane for law.
Where were you born and raised?
Born in New York City (but I didn’t stay there), raised in Port Au Prince, Haiti.
What’s the difference between Haiti and the United States?
Everything. There are so many more opportunities here.
What are the professions of your parents?
My father is a doctor, my mother a nurse. I come from a family of doctors.
When did you know that you wanted to be a lawyer?
Very early on. It seems like since infancy. My mom said I argued a lot.
What other interests did you have as a kid?
Politics and international affairs.
Anything for fun?
I was an Equestrian and competed for six years. I won events, jumping 0.80 centimeters and eventually graduating to one meter. But I had some pretty bad falls, cracked some ribs, hurt my back. I even owned an English Thoroughbread named Sweetest Smile. I miss all that.
Did you have a childhood hero?
Yes, Mireille Durocher Bertin, an international lawyer in Haiti who in 1995 was assassinated when she was 38 years old. She spoke out against the government – in a country where people tend to be afraid to speak – and was killed for it. I was enamored with her courage, with someone standing up to affect change, make history.
When did you return to the U.S. and why?
In 1998, when I was 18, I came here to go to college.
What do you love about the law?
That at the end of the day, it makes sense, it’s something you can hang your hat on. In Haiti, I grew up where you didn’t voice your opinion. Things didn’t make sense.
What don’t you love about the law?
The bureaucracy. I wish things were more streamlined.
What’s your favorite musical group or singer?
Counting Crows and a Haitian singer named Sweet Micky.
Favorite recent TV shows?
Gossip Girl, Desperate Housewives, Grey’s Anatomy.
Books?
I have so little time to read that it can’t be anything smart. I need something simple and quick. Which means only Romance novels.
Do you have a personal creed?
Do you what you have to do, regardless of the consequences or what may come.
The Law Offices of Spar & Bernstein, 225 Broadway, 5th Floor, New York, NY 10007. Phone: 1-212-227-3636, 1-800-law-link, 1-800-529-5465 Email: info@lawsb.com
