Hi,

I am an Indian student and my question is:

In India, one cannot appear in the Courts if he/she is an employee (even of a law firm). Hence we term law firm employees as 'associates', who are in essence 'employees', hence for purposes of Bar rules, they just use another term.

Is there a similar requirement in the U.S. My focus has always been litigation, I understand it wont be easy for an Indian in the US to enter litigation due to issues like understanding accents, risk of prejudicing juries etc. However if i do choose to do the same, would i be eligible for work permits and thereafter employment-based green cards because i cannot be an 'employee'? Coz, if a rule, as is prevalent in India, also bars salaried employees from practising in the litigation area, then i would'nt be able to go for work permits and litigation together.

Please reply