by Monica Chamness
Staff Writer
Rob Devine, a member of The Jacksonville Bar Association’s Board of Directors, understands teamwork. Once a sports writer for The Gainesville Sun and the sports desk editor at Florida Today, this journalist turned attorney is seeking deeper meaning in his work.
“It [his writing career] served its purpose but now I’m doing something more important,” he said. “I got married right out of college. My hours were 4:30 p.m.-2:30 a.m. Thursday-Monday and my wife had a regular daytime job, so we only saw each other in passing. We decided I needed a job with more regular hours. My father-in-law suggested law school.”
In his six years with the law firm of Coffman, Coleman, Andrews & Grogan, Devine has carved a niche, practicing immigration law and labor/employment law representing employers. The firm employs 18 attorneys, including Devine. Only Devine and one other attorney at the firm, Jeff Watson, held enough interest in immigration law to undergo the intensive training required to handle these types of cases.
“Immigration law is very code-oriented, demanding, and confusing,” said Devine. “Businesses are trying to lure people from other countries for technical fields. The Asians, in particular, have a lot to offer in the math and sciences. Plus, we have multinational clients, too.”
“The job of the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services [formerly INS] is to find out if an individual is entitled to benefits. My goal is to make them understand they’re entitled to enter the country for a particular purpose. Immigration law is much less adversarial [then other practice areas]. BCIS just analyzes benefits; it’s much less personal.”
Originally from Milwaukee, Devine relocated with his father from their home in Kansas City, Kansas to Florida when he was in high school. For law school, Devine attended the University of Florida. In the labor and employment law component of his practice, Devine works to resolve conflicts between employers and employees, where tensions often run high.
“You spend the bulk of your awake time in your job so when things go bad, it’s akin to divorce,” said Devine of why these situations are so emotional. “When an employee is terminated, they feel hurt. These things are taken personally. I develop a forum for the employee to get grievances off his chest and create communication between management and the former employee.”
Complementing his duties as an attorney is his involvement with the JBA board.
“I did the JBA employee handbook, handle issues the board deals with, put together events and decide what to do with funds,” he said. “But my true role is to be the comic relief. I am not a serious person.”
He also sits on the board for the American Red Cross, is commissioner of the Law League, a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, a judge for Teen Court and a participant in the mentorship program for the Fourth Judicial Circuit.
When he’s not arguing cases, he returns to his first love, writing. He still pens short stories for his own amusement. On his lunch break, he bikes 12-15 miles.
His biggest challenge is not writing the great American novel or competing in cycling competitions; it is the same challenge that every attorney faces — juggling billable hours with a wife and children. Devine and his wife Kathy have three small children, Ali, Emma and Bobby and they reside in the San Jose area.