Rosetta Bodewes [pronounced bo-davis] is a sole practitioner who practices law at Atlantic Beach. She founded the firm in April.
WHY FORM YOUR OWN FIRM?
“Because of problems with my previous employer. I worked with solo practitioner Lori Ré for a year and a half. Really, most of my clients are at the beach, so that’s why I opened up there. I acquired the practice from an attorney who was going back to Canada to become a judge.”
WHAT TYPE OF LAW DOES SHE PRACTICE?
Marital / family law, immigration law and simple wills comprise her speciality.
WHY SELECT THIS NICHE?
“I did family law before with the other attorney, but immigration law is a passion of mine. My husband is an immigrant [from the Netherlands], so that’s how I got started with that in law school. I really liked it, so I started studying about it and taking on clients in that field. At first, I only did family-based immigration, which is bringing family members over. Now I handle deportations, asylums, the whole thing.”
DOES THE FIRM USE INTERPRETERS?
“Actually, no. Most people bring their own when they know I don’t speak their language. Every one [of her clients] knows someone who speaks English and Spanish. I have a lot of French-speaking, Portuguese, all the different languages. I use an international translation service to translate papers.”
WHAT NATIONALITY DO YOU REPRESENT THE MOST?
“I have clients from six continents but Spanish-speaking is the majority. I think it’s the area. Most of the Spanish-speaking countries don’t study English. Europeans, Australians and most Africans speak English. So, it’s Spanish first and French next, as far as primary languages. A lot of people come from Columbia because of the problems that are going on there with rebel groups. It’s a very bad situation.”
WHAT ARE THE STEPS TO NATURALIZATION?
“There are three ways to become a citizen. The first is marriage to an American citizen who petitions for you. Right now, that process is taking up to two years for you just to be interviewed to get a green card. It’s called a permanent resident card now. The next thing is employment. If you have a college degree and special skills , you can be hired on a visa to work here for six years, with a possible extension to seven. The company can also sponsor you for a green card. The last thing is asylum.”
WHAT’S NEW WITH IMMIGRATION?
“The visa lottery, when 50,000 people a year get to come into the United States, went electronic this year. That is a disadvantage to Third World countries because you have to apply electronically and send in a digital picture. So, for the 2005 visa year, it’s pretty much only going to be well-to-do people coming into the country. Plus, they have to have a high school education to come in. I think that’s discrimination of sorts. Certain countries are already banned because there’s too many of them here.”
WHICH COUNTRIES CANNOT PARTICIPATE?
“The United Kingdom is banned because there’s a lot of British people here. If you had more than 50,000 people come in the year before, you’re not allowed in the diversity lottery. The Philippines, India, Columbia and Mexico are all banned. Too many people have applied.”
WHAT ARE YOUR CLIENTS SEEKING?
“They are looking for a good place for their families. They want to give them the basic things of life, to avoid the risk of being killed and to give them an education. It’s not like some people think, that they are trying to take something from us. Most of them work the jobs we don’t want to do and are happy to do it. I have clients that were engineers that are cleaning toilets because their English is not that good.”
WHAT IS YOUR PET PEEVE ABOUT THE PROFESSION?
“Attorneys that rip people off. The sad thing is that they can pay thousands of dollars [for legal services], and nothing gets done. But they’re afraid to turn the attorney in because the attorney can turn them in because they’re illegal. So, it’s a challenge getting clients to trust you and convince them you’ll be fair.”
WHERE DID SHE GO TO SCHOOL?
Florida State University is where Bodewes received her law degree and her bachelor’s degree in classical archaeology.
WHY STUDY ARCHAEOLOGY?
“I always loved Latin. I’ve studied it since the eighth grade. In the classes, you study the architecture, paintings and everything else of the classical era. I studied Greek, Latin, Egyptian, old Latin, Gaelic and all those types of things.”
WHY GO TO LAW SCHOOL?
“I love to argue. Everyone told me it would be the perfect field for me. I knew from elementary school that I would get into the legal field, and I don’t regret it.”
WHAT’S MOST REWARDING?
“Bringing families together.”
HOMETOWN
San Diego is her birthplace. “I’m a Navy brat. I’ve lived all over the world. My dad was a minister in Turkey while he was working with NATO, so I spent two years over there.”
WHERE DOES SHE LIVE NOW?
East Arlington is home to Bodewes, her husband, and their infant son, Justin.
HOW DID YOU MEET YOUR HUSBAND?
“I met my husband, Antonius, over the Internet. I was a part of this chat room where you can talk to people from all over the world. It was a stress-free way to get away from law school. He thought my screen name was interesting, so we started talking. I had a trip going to Europe, so I agreed to meet him. We met, hit it off and got engaged six months later. It’s not something I would recommend people do because he could have been crazy, but it worked out for us. We’ve been married four years.”
15 MINUTES OF FAME
“They filmed a movie here, ‘First Time Felon,’ and I had a role. It was not the most glamorous role; I played a heroine addict. It was a fun gig, but I’ve got [the acting bug] out of my system now.”
WHAT ARE YOUR HOBBIES?
“I like to read mysteries and legal dramas. I’m a movie buff and I collect Barbie dolls. A big part of my life is my church, Oceanside Church of Christ. I’ve been a member for 12 years. Sunday dinners with my family are another big thing. Family is very important to me.”
Bodewes is also a member of both the Jacksonville and the Jacksonville Beach bar associations.
—by Monica Tsai