The case of a California lawyer seeking admission to the California bar is exposing a new aspect of the debate over illegal immigration: Should illegal immigrants be allowed to get law licenses? The State Bar of California says they should, arguing as much in a state Supreme Court filing concerning one Sergio Garcia. Garcia's father is a U.S. citizen, and Garcia himself is awaiting a legal permanent residency visa, according to the bar. His case is unprecedented in California, which is why the bar has turned to the high court. A similar case is wending its way through Florida's judicial system, as Jose Godinez-Samperio, whose parents brought him to the U.S. as a child, applies to the bar there. Rulings could impact the futures of other would-be lawyers nationwide, and the cases reflect another facet of the immigration conundrum that prompted President Barack Obama to announce a policy shift last week.
