Stern Law Firm - January 2021

Stern Law Firm - January 2021

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WE DEFEND THE AMERICAN DREAM®

JAN 2021

STERN Law News

A Small Act of Kindness Helps Those in Need

We’ve finally made it to 2021. As is often the case, people look to the new year as an opportunity for a new beginning, especially after such a traumatic year. Among the many New Year’s resolutions that people make to improve themselves, I believe it’s also important to keep in mind the challenges people overcame in 2020. Expressing kindness to the people around us is one such way that not only helps ourselves, but other people as well. Feb. 17th celebrates Random Acts of Kindness Day, which puts a great emphasis on the importance of kindness and the impact it has on other people. Here’s a story that exemplifies random acts of kindness. As she was handing the clerk another card saying they could put the purchase on that one, the gentleman joked with her, asking, “Mine too?” He laughed but then this woman turned to him and said, “Actually, yeah sure. His too. Thanks for waiting for me, and I’m sorry I held you up.” The gentleman was completely shocked; he kept saying he couldn’t let her do that, but she insisted. Eventually, he gave in and she purchased both her items and this gentleman’s. The man was dressed in torn and dirty clothing, looking worn out maybe from a hard day of work. Or maybe he was in a difficult financial situation. Nobody will know. Once I’d gone through my purchase, I happened to look back and see that the gentleman was actually waiting by the same

checkout with his items. He was waiting for the next person to come to the same checkout lane to pay for their items. Our team always stays alert to the ways we can help our clients ease their burdens. Recently, we found a way to help clients who couldn’t afford legal services. We have a Pro Bono fund that the whole team at STERN Law has been working towards by donating money into this fund. We’ve put these funds to use for one client of ours — we’ll call her “Ann.” Ann met and married a man here in the U.S. after not knowing many others; she trusted him with her children and her heart, but he began to physically and emotionally abuse her, as a result of a bad drinking problem. He used his citizenship status to exert power over her and threaten to have her deported. She would have lost the chance for legal status, if Ann didn’t reach us. Ann has always struggled with financial instability, especially after having to flee the marital home to have secure shelter living with a friend. We are sure we can help her, but Ann has to pay fees to USCIS for the necessary application that’s needed to overcome complications that her ex-husband created. She has been delayed in securing her status because of the lack of these fees. STERN Law has decided to use our Pro Bono funds to cover a significant portion of Ann’s application fees.

It’s an honor to be in a position to help in this way. However, we all have opportunities like this in front of us, big and small. It can take the form of even a smile or a wave. We cannot control everything around us, but we do have control of how we operate, and treat the people, within a three-foot radius. If each of us showed kindness to those in our path, within those three feet, it creates a domino effect. Who is in your radius? How can you start the chain reaction?

—Jessica Stern

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4 Tips to Make Getting Outside Easier Let That Fresh Air Fuel You

Hunkering down and waiting for the dark and chilly winter season to pass sounds pretty nice. But the reality is, if we deprive ourselves of time outside, we do ourselves a big disservice both mentally and physically. Staying indoors all day affects your energy and mood, which makes it hard to get anything done, so here are four easy tips to make it easier to get a little fresh air. 1. Make it a priority. Getting outside means making the conscious effort to do so. If you want to reap its benefits, you have to decide to make it a priority in your day-to-day schedule. If you make the act important to you, you have more motivation to actually do it. 2. Use mornings effectively. Waking up and getting the day started can be hard. But studies have shown that natural light helps decrease your melatonin production, which means you feel ready to face the day sooner. So, set yourself a second alarm to head outside and take a quick walk around the block just after waking. Don’t even wash your face or grab coffee. Just get out there. 3. Take your work outside. If you’re working from home, take some work outdoors. Phone and virtual meetings are a great outdoor option, especially if you’ll just be an active listener and aren’t required to do any work simultaneously. Attach a note to your meeting reminders to get yourself set up outside five minutes before you start. 4. Create a schedule. It might feel strange to set reminders throughout the day to step outside, but you easily get wrapped up in activities and overlook breaks, and these reminders are exactly what you need. Start with 10-minute blocks three times a day. If you stick to them, soon you won’t need a schedule to get outside anymore. Winter weather may be cold, but even when you’re bundled up under a jacket and scarf, just 5–10 minutes outside can do wonders for your mood and energy for hours.

BRAIN BREAK!

EASY WAY OUT

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WE DEFEND THE AMERICAN DREAM®

IN HONOR AND SERVICE WE MARCH The MLK March The MLK March is organized by the MLK March Committee, which has been run for several decades. The chairman, Reverend James Edward Orange, first served as the general coordinator for the committee since 1995 and fought for equal rights for the majority of his life. In 1963, he marched alongside Dr. King in his hometown and made great impacts in the civil rights movement. In 2006, attorney Jessica Stern first learned of the MLK March when she interned at the Southern Center for Human Rights. She learned of the march from its founder, Stephen Bright, a renowned attorney known to represent individuals facing the death penalty and steadfast activist who worked with the Southern Center for Human Rights for 35 years before retiring in 2016. This year, the March was canceled due to COVID and the unfortunate reality of violent threats. STERN Law decided to instead participate in a Day of Service, taking action to honor the legacy of Dr. MLK. We helped to revive a community garden in the West End, and really enjoyed learning about how it has in turn revived the well-being of a community. If you are interested in getting involved, visit MLKMarchCommittee.com.

Is the iPod Dead?

How America’s Favorite MP3 Player Fell Out of Favor — and Found a New Audience Media outlets have been declaring the iPod “over” for years. In 2017, a USA Today article blared, “Say goodbye to the iPod era,” and a 2018 Reddit thread asked, “Why are iPods still a thing?” But, despite that lack of consumer confidence, Apple continues to sell brand-new Apple iPod Touches on its website for $199 and up, and it just updated them in 2019 — why? As it turns out, the iPod is now a tool almost exclusively for kids. When the first iPod MP3 player was released in 2001, adults went nuts for it, but these days, we can listen to music on our versatile smartphones, which have supplanted the iPod for most people. Young children, however, don’t necessarily have the smartphone option — and many parents don’t want them to. An iPod has become a gateway device: It’s the perfect way to give a kid the independence of listening to music on the go without exposing them to everything a smartphone has to offer. According to a Mediumpost by Yash Patel, the Apple iPod Touch has stuck around to serve this new audience because the pairing benefits both parents and Apple. There is a plethora of pluses for parents:

SLOW COOKER CHICKEN CASSEROLE

• iPods have music and games to keep kids busy.

INGREDIENTS •

8 chicken thighs or drumsticks, lightly salted

•

1 lb potatoes, peeled and cut in large chunks 2 garlic cloves, sliced 14 oz chicken stock 1 sprig rosemary Finely grated zest and juice of 1/2 lemon 1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped

• Kids can stay in touch with their families using FaceTime and iMessage on an iPod, but they can’t call or text (as there’s no service plan).

• • • •

1 tbsp olive oil

• • • •

1 tbsp all-purpose flour 1 onion, finely sliced

• A $199 iPod isn’t as big of a loss as its more expensive counterpart, the iPhone, if your toddler drops it in the toilet.

2 celery sticks, thickly sliced

• •

2 carrots, thickly sliced 1 leek, thickly sliced

•

For Apple, selling iPods brings in additional revenue, but there’s an even bigger perk. As Patel puts it, giving a kid an iPod “brings them into the Apple ecosystem, thus making themmore likely to buy an iPhone when they are ready for an upgrade.” With a net worth of more than $2 trillion, Apple can afford to play the long game. If you’re interested in buying an iPod for your child but you’re not sold on the $199 price tag, we can’t blame you. Luckily, there are plenty of secondhand and refurbished iPods floating around the internet at deeply discounted prices. BackMarket.com sells refurbished Nanos, Classics, and Touches with a 12-month warranty for as low as $40. Whether you’re shopping for your kids or just want to kick it old school, that’s a great place to start.

DIRECTIONS

Inspired by GoodHousekeeping.com 2. Transfer chicken to the slow cooker. Add flour and stir. 3. In the frying pan on high heat, fry the onion, celery, carrots, leeks, and potatoes until lightly browned. Add garlic and fry for 30 seconds. 4. Transfer vegetables to the slow cooker and add the stock, rosemary, and lemon zest. 5. Cook on high for 2.5–3 hours or until chicken is tender. 6. Check seasoning and add lemon juice to taste. Top with parsley before serving. 1. In a large frying pan, heat oil and fry salted chicken on high until brown.

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PAGE 2 Give Yourself the Boost of Getting Outside

PAGE 2 In Honor and Service We March PAGE 2 Brain Break

PAGE 3 Slow Cooker Chicken Casserole PAGE 3 Is the iPod Dead?

PAGE 1 The Genuine Impact of Kindness

EXPECTATIONS FROM THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION

Why STERN Law Is Hopeful for Change

In the weeks preceding Joe Biden’s inauguration, our office received several calls from people excited and hopeful about these changes, which include the handling of deportation cases, ICE detention, and whether immigration laws will change to give the chance for legal status to those who have never qualified. While we are also hopeful, we understand that it will take time before we start to see that policy changes make a real impact. Under Biden and his new administration, what we know is that there will be amendments to immigration policy and an attempt to pass the first immigration law bill in over 20 years; most of the approach will likely revert back to what we saw under the Obama administration. However, we are hopeful that Biden is committed to looking more critically at the way immigration law has been executed in the past and bring a new perspective to it. We share the hope of the people that he will bring in people who understand that our immigration system is broken and have the experience to fix it. It’s time to reform the immigration laws that have remained the same for more than 20 years. Ultimately, we are hoping to see a leader who is not only friendly toward immigrants, but also considers the value in improving the treatment and legal opportunities for immigrant families. While laws may be in place, they are not always reflective of the morals we strive for in this country. Our society, community, and economy are stronger when we lift up the opportunities for all to thrive. For now, as we wait to see what may come of the immigration policies, we want people to feel confident in their chance for a permanent future. If you have a current opportunity to achieve immigration status, don’t sit back and wait. Don’t be afraid to reach out for help. Our team at STERN Law are here to help you improve your life now; haven’t you waited long enough? Call our office to set up a consultation today.

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