Emily Sharp-O'Connor Email & Phone Number

Buffalo, Ny, Us

Bridge Immigration was acquired by Boundless Immigration in August 2023, and has since operated as Boundless for Business. My role and job duties as the team's writing-intensive visa specialist (described in detail below) were unchanged during the transition.

Specialized in preparing writing-intensive visa petitions (O-1A, O-1B, EB-1A, EB-1B, and NIW) from start to finish, including drafting legal briefs, drafting/revising recommendation letters, strategically compiling evidence, and preparing USCIS forms. Served as the team’s internal subject matter expert on all writing-intensive visa types and advised colleagues on visa requirements, case strategy, and relevant internal processes.Led legal team’s communication with corporate clients and individual visa applicants, proactively providing case updates, explaining legal strategy, and flagging potential eligibility issues for further discussion with attorney as appropriate.Provided strategic guidance to clients regarding drafting reference letters and gathering evidence to satisfy applicable visa criteria.

Completed a wide variety of writing-intensive projects for immigration lawyers and boutique firms. Example projects included: Conducting research and drafting legal briefs for DACA denial appeals and nonimmigrant waiver applications; Interviewing clients and revising personal statements for VAWA applications and nonimmigrant waivers;Drafting and revising reference letters for O-1 visa petitions;Preparing required forms and assembling evidence for submission to USCIS; and Writing and formatting a monthly law firm newsletter with articles on USCIS policy updates, new immigration-related legislation, success stories from former clients, and more.

Prepared application forms, legal briefs, employer support letters, attorney cover letters, and all other components of legal filings for a wide variety of immigration benefits, including employment- and family-based petitions, naturalization applications, immigrant/nonimmigrant waivers, and others. Drafted successful responses to USCIS Requests for Evidence when necessary.Communicated with clients worldwide to gather necessary information and documents, answer questions about applicable procedures and requirements, and give regular updates on case status. Edited and expanded client drafts of affidavits and statements to be submission-ready.Consistently handled a large caseload of active clients in addition to conducting intake for initial consultations, monitoring pending cases, and preparing clients for visa interviews and other appointments. Maintained and organized case files and tracked upcoming visa expirations for several hundred clients through firm’s case management software (Tracker IMS).After nine months of employment, took on training responsibilities for new non-attorney employees, including a paralegal and an undergraduate intern. Delegated tasks and provided frequent guidance and resources to foster progress. Created internal reference materials and provided training to three other paralegals on FOIA requests to immigration agencies, client intake processes, and naturalization interview preparation.Created automated workflows, checklists, and questionnaires within Tracker IMS to streamline case preparation and improve client experience.Closely monitored relevant immigration news coverage and USCIS/CBP policy updates and form edition changes. Reviewed and analyzed major policy changes, communicated updates to impacted clients, and created informational content for the firm’s website and blog.

Drafted legal documents, including motions, discovery demands, interrogatories, declarations, and a memorandum of law.Compiled case chronologies tracking key information about more than 20,000 documents across two major cases.Analyzed court transcripts and interviewed potential witnesses about important developments in an employment discrimination case.Achieved proficiency in using Lexis Advance to conduct legal research.

Buffalo/Niagara, New York Area

Analyzed NYS data on average length of foreclosure stages and borrower success rates in receiving a loan modification, using Microsoft Excel.Authored “Foreclosing Erie County: 2015 Update,” a report published by the WNYLC that advocated for strengthened borrower protections, presented and explained key data takeaways, and analyzed the prospective impact of relevant proposed legislation (copy available upon request).Generated approximately 1,000 quotes for secondary study that revealed providers’ use of discriminatory auto insurance policies.Placement was secured through Cornell University's competitive High Road Fellowship, which seeks to improve economic development in the Buffalo-Niagara Region by partnering with local non-profits.

Bachelor’S Degree, Political Science, 3.97

Activities and Societies: Student Association Senate, Phi Alpha Delta Pre-Law Fraternity, Mock Trial, Future Advocates in Training.

Industrial And Labor Relations

Activities and Societies: Cornell University Mock Trial Association, Cornell Tradition Fellowship, Cornell Democrats, Absolute A Cappella.