MurthyBlog

University of Pennsylvania Visit on Feb 28, 2009

I had the pleasure and honor of being the keynote speaker at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia on Saturday, Feb 28, 2009 for the annual program of ASHA for Education. Their goal is to provide funds to educate children in various parts of India and the young people involved do an amazing job with their commitment and dedication.

The highlight of my talk was to show two movies made by Site2Sight Productions, by Vasant Nayak, during our November 2008 trip to India. We focused on education of children in India and how the Murthy Foundation works towards providing food, clothing, and education for children at a school in Bengaluru.

I spoke of work having value and meaning to a person, which can be a motivating factor in enjoying the work and excelling in it. I spoke about my work in U.S. immigration law, the thrill of helping people to get their H1B or employment authorization approvals, the joy of helping families achieve their American dream of living and working in the U.S., the feeling that we are helping the world economy when immigrants make a decent living to be able to send some money to their parents and extended families back home which helps to improve their standard of living, and the feeling of making a difference in the lives of so many thousands of people all across the world.

It is always so much fun to inspire and motivate young people and to recognize their contributions for a better world. I was honored to be a part of the evening to see young people, many of them of Indian origin, working together to help children in India who have little opportunity to come up in life. This is the first generation of American youth which is so inspired to contribute to charities and to make a difference and help others along the journey of life. I had much to learn from them and, hopefully, I was able to inspire them in a small way by living a life where we believe in sharing and caring.

My High School Reunion on Jan 24, 2009 in Bengaluru

On Jan 24, 2009, we had the high school reunion of Timpany School, my high school in Visakapatnam, India. The other names for this city are Vizag or Waltair. It was so much fun to see so many classmates and seniors and juniors whom I had not met for decades. While the women looked a bit older (mef included), some of the men were balding and graying and it was really strange, since I had last seen many of them when they were in their teens! Although I had attended a get together of Timpany School students in New York in 2001, this was a much larger group, with a full program beautifully orchestrated. Some from our class are senior officers in the U.S. Army or Navy, CEOs of major companies, running successful events for organizations, and the list goes on.

The highlight of the event was to have our dear Principal, Mercy Jeyaraja Rao personally attend the events and participate. She started the program as if we were in school with the morning assembly on intercom, followed by her personal appearance, reminiscences of students of incidents and how our lives were impacted by the School and the values she taught us. She was in tears and many of us were similarly tearing up, deeply moved and touched by the program, seeing her and meeting our fellow classmates.

We were all determined to plan another get together to celebrate the years and to stay in touch. The program and planning was brilliantly planned by Meenakshi Murugesh Anantram who runs her own event planning company. We have stayed in touch with each other and exchanged information, and are now trying to work with one another for business networking. I can't wait for our next get together either in the U.S. or in India. God willing, it should be while we all are healthy and can remember each other! I feel that more than half my life may be over, so we need to be careful in planning and using our time more wisely to cherish the things we love and enjoy doing!

New Year and Good Cheer!

The holiday season is a wonderful time to spend time with family and friends, have get-togethers, exchange good wishes, and eat a lot of goodies like cakes, cookies and other desserts, which are freely shared among family and friends. Now with January 2009 already upon us, I thought that all the fun and frolic was over and it is time us to get back to serious business, roll up our sleeves and get right back to work.

Then, bingo! I get this wonderful handwritten card from a client, Murali Naidu. This card was sent along with a sweet smiley mug and fresh flowers right after the start of the New Year! Of course, in order to share his heartfelt personal message, I got permission from Murali and his family and they were willing to allow me to share their card and message with you:

"While hope is blurry, you hold a lamp!
When the way is confused, you lend a hand!!
At the depths of despair, you send a kind word!
In moment of pain, you give comfort!
In times of loneliness, you touch our soul!
Thank you for being a true Advisor / Friend / Sister / Attorney."

Thanks a lot for your moral / legal support and kindness. Thanks to Murthy Law Firm for exemplary remarkable service. Wish you Happy New Year.

Although no one really needs any extra incentive of any sort to simply do one's job to help others, I guess most of us are human and so, as human beings, sometimes we need some emotional appeasement. A kind and appreciative note, message, or eMail communication (which we are lucky to get often), continues to keep us excited and motivated.

So, thank you, Murali, and thank you to all of you who have been so generous with your kind words and compliments over the years! Thank you to those who wanted to send us wishes, but got too busy but your work, your kind thoughts and vibrations are felt by us across great distances!  And thank you to those who hold our feet to the fire and challenge us to do more for you, we need to continue to work hard and fight for our cause and help every person who has a wish to live and work legally in the U.S.

We at the Murthy Law Firm look forward to another year in helping and making a difference for each of you and your loved ones. Happy New Year from all of us at the Murthy Law Firm!

We know your immigration matters! ^SM

United Way Delegation to India - 4 Nov 2008 to 15 Nov 2008

I really enjoyed and learned so much during my recent visit to India to help launch various United Ways in India. This expansion was part of the expansion of the United Way, their mission of philanthropy, transparency, and accountability, which is much needed in a country like India. We traveled and participated as part of the Leadership Council of India (LCI) of United Way International. The other members of the LCI are the Chairman and his wife of a leading, publicly-traded financial company, the CEO and co-founder of a technology-based company, the executive director of a foundation that is active in supporting charities in India, and a fellow attorney colleague who works with major Indian-based organizations.

We landed in Bangalore (Bengaluru), on Nov 4, 2009 and started off with a meeting with the entire board of the United Way of Bengaluru. Each board member is highly accomplished and a business leader in the community or a philanthropic leader. With the jet lag and fatigue, I don't know if we from the U.S. were as cheerful and supportive as we could have been, but I know we were pleased to be there.

After Bengaluru, we traveled to Hubli / Dharwad and launched the United Way there. The hospitality and kindness of the business and civic community there was truly touching. They were so excited to have members of the LCI of United Way International from the U.S. visit their small town. Of course, my limited knowledge and fluency of the Kannada language, was a huge success there!

Finally, we helped to launch the United Way in Delhi. The team there has been successful in raising substantial funds from corporations and individuals. The leading attorney in Delhi was generous to invite us to his family home to introduce us to the others on the Delhi's Board. The efforts of these individuals and teams in generating interest and funds to help the local communities are much appreciated.

I really enjoy feeling that our education and contacts can help open doors to thousands of other children in other parts of the world and give them opportunities for further education. We support about 1,600 children in a school in Bengaluru, in helping with free breakfast each morning, scholarships, and uniforms for all the children. We also support education, scholarships, school projects, science projects, empowerment of women and adult literacy to empower women as the focus of our work and the work of the Murthy Foundation.

If anyone from a company or business in the U.S. or in India and who would like to learn more about how your company or employees may participate in the United Way International's program is welcome to go to the website of the unitedway.org or send an email to roma.kapoor@uwa.unitedway.org since she will be able to coordinate the efforts in a win-win relationship for the employer, the employees and for the community as a whole.

CHANNEL Magazine

Tanesha Boldin of Baltimore's CHANNEL Magazine (Vol. 2, issue 4) interviewed me recently. Imagine my surprise at finding myself on the cover! CHANNEL celebrates the diversity that is Baltimore.

Bravo! Award

Bravo! Women Business Achievement Awards celebrated 25 female entrepreneurs making strides in business and building a stronger community financially, philanthropically, and through leadership. I was one of 25 winners profiled in the magazine based on nominations submitted, reviewed, and voted on by a committee of local business leaders. The awards breakfast was today.

June 11, 2008 at the U.S. National Archives in Washington D.C.

I recently sat on a panel organized by the U.S. National Archives that discussed the journey of successful women immigrant entrepreneurs in America. The event was held in the William McGowan Theatre at the U.S. National Archives in Washington D.C. Until I was invited for this event, I had no idea that the U.S. federal government organized such interesting programs and invited participation of business leaders and entrepreneurs to share their views and thoughts and exchange ideas with the audience in such a fashion.

The emcee for the program was Maureen Bunyan, TV anchor of the ABC news affiliate in Washington D.C. It was a lively discussion that helped many to see that immigrants work hard, take nothing for granted, and want to succeed in this great country of opportunities, more than many Americans!

I feel so honored to be able to share my views and to be an immigrant of Indian origin, who can add to the richness and diversity of this great nation of immigrants. What is even more exciting for me is the feeling that we at the Murthy Law Firm can help thousands of individuals each year to realize their American dream of living and working in this great country and that we are a part of that dream. We help American employers to become more successful in attracting and retaining the best and brightest from around the world. Our work truly feels like the work of missionaries and we thank every single person who has used our services. We are so honored and privileged to work with you. Events like this one at the National Archives, which preserves documentation on immigrants to this nation, remind me of these important issues, which are at the heart of what we do every day.

I will be speaking at the Minority Awards for the Baltimore Business Journal on June 19, 2008.

Sheela Murthy : Keynote Speaker Making a Case for United Way in India

I would like to share with you my experience of Friday, May 16, 2008. This was the United Way’s annual Community Leaders Conference (CLC). Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, 1984 winner of the Nobel Prize for Peace, began the conference as the keynote speaker on the morning of Thursday, May 15th. I was a keynote speaker on the following morning. The United Way (UW)'s CLC and its focus and mission to “live united” was at the center of much media coverage by the Washington Post and many other U.S. newspapers and other media My presentation was before approximately 2,000 people at the Baltimore Convention Center. The purpose of my address was to make the case for UW's expansion into India. Many Americans wonder why they should give to charity in countries like India, when we have our own problems in inner cities and rural areas right here in the United States. I pointed out that we live on one planet and share our Mother Earth. It is our responsibility to take care of all our brothers and sisters in our home - on this planet. Apparently, both the message and the event were powerful and a great success. I was honored to receive a standing ovation at the end of my talk, and saw that some in the audience were emotional.

After my address, many well-wishers in the audience came up to congratulate me and commented on my passion as a speaker! I have received many invitations to become involved with various worthwhile causes. It is wonderful whenever we are able to use our talent and passion to help others. After all, what is the point of life unless we can light the way for others? It is a wonderful blessing in life to be given an opportunity to serve others.

After my speech, I moderated the Global Leadership Panel (to illustrate my talk by showing the audience an example of what it means when the UW has a successful partnership abroad). There were corporate representatives from Colorado, Nevada, and Ghana present. The CEO of the United Way of America was also there. That, too, was enjoyable and went well. About 40 percent of the more than 2,000 conference attendees in the audience were comprised of high-level executives from major U.S. corporations who believe in philanthropy. About 60 percent were dedicated leadership staff from the United Way from most of the states in the U.S. It was a powerful group of motivated folks to share the work and expansion plans for United Way and its global expansion.

This was a wonderful opportunity to explain how and why the United Way needs to expand globally, especially into India. With United Way's 100-plus year history, its transparency, accountability, and capability, few organizations have this kind of capability. Honestly, though I am glad it is over especially since it went off pretty well. My consultations with clients - dealing with complex and difficult immigration matters, finding solutions, and providing advice and guidance later that same afternoon felt like a walk in the park compared to the morning's events!

The Women, Faith and Development Alliance (WFDA) Summit to End Global Poverty

I was honored on Sunday, April 13, 2008 to participate in the Women, Faith and Development Alliance (WFDA) Summit to end global poverty. Held at the National Cathedral in Washington DC, it was an inspiring day that made all of the thousands present feel like a part of history. We were moved to believe we need to do all we can to change the world. Coming from a country like India, where poverty is lurking in every corner, I feel that we who have seen poverty and have been surrounded by it, need to make a conscious decision to work together to change it. Every person deserves a chance at life and deserves to provide the basic necessities for themselves and their loved ones.

Leaders from around the world participated in this breakthrough summit to change the world in an attempt to end global poverty. Present were co-Chairs Madeleine Albright, former U.S. Secretary of State; Honorable Kim Campbell, former Prime Minister of Canada; Her Excellency, Mary Robinson, former President, Republic of Ireland, among others. Although the goal seemed so beyond reach, in fact, Ms. Albright made the valid point during her keynote address that poverty is a human-created condition, not a natural disaster like a tornado, hurricane, or flood. If it is a human or man-made condition, then human beings can and should work together to end poverty. This resonated with all of us.

It was amazing that in that one day WFDA was able to raise over $680 million (U.S. dollars) to end global poverty, and that was just the starting point for this laudable goal. I was invited to the stage for my work and involvement with the expansion of the United Way in India. The CEO of United Way International, Brian Gallagher, invited three of us onstage, since the United Way pledged $30 Million at the WFDA Summit to eliminate global poverty.

The event was inspirational and I hope that the work of everyone will help to end poverty. I am optimistic that we will all work together to help others, having been fortunate enough in our own lives that we have the ability to give back. I am convinced that money is a black hole that can never be enough if we think of it that way, but there is always enough and to spare if we think we are so fortunate and blessed that we can share it with others. Enjoy the abundance that you feel in your heart and soul so that we can share our resources with others to make it a better world for everyone, including ourselves. Do it for your own happiness and to leave a better world for our next generation, if for no other reason. Thank you for caring enough to read and learn about my work and passion to leave behind a better world. Together we can achieve the impossible!

H1B Cap Filing Season is Upon Us, Now What?!

The USCIS publishing the Interim Final Rule yesterday on March 19, 2008 in the Federal Register that they plan to first use up all the 20,000 U.S. Masters cap cases and only then use up the 65,000 general quota H1B numbers has a problem that no one seems to focus on! While on the one hand, it may appear to make sense on some strange level to use up the MS quota numbers first, the purpose, at least in part with the law would seem to have been to give more time for U.S. Master's students to file their H1B petitions during the fiscal year.

Now, these students with an advanced U.S. degree will need to rush and file their cases within the first week or most likely lose out! It is a bigger problem for most of them who will not have completed their course and graduated until May 2008. With this major substantive change in the law, surprisingly, the USCIS refers to it as non-substantive and procedural, therefore not requiring any public comment under the Administrative Procedures Act or APA. Yet this rule ignoring the APA seems to take away a major benefit that was intended specifically for U.S. Master's graduates when universities and Congress passed the law to add 20,000 H1B numbers to the H1B annual quota.

The troubling part is that the time and effort it will take to sue the DHS/ USCIS on this issue may help most Master's students in the future but it seems a bit late for this year considering that there are less than 2 weeks left for the USCIS to receive all the new H1B cap subject cases by April 1, 2008. An emergency class action injunction is possible but who has the time and effort to file it and ensure that their H1Bs are properly prepared and filed in that time as well?