Name: Barbara C. Brenner
Company: Barbara C. Brenner Immigration Law PLLC
Title: Immigration Attorney
Location: Hone Great Oaks
Start Date: June 1, 2024
WORK QUESTIONS
What do you do?
I’m a lawyer. I was admitted to the New York State bar in January 1990, and since then my law practice has been limited to U.S. immigration and nationality matters. In 2024, I established my own law firm, Barbara C. Brenner Immigration Law PLLC.
What is something unexpected you have experienced or learned at your company?
With more than 35 years of practice behind me, my firm has existed for just a little over a year now. An unexpected experience has been realizing how good it feels to go through the day without distracting clutter that doesn’t serve client interests or advance the work I love.
What inspires you at work?
Learning, hands down. I read a lot and try to expand my knowledge and resources daily. You never know when something will become useful to a client.
Where do you plan to be in 5 years (professionally)?
With any luck, I’ll be right here at Hone Coworks, marking 40-plus years of helping people with their U.S. immigration problems!
Why did you choose Hone?
The space, the people, and the environment are terrific. It’s extremely welcoming—bright, airy, and very comfortable. The offices and grounds are nicely maintained and pleasant to be in. It’s truly a pleasure to arrive each day.
When I was looking for a new office last year, Hone was one of a few places on my list. I happened to stop by unannounced one day, and both Khris (Community Manager) and Matt (Director of Operations) were here. They were incredibly informative, professional, helpful, and friendly. I was amazed by the space, the facilities, and the features. It was an immediate and resounding “yes” that my new office would be at Hone, I never looked anywhere else.
Everyone who has visited me at Hone has commented on the “wow factor” of this place. Beyond the physical space, I’m grateful for the friendly faces I encounter and look forward to seeing each day.
What’s your favorite place in Hone?
It has to be my office, since that’s where I spend most of my time. That said, I’m glad to be across the hall from the “living room.” It reminds me of a set from Mad Men, evoking a mid-century modern vibe. Beyond that space are large windows with views of trees and sky, and I really enjoy the visual connection to the outdoors. Another plus is how many people gather there to chat, eat, or take a break—it’s an unexpected and brilliant feature of Hone.
A close runner-up is the entrance café area, which is so light, airy, and spacious. It’s a great place to chat with colleagues and makes clients feel welcome when they arrive.
What’s your favorite part of your job?
Getting good results for clients. Everything I do is geared toward succeeding on their behalf while adhering to the obligations involved in seeking U.S. immigration benefits such as visas, permanent resident status, and naturalization.
JUST FOR FUN
What is your favorite restaurant in Albany/Capital Region?
That’s a tough one. If I had to pick just one, it would be Café Capriccio downtown. I’ve had many wonderful dinners at the first-floor restaurant over the years and have hosted a couple of celebrations at their second-floor Chef’s Table, which is a very special treat.
That said, I can’t pick just one. An American Brasserie downtown and Josie’s Table at Stuyvesant Plaza are frequent meeting spots with friends. Jacob and Anthony’s, as well as Bellini’s, are also great places to eat in—or pick up dinner to bring home when that’s the better option.
What is one skill you would love to learn?
This is a work in progress! I’m trying to learn the guitar. It goes in fits and starts, but I keep at it!
What is a fun hobby or interest you have?
Other than the guitar (which isn’t always fun since it requires real effort), I enjoy cultural venues locally and regionally, particularly performances. Close to home, Capital Repertory Theatre has my heart (and my wife, Carolyn Anderson, is a longtime board member).
Summer favorites nearby include the Glimmerglass Opera Festival, SPAC, and Tanglewood. Needless to say, the Metropolitan Opera is an experience unto itself, and we try to go, when possible, as well as to New York City theater productions. I recognize the good fortune of living in an area that is so culturally rich.
What is one item on your bucket list?
At the moment, it’s organizing a trip to Germany with my sister and her family to visit our mother’s homeland and connect the younger generation with their heritage. My mother, a Bavarian Catholic, grew up in Germany during World War II and immigrated alone to the U.S. in the early 1950s. I know she would be so pleased that her grandchildren, raised in the Jewish faith by my sister and her husband, want to learn more about her while spending time in her environs.
If you could spend a day with anyone, who would it be and why?
That’s easy: Eleanor Roosevelt.
On the 4th of July this year, we visited the Roosevelt home and Presidential Library in Hyde Park, New York. Though we had both been there before, the effect of visiting again was profound. The extraordinary challenges of a world in turmoil, an economy in ruins, the absence of social safety nets, and the personal obstacles of living with polio were daunting.
Eleanor was a remarkable presence in this country during President Roosevelt’s administration and well beyond. She was a true champion of civil liberties and human rights. After her husband’s death, she was appointed by President Truman to the United Nations General Assembly, served as chair of the Human Rights Commission, and drafted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted in 1948. That’s a phenomenal legacy.
If possible, I would love to spend a day with Eleanor Roosevelt to learn directly how she persevered and accomplished so much good for humanity when times seemed so bleak and insurmountable.
What is something that you know a lot about?
I have to go back to your earlier question about what inspires me, and my answer of “learning.” Consequently, I know a lot about immigration law, how it developed, and how it continues to develop.
The history of this country includes laws that are now properly viewed as shameful examples of exclusion and discrimination. There are times, including now, when things seem discouraging, but I keep the example of the Roosevelts in mind and believe collective good must prevail.
