About Attorney Julie C. Hancock
Fiercely compassionate. Relentless AF. Grounded in Wisconsin.
Julie Hancock is the founder of Immigration Docket and the principal attorney behind Your Virtual Advocate, a nationwide immigration law practice serving creators, innovators, entrepreneurs, and professionals navigating an increasingly hostile U.S. immigration system.
Julie is both a practicing immigration attorney and a longtime advocate for democracy, civil liberties, and social justice. Her legal work focuses on complex employment-based immigration matters, including O-1, EB-1A, and National Interest Waiver cases, as well as USCIS defense involving RFEs, NOIDs, NOIRs, and denials. She is also deeply engaged in mentoring other attorneys and shaping strategy in extraordinary ability and national interest cases.
The roots of Julie’s immigration practice trace back to 2017, during the first travel ban, when she volunteered alongside lawyers worldwide to assist individuals and families affected by abrupt policy shifts. That moment cemented her belief that immigration law is never just technical—it is political, personal, and deeply human.
Beyond the law, Julie is a force in Wisconsin Democratic politics. She currently serves as Chair of the Democratic Party in Wisconsin’s 8th Congressional District, where she works to build regional and rural power through coalition organizing, candidate support, and voter engagement. In 2024, she advised Dr. Kristin Lyerly’s congressional campaign and supported emerging leaders across the state through grassroots, values-driven efforts. She also led Women Win Wisconsin, a statewide initiative to recruit and empower pro-democracy women candidates and organizers.
Julie has spent decades working on voter protection, ballot access, election law, and political strategy. In 2022, she mounted her own write-in campaign for Congress, challenging entrenched systems and reinforcing her belief that democracy only works when people are willing to fight for it.
Immigration Docket sits at the intersection of all of this work. It is a space for clear-eyed analysis of immigration law, policy, and adjudication trends, informed by lived advocacy, real cases, and the understanding that the erosion of immigrant rights is inseparable from the broader assault on democratic norms.
Julie writes for immigrants, attorneys, advocates, and anyone who wants to understand not just what the law says, but how it is being used—and misused—in real time.
Why subscribe?
Subscribe to get full access to the newsletter and publication archives.
Stay up-to-date
Never miss an update—every new post is sent directly to your email inbox. For a spam-free, ad-free reading experience, plus audio and community features, get the Substack app.
To learn more about the tech platform that powers this publication, visit Substack.com.
