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Russian lawyer starts a new life Photo by Jim Craven Russian lawyer Elina Mangassarian came to Medford looking to start a new life and a new career. She's working for a local law firm while she studies to become an American lawyer. Moscow U. grad works in Medford, studies to practice law in the U.S. By BILL KETTLER Elina Mangassarian could have been the most overqualified job hunter in Southern Oregon. Mangassarian has a law degree and speaks fluent Russian. She spent a year in Holland studying intellectual property law and telecommunications. But there's not much need in these parts for a lawyer who grew up speaking Russian and earned her degree from Moscow State University. Mangassarian, 25, pounded the pavement for five months looking for work. Then Medford attorney Penny Austin offered her work as a legal researcher. Now she's learning the American legal system, preparing for the day when she can take the bar exam and practice law in America. "It was big luck that she accepted me," Mangassarian said. People who have met the young Russian say her competence and persistence _ not luck _ helped her start a new life in the United States. "She's done all the footwork," said Gary Glenn, of the Job Council, where Mangassarian sought help. "All we've done is tell her where to go." Crime prompted Mangassarian to leave her homeland last year. She tells stories of successful entrepreneurs murdered by competitors; lawyers compromised by corruption; and a society where day-to-day life has become increasingly dangerous. "It's becoming very difficult to be an honest lawyer in Russia," she said. "In Moscow it's becoming very dangerous to live. There is no stability, no guarantee of a normal personal life. There's a feeling that you are completely helpless. The government doesn't guarantee the security of your home." Mangassarian and her sister, 18-year-old Marianna, flew to the United States last October. They came to Medford because distant relatives had settled here. The younger sister enrolled at Southern Oregon University; the lawyer started looking for work. Mangassarian registered with Adult and Family Services under a federal aid program designed to help immigrants. She visited the Job Council and the Oregon Employment Division, impressing counselors with her fluent English and her previous accomplishments. "This was a person who was motivated and successful in her culture," said Larry Slessler of the Job Council. "Where I come from, I would call that a transferrable (job) skill." Counselors put out calls to their contacts, looking for a place where Mangassarian could use her skills and training. Medford attorney Austin met her and decided she could use her research skills in her bankruptcy practice. Now Mangassarian learns American law while she does legal research for Austin. There's plenty to learn: the Russian legal system is a mixture of statutes carried over from the Soviet era and new western-inspired laws written after the Soviet Union collapsed. "The differences between the Russian legal system and the American legal system," she says, pausing, searching for the right words, "are very deep." Eventually Mangassarian hopes to practice international law with an emphasis on telecommunications and intellectual property. For now, she relishes living in a place that feels safe. "Medford feels very calm," she said "It's a very stressless city. You can do everything you want. I feel very comfortable." She also appreciates working in a culture that rewards merit. "It's more fair here. In Russia everything depends on who refers you. "If you don't have many contacts, you're a loser. "Here most things depend on a person's effort." Today's Edition : News | Sports | Business | Weather | Tempo | Classifieds Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA