U.S. Customs and Border Protection Stymies Army Reservist's Career Goals, According to Barnes, Richardson & Colburn

CHICAGO, March 12, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- On Thursday, March 08, 2012, the law firm of Barnes, Richardson & Colburn filed a law suit on behalf of William A. Nusbaum. Mr. Nusbaum is, when called to duty or during his regular commitment, a Sergeant in the United States Army Reserve. In his civilian life, Mr. Nusbaum is a customs compliance and logistics professional.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection, a unit of the Department of Homeland Security, has denied Mr. Nusbaum the ability to become a licensed customhouse broker. This is an important professional credential that would help Mr. Nusbaum advance his career. According to Customs, Mr. Nusbaum is ineligible to take the April 2, 2012 licensing exam due to his status as a member of the Army Reserve. Customs bases this decision on a regulation that precludes U.S. government employees from taking the broker licensing examination.

Barnes, Richardson & Colburn filed the suit in the Court of International challenging the validity of the regulation and its application to Mr. Nusbaum. The CIT is a specialized court that sits in New York and has national jurisdiction to hear challenges to decisions of Customs and Border Protection and other federal agencies that regulate international trade. Barnes, Richardson & Colburn is a law firm that has focused exclusively on legal matters concerning the regulation of international trade since 1919.

The suit seeks an injunction preventing Customs from applying the regulation to Mr. Nusbaum. According to Barnes/Richardson partner Lawrence Friedman, "We all hope that Customs will see that its application of the regulation is both inconsistent with the licensing law and also bad policy given the number of veterans and others in the military Reserve who are in need of gainful employment for themselves and their families."

SOURCE Barnes, Richardson & Colburn