University of Texas School of Law
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2018
A Practical Guide to Immigration Removal Proceedings
Houston Jun 7-8, 2018 Norris Conference Center - CityCentre
Conference Concluded
Live Webcast Jun 7-8, 2018
Conference Concluded
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UT Law CLE

2018 A Practical Guide to Immigration Removal Proceedings

Program Features
Join us for the 2018 Practical Guide to Immigration Removal Proceedings and Workshop! This course is designed for beginning and intermediate immigration practitioners, employment lawyers, criminal lawyers, and family lawyers involved with the increasingly complex area of removal proceedings. Hear techniques and tactics for effectively handling typical and atypical problems. Interact with top immigration practitioners and gain strategies to provide the best advocacy for your clients, while protecting yourself and your practice.

This course walks through:
  • Ground for Deportability and Inadmissibility
  • Bond Proceedings
  • Challenging NTAs and Motions to Dismiss
  • Contesting Deportability
  • Challenging Crime-Based Grounds of Deportability
  • Relief in Immigration Court
  • Adjustments
  • Cancellation of Removal and Other Discretionary Relief
  • Appeals and Motions to Reopen
And for a deeper-dive, be sure to add the optional Friday Afternoon Workshop! Work directly with program faculty and colleagues in this small-group, interactive forum to apply these techniques and strategies to a hypothetical case study. Walk through a demonstration of a bond hearing, the first Master Calendar Hearing, the appeals process, and filing a motion to reopen. 

INSTRUCTORS
 
IMRAN BEG MIRZA has been Board Certified in Immigration & Nationality Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization since 1995. He has over 28 years of experience litigating cases in the immigration, federal district and federal appellate courts of the United States. Mr. Mirza is also currently an Adjunct Professor teaching Crime and Immigration at Thurgood Marshall School of Law at Texas Southern University. He has also served on the Board of Directors for the Asian-American Bar Association and the Houston Bar Association's Houston Volunteer Lawyers Program.
 
MICHELLE L. SAENZ-RODRIGUEZ is the co-founder of Saenz-Rodriguez & Associates in Dallas, Texas. Now in her 26th year of practice, Michelle is Board Certified in Immigration and Nationality Law by the State Bar of Texas. Michelle is former Chair for the Texas Chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers. She is currently a member of the ABA Commission on Immigration. Michelle has recently been named “Top Lawyer in the Field of Immigration for 2018” by Best Lawyers in America. She recently became a Director for the AILA Board of Governors. She is on the AILA ICE National Liaison Committee and also serves as the EOIR Liaison in Dallas, Texas.
 
JACQUELINE L. WATSON is an El Paso native and undergraduate alum of the University of Texas at El Paso. She earned her J.D. at the University of Texas School of Law. Certified in Immigration and Nationality Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, Jacqueline has practiced immigration law in Austin since 1999 and proudly joined Walker-Gates Vela, PLLC in 2016. She served the AILA Texas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico Chapter as its Chair from 2015 to 2016.

UT Law CLE

2018 A Practical Guide to Immigration Removal Proceedings

10/23/18
Schedule

Thursday Morning, June 7, 2018

8:00 am

Houston Only

Registration Opens

Includes continental breakfast. 

8:50 am
Welcoming Remarks

9:00 am

1.00 hr

Grounds of Deportability and Inadmissibility

Review the grounds of deportability and inadmissibility, and hear strategies for contesting common grounds of removal.

Imran B. Mirza, Law Office of Imran Mirza, PC - Houston, TX
Michelle L. Saenz-Rodriguez, Saenz-Rodriguez & Associates, P.C. - Dallas, TX
Jacqueline L. Watson, Walker-Gates Vela, PLLC - Austin, TX

10:00 am

0.75 hr

Bond Proceedings

Examine bond eligibility, evidentiary requirements, and presentation of a bond redetermination hearing.

Imran B. Mirza, Law Office of Imran Mirza, PC - Houston, TX
Michelle L. Saenz-Rodriguez, Saenz-Rodriguez & Associates, P.C. - Dallas, TX
Jacqueline L. Watson, Walker-Gates Vela, PLLC - Austin, TX

10:45 am
Break

11:00 am

0.50 hr
0.25 hr ethics

Challenging NTAs and Motions to Suppress

Learn how to launch procedural challenges to the Notice to Appear (NTA) and the timing, process, and substance of a Motion to Suppress.

Imran B. Mirza, Law Office of Imran Mirza, PC - Houston, TX
Michelle L. Saenz-Rodriguez, Saenz-Rodriguez & Associates, P.C. - Dallas, TX
Jacqueline L. Watson, Walker-Gates Vela, PLLC - Austin, TX

11:30 am

1.00 hr
0.25 hr ethics

Contesting Deportability

Discuss how to challenge individual allegations in the NTA, including burdens of proof, evidentiary challenges, and assessing citizenship claims.

Imran B. Mirza, Law Office of Imran Mirza, PC - Houston, TX
Michelle L. Saenz-Rodriguez, Saenz-Rodriguez & Associates, P.C. - Dallas, TX
Jacqueline L. Watson, Walker-Gates Vela, PLLC - Austin, TX

12:30 pm

Houston Only

Pick Up Lunch

Included in registration. 

Thursday Afternoon, June 7, 2018

LUNCHEON PRESENTATION

12:50 pm

0.50 hr ethics

Ethical Issues and Self Care in Immigration Law

Explore some of the basic ethical issues facing immigration practitioners, including preparing witnesses to testify in court, preparation and presentation of documentary evidence to the court, and withdrawing as counsel when there is an ethical issue or conflict of interest. 

Imran B. Mirza, Law Office of Imran Mirza, PC - Houston, TX
Michelle L. Saenz-Rodriguez, Saenz-Rodriguez & Associates, P.C. - Dallas, TX
Jacqueline L. Watson, Walker-Gates Vela, PLLC - Austin, TX

 
1:20 pm
Break

1:35 pm

1.50 hrs
0.50 hr ethics

Challenging Crime-Based Grounds of Deportability

Discuss the categorical approach, plus a review of crime-based removability grounds, proof of conviction, doctrine of divisibility, and recent case law.

Imran B. Mirza, Law Office of Imran Mirza, PC - Houston, TX
Michelle L. Saenz-Rodriguez, Saenz-Rodriguez & Associates, P.C. - Dallas, TX
Jacqueline L. Watson, Walker-Gates Vela, PLLC - Austin, TX

3:05 pm
Break

3:15 pm

1.00 hr
0.25 hr ethics

Relief in Immigration Court

Hear a general discussion of relief, dealing with relief once removability has been established. Gain tips for trial strategy including documentation, use of experts, and witness preparation. 

Imran B. Mirza, Law Office of Imran Mirza, PC - Houston, TX
Michelle L. Saenz-Rodriguez, Saenz-Rodriguez & Associates, P.C. - Dallas, TX
Jacqueline L. Watson, Walker-Gates Vela, PLLC - Austin, TX

4:15 pm

1.00 hr

Questions and Answers

Make note of practical solutions to participants' questions and cases in this structured session. Please submit your questions in advance to ConferenceQA@utcle.org or on-site at the conference registration desk.

Imran B. Mirza, Law Office of Imran Mirza, PC - Houston, TX
Michelle L. Saenz-Rodriguez, Saenz-Rodriguez & Associates, P.C. - Dallas, TX
Jacqueline L. Watson, Walker-Gates Vela, PLLC - Austin, TX

5:15 pm
Adjourn

Friday Morning, June 8, 2018

8:00 am

Houston Only

Conference Room Opens

Includes continental breakfast. 

8:30 am

0.75 hr

Asylum

Learn how to present defense claims for asylum, withholding of removal, and deferral of removal under the Convention Against Torture, including basic eligibility, crafting social group claims, issues with derivatives, and preserving issues for appeal.

Imran B. Mirza, Law Office of Imran Mirza, PC - Houston, TX
Michelle L. Saenz-Rodriguez, Saenz-Rodriguez & Associates, P.C. - Dallas, TX
Jacqueline L. Watson, Walker-Gates Vela, PLLC - Austin, TX

9:15 am

1.00 hr
0.25 hr ethics

Adjustment of Status

Explore the criteria and opportunities for adjustment of status, including family based visas and proceedings, priority dates, grandfathering, and presentation of the case in immigration court.

Imran B. Mirza, Law Office of Imran Mirza, PC - Houston, TX
Michelle L. Saenz-Rodriguez, Saenz-Rodriguez & Associates, P.C. - Dallas, TX
Jacqueline L. Watson, Walker-Gates Vela, PLLC - Austin, TX

10:15 am
Break

10:30 am

1.00 hr

Cancellation of Removal and Other Discretionary Relief

Learn about establishing eligibility for Cancellation of Removal for permanent residents and non-permanent residents, waivers of inadmissibility, and other forms of relief.

Imran B. Mirza, Law Office of Imran Mirza, PC - Houston, TX
Michelle L. Saenz-Rodriguez, Saenz-Rodriguez & Associates, P.C. - Dallas, TX
Jacqueline L. Watson, Walker-Gates Vela, PLLC - Austin, TX

11:30 am

0.50 hr

Appeals and Motions to Reopen: The Basics

Get an outline and overview of the basic rules for filing appeals and motions to reopen.

Imran B. Mirza, Law Office of Imran Mirza, PC - Houston, TX
Michelle L. Saenz-Rodriguez, Saenz-Rodriguez & Associates, P.C. - Dallas, TX
Jacqueline L. Watson, Walker-Gates Vela, PLLC - Austin, TX

12:00 pm

Houston Only

Adjourn

Please note Friday lunch is not included in registration. If you are registered for the Immigration Removal Proceedings Workshop, the conference room will reopen at 1:00 p.m.

Friday Afternoon, June 8, 2018

Immigration Removal Proceedings Workshop

Houston Only

*Optional Workshop Add-On: $100 registration fee (1:00 p.m. to 4:45 p.m.)

*Workshop is not included as part of Live Webcast.

1:00 pm

Houston Only

Conference Room Opens

1:30 pm

1.50 hrs

Houston Only

Workshop Part I

Utilizing a case study, review and discuss bond hearings, examine a Notice to Appear (NTA) and its charges, and prepare for the first Master Calendar Hearing.

3:00 pm

Houston Only

Break

3:15 pm

1.50 hrs

Houston Only

Workshop Part II

Utilizing a case study, observe a demonstration of a merits hearing, review the appeals process, and discuss how to file a motion to reopen.

4:45 pm

Houston Only

Adjourn

Faculty

Imran B. Mirza, Law Office of Imran Mirza, PC - Houston, TX
Michelle L. Saenz-Rodriguez, Saenz-Rodriguez & Associates, P.C. - Dallas, TX
Jacqueline L. Watson, Walker-Gates Vela, PLLC - Austin, TX

UT Law CLE

2018 A Practical Guide to Immigration Removal Proceedings

Faculty

Conference Faculty

Imran B. Mirza
Law Office of Imran Mirza, PC
Houston, TX
Michelle L. Saenz-Rodriguez
Saenz-Rodriguez & Associates, P.C.
Dallas, TX
Jacqueline L. Watson
Walker-Gates Vela, PLLC
Austin, TX

Planning Committee

Michelle L. Saenz-Rodriguez—Co-Chair
Saenz-Rodriguez & Associates, P.C.
Dallas, TX
Jacqueline L. Watson—Co-Chair
Walker-Gates Vela, PLLC
Austin, TX
Joanna Jefferson—Director
The University of Texas School of Law
Austin, TX

UT Law CLE

2018 A Practical Guide to Immigration Removal Proceedings

Credit Information

MCLE Credit

Texas
13.50 hrs  |  2.00 hrs Ethics
Legal Specialization(s): Immigration and Nationality Law
Additional Information
A Texas MCLE Reporting Form will be included in your course materials. Please complete and return to the registration desk and UT Law CLE will report credit on your behalf to the State Bar of Texas, or you can self-report your credit directly to the State Bar of Texas at texasbar.com. A Certificate of Attendance will be provided at the conference to keep for your records.  
California
13.50 hrs  |  2.00 hrs Ethics
Additional Information
At the conference, you will need to sign in on the Record of Attendance form at the registration desk. Self-report your CLE credit directly to the State Bar of California at calbar.ca.gov. You will receive a Certificate of Attendance at the conference to keep for your records. UT Law CLE will maintain Attendance Records for four years.  
Louisiana
13.50 hrs  |  2.00 hrs Ethics
Additional Information
At the conference, you will need to sign in on the Record of Attendance form at the registration desk. UT Law CLE will report credit on your behalf to the Supreme Court of Louisiana Continuing Legal Education Committee within 30 days after the conference. You will receive a Certificate of Attendance at the conference to keep for your records.
New Mexico
13.50 hrs  |  0.50 hrs Ethics
Oklahoma
16.00 hrs  |  2.50 hrs Ethics
Additional Information
At the conference, you will need to sign in on the Record of Attendance form at the registration desk. You will receive a Certificate of Attendance at the conference to keep for your records. UT Law CLE will report credit on your behalf to the Oklahoma Bar Association within 30 days after the conference.
Other States
Note on Self-Reporting Your Credits in Another State
If you wish to satisfy MCLE or other professional education requirements in another state for a program offered by the University of Texas School of Law, please check with the state bar or other licensing authority in that state before taking the program to ensure it will qualify for self-reporting your credits.

Other Credit

TX Accounting CPE
16.00 hrs
Additional Information
The University of Texas School of Law (Provider #250) live conferences are presumptively approved by The Texas State Board of Public Accountancy for Texas Accounting CPE credit based on a 50-minute credit hour. Approved for general CPE credit only.

At the conference, you will need to sign in on the Accounting CPE Record of Attendance form at the registration desk. You will receive a Texas Accounting Certificate of Completion at the conference for your records. Self-report your CPE credit directly to TSBPA. UT Law CLE will maintain Attendance Records for four years.  

MCLE Credit

Texas
10.50 hrs  |  2.00 hrs Ethics
Legal Specialization(s): Immigration and Nationality Law
Additional Information
UT Law CLE will report credit to the State Bar of Texas on your behalf. If you are claiming credit in the last week of your birth month, self-report your credit directly to the State Bar of Texas at texasbar.com. A Certificate of Completion will be emailed to you upon claiming credit.
California
10.50 hrs  |  2.00 hrs Ethics
Additional Information
Self-report your CLE credit directly to the State Bar of California at calbar.ca.gov. Print and keep the Certificate of Completion for your records. A Certificate of Completion will be emailed to you upon claiming credit.
Louisiana
10.50 hrs  |  2.00 hrs Ethics
Additional Information
To claim Louisiana MCLE credit, Louisiana credit option must be selected PRIOR to viewing the live webcast. Upon claiming credit, a Certificate of Completion will be emailed to you. UT Law CLE will report credit on your behalf to the Supreme Court of Louisiana Continuing Legal Education Committee within 30 days after the conference.
New Mexico
10.50 hrs  |  0.50 hrs Ethics
Oklahoma
12.50 hrs  |  2.50 hrs Ethics
Additional Information
The University of Texas School of Law (Provider #169) live webcast presentations meet the requirements and are presumptively approved by the Oklahoma Bar Association for MCLE credit based on a 50-minute credit hour. This accreditation requires attendance verification. In compliance with the rules, UT Law CLE monitors and records attendee responses to questions that randomly appear during the live webcast presentation. The response record is detailed on the Certificate of Completion.

To claim Oklahoma MCLE credit, Oklahoma credit option must be selected PRIOR to viewing the live webcast. Upon claiming credit, a Certificate of Completion will be emailed to you. UT Law CLE will report credit on your behalf to the Oklahoma Bar Association within 30 days after the webcast.
Other States
10.50 hrs  |  2.00 hrs Ethics
Additional Information
Note on Self-Reporting Your Credits in Another State
If you wish to satisfy MCLE or other professional education requirements in another state for a program offered by the University of Texas School of Law, please check with the state bar or other licensing authority in that state to ensure it will qualify for self-reporting your credits.

To claim Other States MCLE credit, Other States credit option must be selected PRIOR to viewing the live webcast. Upon claiming credit, a Certificate of Completion will be emailed to you.

This accreditation requires attendance verification. UT Law CLE monitors and records attendee responses to questions that randomly appear during the live webcast presentation. The response record is detailed on the Certificate of Completion .

MCLE credit is presented based on a 60-minute credit hour. 

Other Credit

TX Accounting CPE
12.50 hrs
Additional Information
The University of Texas School of Law (Provider #250) live webcast presentations meet the requirements and are presumptively approved by the Texas State Board of Public Accountancy for Texas Accounting CPE credit based on a 50-minute credit hour. Approved for general CPE credit only.

This accreditation requires attendance verification. In compliance with the rules, UT Law CLE monitors and records attendee responses to questions that randomly appear during the live webcast presentation. The response record is detailed on the Certificate of Completion.

To claim Texas Accounting CPE credit, the Texas Accounting CPE credit option must be selected PRIOR to viewing the live webcast. Upon claiming credit, a Certificate of Completion will be emailed to you. Self-report your CPE credit directly to the Texas State Board of Public Accountancy.

UT Law CLE

2018 A Practical Guide to Immigration Removal Proceedings

Key Dates

Houston

  • Last day for Individual early registration: May 30, 2018
    Add $50 for registrations received after this time
  • Last day for cancellation (full refund): Jun 1, 2018
  • Last day for cancellation (partial refund): Jun 4, 2018
    $50 processing fee applied

Live Webcast

  • Last day for cancellation (full refund): Jun 1, 2018
  • Last day for cancellation (partial refund): Jun 4, 2018
    $50 processing fee applied

UT Law CLE

2018 A Practical Guide to Immigration Removal Proceedings

Hotel / Venue

Houston

Norris Conference Center - CityCentre

816 Town and Country Blvd. Suite 210
Houston, TX 77024
713.590.0950
Map

Parking Information

Complimentary garage parking. Please park on the third level of the parking garage. 

Nearby Hotel Accommodations

Hotel Sorella CITYCENTRE

800 Sorella Ct.
Houston, TX 77024-1488
713-973-1600
855-596-3397 (reservations)
Map

Accommodations

A limited amount of rooms are available at a room rate of $159 per night. This rate will be available through May 16th, or until the room block is sold out, whichever comes first. Please mention the UT Immigration Removal Proceedings guestroom block when you make a reservation over the phone or you can use the following link to book directly online: UT Immigration Removal Proceedings Conference. 

Parking Information

Complimentary garage self-parking or $21 overnight valet parking.