Timely and excellent course
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- Gain practical insight into new immigration policies and the current political landscape.
- Review the latest Supreme Court, Fifth Circuit, and Board of Immigration Appeals cases and decisions.
- Know your rights at the border, and hear practical advice on how to protect you and your clients.
- Examine business-based immigration topics including an overview of work visas, a deeper dive into H1-B visas and common problems for employers, PERM processing, and worksite enforcement.
- Learn how to prepare for audits and raids and what to do once they occur.
- Review procedures, options, and defenses for removal.
- Listen to a discussion on how to avoid and address your client’s fraud or misrepresentation findings when dealing with the USCIS, DOS, and Immigration court.
Includes: Video Audio Paper Slides
Preview Sessions
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Kathleen C. Walker
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Session 1
—32 mins
The Realization of "America First" and What it Means for Immigration Law (Nov 2017)
The Trump Administration has ushered in an era of optical security measures and further disruption of the current dysfunctional immigration process. DACA survival still is uncertain, while the extent of presidential power over immigration policy continues to be stretched to its uncertain limits. The America First mantra is impacting the position of the U.S. in competition for global talent and investment. On the home front, the federal courts are more critical than ever. Time for a crystal ball report.
Originally presented: Oct 2017 Conference on Immigration and Nationality Law
Kathleen C. Walker,
Dickinson Wright - El Paso, TX
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Michelle L. Saenz-Rodriguez, Jacqueline L. Watson
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Session 2
—64 mins
Knowing Your Rights at the Border (Nov 2017)
Understand what is actually happening at points of entry, including airports and other "non-border" points of entry. Discuss the limitations on Customs and Border Protection searches and interrogations of both citizens and non-citizens alike, the extent of the right to representation at the ports-of-entry, and how certain non-citizens may be processed if denied admission.
Originally presented: Oct 2017 Conference on Immigration and Nationality Law
Michelle L. Saenz-Rodriguez,
Saenz-Rodriguez & Associates, P.C. - Dallas, TX
Jacqueline L. Watson,
Walker-Gates Vela, PLLC - Austin, TX
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Kevin Robert Lashus, Patrick K. O'Rourke
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Session 3
—61 mins
Audits and Raids, Part I: What Happens and How to Prepare (Nov 2017)
The current “Trump facts” are that raids to detain criminal foreign nationals have increased, and with a plan to hire 10,000 more officers, employer raids may see an increase too. Learn about the reality of ICE’s current worksite process, best practices to prepare employers for an I-9 audit or raid, how to protect the worker, and the always reoccurring ethical issue: who do I represent, how can I represent them, who can I NOT represent, and how do I tell them?
Originally presented: Oct 2017 Conference on Immigration and Nationality Law
Kevin Robert Lashus,
FisherBroyles LLP - Austin, TX
Patrick K. O'Rourke,
Harry Gee & Associates, PLLC - Houston, TX
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Richard A. Gump Jr., Susan Bond
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Session 4
—43 mins
Audits and Raids, Part II: Aftermath of the Notice of Inspection, Subpoena, and/or Warrants Presented (Nov 2017)
When an attorney receives the call that an audit or raid has occurred, questions must be answered: Who do you represent and is there a conflict of interest? What are the facts and do we know more than the government? Is it civil or criminal or both?
Originally presented: Oct 2017 Conference on Immigration and Nationality Law
Richard A. Gump Jr.,
The Law Offices of Richard A. Gump, Jr. P.C. - Dallas, TX
Susan Bond,
The Law Office of Susan Bond P.C. - Dallas, TX
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Feroz Farook Merchant, F. Andino Reynal
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Session 5
—45 mins
Operation Lawyer Up: Strategies to Protect Your Client and Your License (Nov 2017)
Hear realistic litigation advice in a new area of immigration enforcement.
Originally presented: Oct 2017 Conference on Immigration and Nationality Law
Feroz Farook Merchant,
The Merchant Law Firm - Houston, TX
F. Andino Reynal,
Fertitta Reynal LLP - Houston, TX
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Imran B. Mirza
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Session 6
—44 mins
Case Law Update (Nov 2017)
Review important cases and hot topics from the Supreme Court, the Fifth Circuit, and the Board of Immigration Appeals.
Originally presented: Oct 2017 Conference on Immigration and Nationality Law
Imran B. Mirza,
Law Office of Imran Mirza, PC - Houston, TX
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Simon M. Azar-Farr
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Session 7
—48 mins
Advanced Perspectives on Boogeyman and Sack Man: Fraud and Misrepresentation (Nov 2017)
Hear an overview of the various federal fraud and misrepresentation statutes, the precise elements of fraud and misrepresentation in the INA, the current state of the case law, and available defenses.
Originally presented: Oct 2017 Conference on Immigration and Nationality Law
Simon M. Azar-Farr,
Simon Azar-Farr & Associates - San Antonio, TX
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Nicolas Chavez, Ruby L. Powers
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Session 8
—58 mins
Immigration Fraud and Remedies (Nov 2017)
Learn how to address your client’s fraud or misrepresentation findings when dealing with USCIS, DOS, and immigration court. Identify available remedies including waivers and strategies of challenging unwarranted fraud findings. Understand your ethical obligations in handling a client who might be lying to you or to the immigration agency or court.
Originally presented: Oct 2017 Conference on Immigration and Nationality Law
Nicolas Chavez,
Chavez & Valko, LLP - Fort Worth, TX
Ruby L. Powers,
Powers Law Group, P.C. - Houston, TX
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Eugene J. Flynn, Nicolas Chavez, Amelia Ruiz Fischer, Francisco J. García, Patrick K. O'Rourke
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Session 9
—56 mins
Ask the Experts (Nov 2017)
Take advantage of an interactive opportunity to have top immigration lawyers answer your questions and provide solutions to your ethical quandaries. Please submit your questions in advance to ConferenceQA@utcle.org or on-site at the conference registration desk.
Originally presented: Oct 2017 Conference on Immigration and Nationality Law
Eugene J. Flynn,
Eugene J. Flynn, P.C. - Dallas, TX
Nicolas Chavez,
Chavez & Valko, LLP - Fort Worth, TX
Amelia Ruiz Fischer,
Fischer & Fischer, Attorneys at Law - Nacogdoches, TX
Francisco J. García,
The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston - Galveston, TX
Patrick K. O'Rourke,
Harry Gee & Associates, PLLC - Houston, TX
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Mona Gupta, George Rodriguez
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Session 10
—45 mins
Case Strategy, Planning, and Documentation: Asking the Right Questions (Nov 2017)
Examine the fundamentals of “smart lawyering” using the right questions, searches, and documentation in filing for benefits with USCIS or the Immigration Court. Discuss how the lawyer can protect herself and her client from findings of fraud, unnecessary RFEs, NOIDs, denials, proceedings, and orders of removal.
Originally presented: Oct 2017 Conference on Immigration and Nationality Law
Mona Gupta,
Gupta & Wiora, P.C. - Dallas, TX
George Rodriguez,
Saenz-Rodriguez & Associates, P.C. - Dallas, TX
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Natalia Drelichman, Stacie Leigh Jonas
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Session 11
—45 mins
Use of T‑Visas, U‑Visas, and Issue Spotting (Nov 2017)
Using hypothetical case examples, explore the pros and cons of filing a U-visa, T-visa, or both, in a variety of circumstances.
Originally presented: Oct 2017 Conference on Immigration and Nationality Law
Natalia Drelichman,
American Gateways - Austin, TX
Stacie Leigh Jonas,
Texas RioGrande Legal Aid - Austin, TX
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Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch
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Session 12
—30 mins
Expedited Removal, Asylum, and Credible Fear Interviews (Nov 2017)
Address expedited removal and its proposed expansion, as well as defenses to expedited removal including asylum and the credible fear interview process.
Originally presented: Oct 2017 Conference on Immigration and Nationality Law
Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch,
Lincoln-Goldfinch Law - Austin, TX
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Lance Edward Curtright, Amelia Ruiz Fischer, Richard S. Fischer
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Session 13
—61 mins
Removal Defenses: A View from the Trenches (Nov 2017)
Review the procedures for fighting removal in immigration court, and explore defenses to removal, including an overview of the most common ones and how to present them.
Originally presented: Oct 2017 Conference on Immigration and Nationality Law
Lance Edward Curtright,
De Mott, McChesney, Curtright & Armendáriz, LLP - San Antonio, TX
Amelia Ruiz Fischer,
Fischer & Fischer, Attorneys at Law - Nacogdoches, TX
Richard S. Fischer,
Fischer & Fischer, Attorneys at Law - Nacogdoches, TX
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Nancy Taylor Shivers, Eugene J. Flynn
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Session 14
—45 mins
Can I Stay or Must I Go? Adjustment versus Consular Processing (Nov 2017)
Distinguish strategies surrounding adjustment of status versus consular processing. Explore the advantages of adjustment and requirements for eligibility (inspected and admitted or paroled), filing Section 245i petitions, parole, NACARA, maintenance of status while determinations are pending, National Visa Center/Direct Consular applications, and immigrant visa interviews when waivers are required.
Originally presented: Oct 2017 Conference on Immigration and Nationality Law
Nancy Taylor Shivers,
Shivers & Shivers - San Antonio, TX
Eugene J. Flynn,
Eugene J. Flynn, P.C. - Dallas, TX
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Benjamin E. Johnson
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Session 15
—48 mins
Current Immigration Policies and the Political Landscape (Nov 2017)
Discuss the changing dynamics of immigration politics and what’s on the horizon for immigration law and policy. Are uncertainty, unpredictability, and dysfunction the new normal on immigration?
Originally presented: Oct 2017 Conference on Immigration and Nationality Law
Benjamin E. Johnson,
American Immigration Lawyers Association - Washington, DC
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Ester Greenfield, Maggie Murphy
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Session 16
—31 mins
Employment Hot Topics (Nov 2017)
Review the latest updates in employment-based immigration, including the High-Skilled Worker Regulations, I-9 and E-Verify developments, H-1B trends and issues, and the new standard for National Interest Waiver processing. Gather the latest regulatory and policy updates, discuss legislative proposals to follow in employment-based immigration, and hear “tips from the trenches” for navigating these cases.
Originally presented: Oct 2017 Conference on Immigration and Nationality Law
Ester Greenfield,
MacDonald Hoague & Bayless - Seattle, WA
Maggie Murphy,
Jackson Lewis P.C. - Austin, TX
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James Devlin Cypert, Francisco J. García
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Session 17
—43 mins
Business Immigration Math 101 (Nov 2017)
Business immigration math is both art and science. Learn to navigate the Department of Labor’s framework of SVP and ONET Job Zones, using real-world examples to correctly calculate wage levels for H-1B and PERM positions. Also, hear strategies for overcoming prevailing wage issues while avoiding common ethical pitfalls.
Originally presented: Oct 2017 Conference on Immigration and Nationality Law
James Devlin Cypert,
Harry Gee & Associates, PLLC - Houston, TX
Francisco J. García,
The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston - Galveston, TX
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Ester Greenfield, Rebecca R. Massiatte
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Session 18
—46 mins
How to Win a PERM (Nov 2017)
Brush up on the basic PERM framework, the notion of "good faith" in recruitment methods and consideration of applicants, and hot PERM topics including quantification of requirements. Glean practice tips on distinguishing fatal and nonfatal errors and the value of using checklists to minimize future errors.
Originally presented: Oct 2017 Conference on Immigration and Nationality Law
Ester Greenfield,
MacDonald Hoague & Bayless - Seattle, WA
Rebecca R. Massiatte,
JMO Firm, PLLC - Dallas, TX
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Felicia Escobar Carrillo, Liz Cedillo-Pereira
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Session 19
—34 mins
The Welcoming America Movement (Nov 2017)
Recognizing the assets immigrants bring to cities, a growing number of municipalities have implemented innovative programs and policies to ensure their communities are inclusive and welcoming. Hear how welcoming cities are prospering by making all residents, including immigrants, feel like they belong.
Originally presented: Oct 2017 Conference on Immigration and Nationality Law
Felicia Escobar Carrillo,
Welcome America - Los Angeles, CA
Liz Cedillo-Pereira,
Office of Welcoming Communities and Immigrant Affairs - Dallas, TX