I graduated summa cum laude from Amherst College in 1989, with a concentration on intellectual history. I graduated from CUNY Law School in 2002 and became a member of the New York State Bar in 2003. I have been a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Assocation (AILA) since 2004. I am currently listed on the AILA Immigration Lawyer Service. This service requires that listed attorneys be insured and in good standing with their bar associations.
From October 2003 up to the present, I have represented clients in all phases of immigration benefits applications and representation before U.S.C.I.S. and the Immigration Courts (E.O.I.R.) I have represented clients before the Immigration Courts in New York City, New York, Arlington, Virginia, York, Pennsylvania, Newark, New Jersey, Batavia, New York, Fishkill/Napanoch, New York, Hartford, Connecticut, and Miami, Florida. Before these courts I have helped my clients win cases in Asylum, Withholding of Removal, and Adjustment of Status.
In immigration related criminal matters, I have represented clients before the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York.
I have also successfully prosecuted appeals before the Board of Immigration Appeals, which is the appellate body for the Immigration Courts.
I am conversant in Spanish, and I do not need a translator in preparing cases for Spanish speaking clients. While many of my clients have been from Latin America, I have also represented clients from the former Soviet Bloc, West Africa, South Asia, and Southeast Asia.
As an undergraduate, I concentrated my work on political philosophy and intellectual history. I have closely followed international news and history for all of my adult life, and this background helps me in understanding and advocating for my clients.
My grandparents came to the United States as immigrants, and I believe that it is our nation’s mission to provide refuge for the persecuted and to be a land of opportunity for those who play by the rules and seek a better life for themselves and their children.