Maggie Murphy is the managing principal of the Austin office of Jackson Lewis P.C. She is Board Certified in Immigration & Nationality Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and is on the AILA Board of Governors. Ms. Murphy is a founding member and past chair of the State Bar of Texas Immigration & Nationality Law Section and is currently serving on the Council. She also serves on the State Bar’s Committee on Laws Relating to Immigration and Nationality. Ms. Murphy specializes in complex employment-based immigration cases and has sub-specialties in complicated work visa and permanent residence filings. She focuses a good portion of her practice on helping employers of all sizes with PERM cases and PERM campaigns. She also specializes in immigration-related employer compliance issues, including I-9 audits and investigations, E-Verify compliance training and initiatives, and export-control compliance in the work visa context. 

Elizabeth R. Edwards is a graduate of Wake Forest University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Law.  Licensed in North Carolina, she has been certified as an Immigration Specialist by the North Carolina Board of Legal Specialization since 2001. She previously served as a chapter liaison with Charlotte USCIS Field Office, chair of the AILA Carolinas Chapter, co-chair of the Mecklenburg County Bar Immigration Section, and chair of the NC Immigration Specialization Committee. She currently practices with Aziz Law Firm in Charlotte, NC.

Margaret (“Margy”) Holland-Sparages has 28 years of experience representing clients before the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service, the U.S. Department of Labor, U.S. consulates abroad, and U.S. Customs and Border Patrol at land and airports. She represents entrepreneurs, corporations, key managers, and investors in their visa and U.S. work authorization matters. Margy has particular expertise in advocating U.S. national interest waivers for persons making substantial contributions to the United States. She also focuses on O-1 visa petitions for outstanding scientists, researchers, artists and businesspersons. She advises investors and traders who work under bi-lateral and multi-lateral treaties (E-1/E-2 visas). She also works with individuals and companies on visa matters impacted by corporate restructuring and reductions in work force. A past chair of the AILA New England Chapter, she served on the chapter executive board from 2014-20.

Tahmina Watson practices business immigration law at Watson Immigration Law in Seattle. She is a frequent speaker, author, and blogger, and is regularly quoted and published in various newspapers and magazine. She is the author of the book The Startup Visa: Key to Job Growth & Economic Prosperity in America and host of the podcast Tahmina Talks Immigration. A recipient of the 2019 AILA President’s Commendation, Ms. Watson serves as the chair of the Response Committee for the AILA Washington Chapter, a committee she helped create in November 2016. She also serves on the AILA National Media Advocacy Committee. In 2018, She founded a non-profit, The Washington Immigrant Defense Network (WIDEN), which funds and facilitates legal representation in the immigration courtroom (www.widenlaw.org). She is also co-founder of Airport Lawyers (www.airportlawyer.org) which provided critical service during the early travel bans.

Robert Pauw is a partner in the Seattle law firm of Gibbs Houston Pauw. He has been counsel for plaintiffs in many significant immigration cases, including Zerezghi v. USCIS, 955 F.3d 802 (9th Cir. 2020) (challenge to marriage fraud penalty), Zuniga v. Barr, 946 F.3d 464 (9th Cir. 2019) (right to counsel in withholding-only proceedings), Vega-Anguiano v. Barr, 942 F.3d 945 (9th Cir. 2019) (collateral challenge to reinstatement of removal order), and Wayne Smith and Hugo Armendariz v. United States, Case No. 12.562 (IACHR 2010) (deportation policies violate the American Declaration on the Rights and Duties of Man). He has taught immigration law at Seattle University for many years, and is one of the founding members of the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project in Seattle. Mr. Pauw is author of Litigating Immigration Cases In Federal Court (AILA 5th ed. forthcoming). He has received AILA’s Jack Wasserman Award for Excellence in Litigation and the NLG’s Carol King Award.

Deborah Anker is a Clinical Professor of Law and founder of the Harvard Immigration and Refugee Clinical Program (HIRC). She also serves as senior researcher for the Refugee Law Initiative of the University of London. Author of the leading treatise, Law of Asylum in the United States, Prof. Anker has co-drafted groundbreaking gender asylum guidelines and amicus curiae briefs. Prof. Anker’s work has been cited by the U.S. Supreme Court as well as by various international tribunals. She has received numerous awards including the Elmer Fried Excellence in Teaching Award from AILA, the AILA Founder’s Award for the Women’s Refugee Project, the AILA Edith Lowenstein Memorial Award for excellence in advancing the practice of immigration law, AILA’s Arthur C. Helton Memorial Human Rights Award for the groundbreaking work of the Harvard Immigration and Refugee Clinical Program, and the Pro Bono Award of the Immigration Section of Federal Bar Association.

Jeffrey S. Chase is an immigration lawyer in New York City. He is a former immigration judge and senior legal advisor at the Board of Immigration Appeals. He is a past recipient of the AILA’s Pro Bono Award. Jeff founded and leads the Round Table of Former Immigration Judges, which was awarded AILA’s 2019 Advocacy Award, and serves on the Boards of the Association of Deportation Defense Attorneys (ADDA) in NYC, and Central American Legal Assistance (CALA) in Brooklyn, NY. He also volunteers with the New Sanctuary Coalition. His immigration law blog can be found at jeffreyschase.com.

Brian Scott Green is a solo practitioner based in Denver. He has practiced law since 2001 and been a member of AILA since 2004. Brian began his career as a judicial law clerk, litigator, and trial lawyer handling civil and criminal matters in state and federal courts. He has successfully challenged denials of I-129 and I-140 petitions, visas, changes and extensions of status, I-485 applications, and findings of inadmissibility. A frequent volunteer, Brian is a member of AILA’s Administrative Litigation Task Force, an AILA mentor on Border & Admissions issues, and a former CBP co-liaison. Outside of AILA, Brian is a litigation mentor with ASISTA’s U visa project. He is a graduate of Washington & Jefferson College and Case Western Reserve University School of Law. 

Evelyn R.G. Smallwood is an associate at Hatch Rockers Immigration in Durham, NC, where she exclusively practices immigration law, including affirmative filings, deportation defense, and appeals. She became a North Carolina Board Certified Specialist in Immigration Law in November 2015, and is admitted to the Middle District of North Carolina as well as the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth and Eleventh Circuits. The bulk of her deportation defense is representing Central American Asylum seekers in the Charlotte Immigration Court, one of the most hostile jurisdictions in the country. Among her proudest accomplishments, she traveled to Artesia, New Mexico, in October 2014 and Karnes City, Texas, in January 2015, to represent women and children who are being detained while seeking asylum in the United States. 

Jonathan (Jon) D. Wasden is an Administrative Procedures Act (APA) litigation attorney, focusing on business immigration issues. His practice blends expertise in the Immigration and Nationality Act, Administrative Procedures Act, Separation of Powers Doctrine, and Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. He began his legal career as a trial attorney in the US Air Force, appearing in over fifty criminal trials in six years. He then joined the US Department of Justice, Civil Division, Office of Immigration Litigation-District Court Section, where he defended immigration regulations and decisions under the APA. He travelled extensively, and litigated cases in 17 district courts and 3 circuit courts across the country. His last position in government was with the Administrative Appeals Office (AAO), focusing on employment based legal issues, and advising on litigation in these areas. Jon now works in private practice consulting with clients on strategies to overcome immigration denials, and appealing cases in federal court under the APA. He lives in the Washington, DC, area, with his family, and is still a member of the U.S. Air Force Reserve.

Leslie K. Dellon is the staff attorney (Business Immigration) at the American Immigration Council, where she encourages business immigration lawyers to consider litigation as another tool to serve their clients, engages in impact litigation and represents amicus curiae before courts and agencies. In addition to her extensive business immigration law experience, she previously handled general commercial and corporate matters, including civil litigation. She is a past AILA DC Chapter chair and has served on AILA National and DC Chapter committees. She has a J.D. from the George Washington University Law School. 

Eleanor Pelta is a past President of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA).  A partner in the labor and employment law practice of Morgan Lewis & Bockius, she co-manages the firm’s global immigration practice, with practice groups in San Francisco, Washington, D.C., Boston and London.  The practice focuses on assisting corporate clients in the management of large-scale global immigration programs, implementation of immigration policies and procedures, as well as assistance with all aspects of immigration compliance.  Ms. Pelta was named one of the leading U.S. immigration lawyers by Chambers USA and Chambers Global and is consistently listed in Best Lawyers in America.  The Legal Times has named Ms. Pelta one of the “Top 10 Immigration Lawyers in DC.”  Ms. Pelta is a member of AILA’s Board of Governors.  She served as a trustee of the American Immigration Council for several years, helped to organize the first immigrant achievement awards ceremonies, and was a founder of what is now the AIC Community Education Center.  Ms. Pelta is also a Board member of New York’s Lower East Side Tenement Museum. She is the 2014 recipient of AILA’s Edith Lowenstein Award for Excellence in Advancing the Practice of Immigration Law, and the 2015 recipient of the Susan D. Quarles AILA Service Excellence Award.  Ms. Pelta is a recipient of the 2016 Golden Door Award, given by HIAS of Pennsylvania. In 2018 Ms. Pelta was named a National Law Journal Trailblazer in Immigration Law, and Immigration Lawyer of the Year for DC by Best Lawyers in America.     

Kevin Miner is a partner in the Atlanta office of Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy, LLP, and works with employers throughout the U.S. on business immigration processes. He has worked closely with the U.S. House and Senate Judiciary Committees to draft key provisions of immigration legislation. Mr. Miner is a co-author of Business Immigration: Law & Practice (AILA 2nd Ed.), which is a leading treatise on business immigration matters. He is an Elected Director on the AILA Board of Governors and serves as a member of the USCIS Policy & Benefits Committee. Mr. Miner speaks regularly around the country on topics relating to high-skilled immigration.

Robert Pauw is a partner in the Seattle law firm of Gibbs Houston Pauw. He has been counsel for plaintiffs in many significant immigration cases, including Zerezghi v. USCIS, 955 F.3d 802 (9th Cir. 2020) (challenge to marriage fraud penalty), Zuniga v. Barr, 946 F.3d 464 (9th Cir. 2019) (right to counsel in withholding-only proceedings), Vega-Anguiano v. Barr, 942 F.3d 945 (9th Cir. 2019) (collateral challenge to reinstatement of removal order), and Wayne Smith and Hugo Armendariz v. United States, Case No. 12.562 (IACHR 2010) (deportation policies violate the American Declaration on the Rights and Duties of Man). He has taught immigration law at Seattle University for many years, and is one of the founding members of the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project in Seattle. Mr. Pauw is author of Litigating Immigration Cases In Federal Court (AILA 5th ed. forthcoming). He has received AILA’s Jack Wasserman Award for Excellence in Litigation and the NLG’s Carol King Award.