Responding to the needs of attorneys in what has become a burgeoning and
evolving practice area, the Boston Bar Association today announced the launch of
an Immigration Law Section, set to begin on September 1, 2010. The Section will
be free for BBA members for its inaugural year and will be Co-Chaired by Anita
Sharma, an attorney working at Political Asylum/ Immigration Representation
(PAIR) project here in Boston, and an alum of the BBA's Public Interest
Leadership Program and Ellen Kief, a solo practitioner focusing on immigration
and family law and past Co-Chair of the Immigration Law Committee.
"Immigration practitioners in Boston see a variety of clients -
including vulnerable asylum seekers who have escaped great trauma and who have
little resources, U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents who seek status
for close family members, foreign national students who pursue studies in the
Boston area and U.S. businesses seeking talent from the global marketplace,"
said Sharma.
Among the specific immigration issues covered by this new section will be
business immigration, family immigration, services to asylum seekers and
refugees, removal defense, and immigration pro bono. The section will provide
immigration lawyers with opportunities to meet with local and national experts
as well as one on one mentoring.
"Immigration issues have been at the forefront of our nation in recent years,
with passionate stances being taken on both sides of immigration reform and
practice," said Kief. "We are looking forward to a dynamic
year."