NILA Webinars
NILA is committed to providing the immigration bar with high-quality, affordable webinars that combine comprehensive coverage of legal issues in immigration law and litigation with practical strategies. NILA staff present on webinars addressing topics on which they regularly litigate or provide strategic assistance. Other presenters on NILA webinars are selected for their topical expertise in the subject matter. Participants can expect to receive accompanying materials, such as the presentation slide deck, relevant practice advisories, or template pleadings.
UPCOMING NILA WEBINAR
Topic: Filing Administrative Claims for Abuse and Misconduct by Immigration Officers under the Federal Tort Claims Act
When: Wednesday, November 8, 2023 @ 2:00-3:15 PM Eastern / 1:00-2:15 PM Central / 11:00 AM -12:15 PM Pacific
Description: A claim under the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA) enables recovery of money from the United States for abuse and misconduct by employees of federal agencies, including immigration officers. In this webinar, we will explain how to file an administrative claim with immigration agencies under the FTCA to both compensate victims and hold rogue immigration officers accountable for misconduct. We will also review the basics of litigating FTCA claims in federal court.
CLE Credit: Application for CLE credit forthcoming.
Presenters:
Matt Adams, Legal Director, Northwest Immigrants Rights Project
Mary Kenney, Deputy Director, National Immigration Litigation Alliance
Trina Realmuto, Executive Director, National Immigration Litigation Alliance
Registration for this webinar is OPEN.
NILA members receive discounted rates on webinars, unlimited strategic assistance for one year and prioritization for NILA’s pleading review and co-counseling programs. To learn more about the benefits of NILA membership and/or to JOIN NILA, CLICK HERE. Note that the National Immigration Litigation Alliance and the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) are separate and distinct organizations. Membership in AILA is not membership in NILA.
NILA Member Rate - $40
General Rate - $80
PAST NILA WEBINARS
Topic: Bhaktibhai-Patel and Beyond: Finality of Removal Orders When Petitioning for Review Over Cases Involving Reasonable Fear and Withholding-Only Proceedings
When: Thursday, September 14, 2023 @ 2:00-3:15 PM Eastern / 1:00-2:15 PM Central / 11:00 AM -12:15 PM Pacific
Description: Following the Supreme Court’s 2020 and 2021 decisions in Nasrallah v. Barr and Johnson v. Guzman-Chavez, the Second Circuit issued a decision in Bhaktibhai-Patel v. Garland which prompted the Office of Immigration Litigation (OIL) to begin seeking to dismiss petitions for review (PFR) as untimely in cases involving reinstatement and § 238(b) orders where the PFR was filed at the conclusion of reasonable fear or withholding-only proceedings. Then, following the Supreme Court’s 2023 decision in Santos-Zacaria v. Garland, OIL began arguing that the 30-day PFR filing deadline is not jurisdictional but mandatory and that OIL could elect to waive it. Most recently, after the Second Circuit issued supplemental briefing orders in three cases, OIL reverted to its pre-Bhaktibhai-Patel position and is seeking reconsideration of that decision. Not surprisingly, in the wake of these Supreme Court decisions and OIL’s arguments, courts of appeals have ordered supplemental briefing and/or issued decisions addressing these developments. The ACLU Immigrants’ Rights Project and National Immigration Litigation Alliance have been actively involved in this litigation through amicus briefing, direct representation, and mentorship. We have been advocating in favor of finality at the conclusion of reasonable fear/withholding-only proceedings, equitable tolling of the PFR deadline, and the importance of judicial review of withholding and Convention Against Torture (CAT) claims.
This webinar will address the issues and arguments related to these finality developments and present the state of law as it relates to each circuit court of appeals. In addition, the webinar will address how these developments may impact judicial review over INA § 240 removal proceedings where the Board of Immigration Appeals remands a case to the immigration judge for further proceedings on a withholding or CAT claim.
CLE Credit: Approved for 1.25 hours Texas CLE credit. Texas is an approved jurisdiction for several state bars. For example, state bar requirements can be found here for New York, here for California, and here for Florida.
Presenters:
Anand Balakrishnan, Senior Staff Attorney, ACLU Immigrants’ Rights Project
Trina Realmuto, Executive Director, National Immigration Litigation Alliance
Topic: Challenging USCIS Denials in District Court Under the APA
When: Wednesday, August 9, 2023 @ 1:00-2:30 PM Eastern / 12:00-1:30 PM Central / 10:00 AM-11:30- PM Pacific
Description: This webinar will address the nuts and bolts of a federal court challenge to USCIS decisions denying a petition/application for an immigration benefit under the Administrative Procedure Act. The panel will discuss the types of errors that can be challenged, basic requirements for complaints, standards for review, relief available, and what to expect after the complaint is filed.
CLE Credit: Approved for 1.5 hours Texas CLE credits. Texas is an approved jurisdiction for several state bars. For example, state bar requirements can be found here for New York, here for California, and here for Florida.
Presenters:
Edward Ramos, Partner, Kurzban, Kurzban, Tetzeli & Pratt
Trina Realmuto, Executive Director, National Immigration Litigation Alliance
Mary Kenney, Deputy Director, National Immigration Litigation Alliance
Topic: Stamp of Approval: Writing for Success with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
When: Thursday, June 8, 2023 @ 1:00-2:15 PM Eastern / 12:00-1:15 PM Central / 10:00 AM-11:15 PM Pacific
Description: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) adjudicates nearly all immigration benefits applications, including affirmative asylum applications, specialized visa petitions, VAWA self-petitions, and parole applications. USCIS adjudicators, many of whom are not attorneys, are faced with an enormous and growing backlog of cases. To increase the chance of an approval, and decrease the chance of a Request for Evidence, written advocacy to USCIS should be concise, clear, and supported by documentary evidence.
The National Immigration Litigation Alliance in partnership with VECINA will present a webinar on how best to present a client’s case to USCIS adjudicators. The panelists will address how and where to find the law and/or policy guidance that governs a particular benefits application, how to craft compelling cover letters, how to frame legal arguments for non-attorney adjudicators, and best practices in drafting client declarations. The panelists also will touch on the differences between writing for USCIS adjudicators and the courts.
This webinar is meant for attorneys, accredited representatives, and paralegals who file benefits applications with USCIS.
Within 1 business day of registration and verification that the registrant is either a NILA member or current VECINA volunteer, registrants will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. Registration is CLOSED.
CLE Credit: Approved for Texas CLE credit (1.25 credits).
Presenters:
Jennie Guilfoyle, Legal Director, VECINA
Kristin Macleod-Ball, Senior Staff Attorney, National Immigration Litigation Alliance
Mary Kenney, Deputy Director, National Immigration Litigation Alliance
Topic: Santos-Zacaria and Exhaustion of Administrative Remedies in Petitions for Review
When: Thursday, May 25, 2023 @ 2:00-3:00 PM Eastern / 1:00-2:00 PM Central / 11:00 AM-12:00 PM Pacific
Description: In Santos-Zacaria v. Garland, the Supreme Court addressed 8 U.S.C. § 1252(d), the statutory exhaustion provision governing immigration petitions for review of removal orders. This webinar will address the holdings in the decision and the rationale behind them, as well as the distinction between statutory exhaustion and issue exhaustion before the Board of Immigration Appeals.
CLE Credit: No CLE credit.
Presenters:
Trina Realmuto, Executive Director, National Immigration Litigation Alliance
Chris Rickerd, Special Projects Advisor, National Immigration Litigation Alliance
Keren Zwick, Director of Litigation, National Immigrant Justice Center
Topic: Filing, Appealing, and Litigating A-File and Immigration-Related FOIA Requests
When: Wednesday, April 26, 2023 @ 2:00-3:30 PM Eastern / 1:00-2:30 PM Central / 11:00 AM-12:30 PM Pacific
Description: This webinar will address how to file an individual immigration file (A-File) Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services as well as how to craft other, policy-related FOIA requests for filing with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and its component agencies, USCIS, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The panelists will also cover whether, when, and what to include in an administrative appeal of a FOIA request. The webinar will conclude with an overview of the basics of filing FOIA complaints in federal court and what to expect after litigation has commenced.
Registrants will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar within 24 hours of registration.
CLE Credit: Approved for Texas CLE credit (1.5 credits).
Presenters:
Mary Kenney, Deputy Director, National Immigration Litigation Alliance
Emily Creighton, Legal Director, Transparency, American Immigration Council
Trina Realmuto, Executive Director, National Immigration Litigation Alliance
Topic: Challenging USCIS Delays in Federal Court
Date and Time: Wednesday, February 15, 2023 @ 2pm-3:30pm Eastern
Description: The webinar addressed how to challenge ever-growing, unreasonable USCIS delays. We covered the elements of a delay claim under both the Administrative Procedure Act and the Mandamus Act, the factors that courts routinely look at when evaluating whether the agency’s delay is unreasonable, basic pleading requirements, and things to consider before filing a federal court delay lawsuit.
CLE Credit: Approved for NY CLE credit.
Presenters:
Mary Kenney, Deputy Director, National Immigration Litigation Alliance
Trina Realmuto, Executive Director, National Immigration Litigation Alliance
National Immigration Litigation Alliance, Inc.
Email: info@immigrationlitigation.org
Tel: (617) 819-4649