American Immigration Lawyers Association
Encyclopedia
About AILA
The American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) is the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
' immigration bar association
Bar association
A bar association is a professional body of lawyers. Some bar associations are responsible for the regulation of the legal profession in their jurisdiction; others are professional organizations dedicated to serving their members; in many cases, they are both...
. AILA is a non-profit organization that consists of lawyers and law professors that are dedicated to the practice and teaching of immigration law. Its member attorneys represent U.S. families who are attempting to get U.S. permanent resident status for family members overseas, businesses that have sponsored highly-skilled workers overseas who are attempting to enter the United States on a temporary or permanent basis, individuals who are trying to become naturalized citizens, and also individuals who are in deportation or removal proceedings. AILA was founded in 1946, and as of 2010, consists of over 11500 lawyers. In 1985, there were 1,800 members; a three-fold increase from 1975. The president of AILA as of July 1, 2010 is David Leopold, an immigration lawyer based in Cleveland, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
.
In July 2007, AILA filed a class action
Class action
In law, a class action, a class suit, or a representative action is a form of lawsuit in which a large group of people collectively bring a claim to court and/or in which a class of defendants is being sued...
lawsuit
Lawsuit
A lawsuit or "suit in law" is a civil action brought in a court of law in which a plaintiff, a party who claims to have incurred loss as a result of a defendant's actions, demands a legal or equitable remedy. The defendant is required to respond to the plaintiff's complaint...
against the United States federal Citizenship and Immigration Service
United States Citizenship and Immigration Services
United States Citizenship and Immigration Services is a component of the United States Department of Homeland Security . It performs many administrative functions formerly carried out by the legacy United States Immigration and Naturalization Service , which was part of the Department of Justice...
, after the government rejected thousands of applications for Green cards from highly skilled immigrants.
Mission
The American Immigration Lawyers Association is the national association of immigration lawyers established to promote justice, advocate for fair and reasonable immigration law and policy, advance the quality of immigration and nationality law and practice, and enhance the professional development of its members.2010-2011 National Officers
| President | Eleanor Pelta |
| President-Elect | Laura Lichter |
| 1st Vice President | T. Douglas Stump |
| 2nd Vice President | Leslie A. Holman |
| Treasurer | Victor D. Nieblas Pradis |
| Secretary | William Stock |
| Immediate Past President | David W. Leopold |
| AILA Executive Director | Crystal Williams |
AILA National Staff
The following subsections highlight some of the various departments that make up AILA’s National staff in Washington, DC.Advocacy
The Advocacy Department translates AILA's legislative priorities into action. That action is a mix of affirmative (pressing for positive reforms on business, family, and due process issues) and defensive (seeking to defeat harsh or unwise proposals) efforts.Membership
The AILA Membership Department is responsible for all association membership issues and responding to member inquiries. Department staff members also serve as the primary link between AILA’s chapter leadership and the National Office, providing resources to chapter officers on matters of administration, tax issues and online services. Additionally, the department provides assistance to AILA members and the general public regarding membership benefits and services. The organization also recently launched askAILA, a new service to help members and visitors find useful information and resources.Communications
The AILA Communications Department is charged with promoting the mission of the association and expertise of the 11,000 plus member attorneys to the general public. The department staff works strategically to identify and prepare media spokespeople on key immigration issues of national interest. Staff also develops effective outreach and materials for various media markets, assist members in reaching out to local media, and provide members with substantive and rhetorical tools for use in public presentations to multiple audiences and constituencies.Education
The AILA Education department seeks to further AILA’s overall mission of advancing the quality of immigration and nationality law and practice, and enhancing the professional development of its members through the production of continuing legal education programs. The AILA Annual Conference, typically held in June, is the largest single gathering of immigration attorneys, experts and government agency representatives in the nation. The event attracts nearly 3,000 attendees each year and features multiple tracks covering all immigration law sub-specialty practice areas including family-based immigration, employment-based immigration, due process/removal defense, asylum, enforcement and law practice success. The event also features a series of government “open forums” which permit Q&A with key representatives from the federal agencies that impact immigration law and policy. In addition to the Annual Conference, AILA Education presents up to 12 smaller conferences throughout the year, often focused on a specific topic or co-sponsored with one or more AILA chapters. In 2009, AILA began webcasting select in-person conferences to allow persons who are unable to attend due to financial or other commitments to participate remotely from the convenience of their home or office.AILA Education also works closely with the member-based “distance learning” committee to produce an average of 5 audio and web seminars each month, plus a number of “late-breaking” seminars throughout the year. AILA seminars are 90 minutes in length and focus on discrete immigration issues. Seminar recordings are available for purchase in either CD or downloadable format. Monthly podcasts are also available as an exclusive benefit to members.
Liaison and Information
AILA's Liaison and Information Department provides direction and coordination to agency liaison, substantive law analysis, information gathering and dissemination. Staff of the Liaison and Information Department work with liaison committees, executive committee and the board to set and achieve liaison goals; coordinate participation of AILA representatives to coalition organizations; work with government agencies to achieve AILA goals; respond to member questions; coordinate information gathering and dissemination; and, develop and manage InfoNET and other internet-based dissemination programs.Marketing
AILA's Marketing Department develops and oversees all the promotional efforts, social media outreach and market research activities for the association's publications, conferences, Career Center and a number of other program areas. Marketing is consulted for membership outreach and messaging- for renewals, recruitment and member services. All advertising, sponsorship and exhibit vendor inquiries, negotiations and contracts are handled by the Marketing staff, as well as overseeing the Annual Conference Exhibit Hall. The Marketing staff is responsible for the for AILA Publications e-commerce store, as well as the fulfillment/customer service vendor.The Marketing Department staff assists its sister organization - the American Immigration Council - with marketing outreach efforts.