Immigration

I handle all types of immigration and naturalization cases: family, employment, political asylum, citizenship, non-immigrant visas, and deportation defense.

• Citizenship or Naturalization
• Removal or Deportation
• Employer Work Visas
• Permanent Resident (Green Card)
• Political Asylum & Refugees
• Undocumented Workers
• Visas
• Family Petitions
• Employer Petitions

CA, Dec 1985
Bar Number: 120892

California Supreme Court, Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals

California State Bar

I regularly attend the annual conference of the American Immigration Lawyers Association and frequently attend local continuing legal education seminars on various topics in immigration law.

I recently received a tearful phone call from a frantic wife whose husband had been arrested by immigration officers as he walked out the house. He had failed to appear at a deportation hearing because he had not received notice -- the government had sent the notice to an old address! I was successful in convincing the judge to reopen his case, and was able to get him released on bond. I filed an appeal of his denied Temporary Protected Status application, and the judge subsequently closed his court case. He is now home, back at work and restored to legal status.

I regularly handle less dramatic, but no less important, family reunification cases -- helping citizens and permanent residents gain legal status for their foreign born fiancés, spouses, parents and children. I also have helped many clients win political asylum -- many of them who have suffered persecution in their home countries based upon their religion or their sexual orientation.

1

California

I focus entirely on the practice of immigration and nationality law, with an emphasis on family immigration matters, political asylum, national interest waivers and citizenship.

I have successfully handled cases in all of the following areas:

Family petitions and Adjustment of Status
Fiance visa petitions
Removal of Conditional Residence
Political Asylum
Employer-sponsored employment visas
Labor Certifications
Advanced degree and Exceptional Ability visas
National Interest Waivers
HIV waivers
H-1B petitions
Naturalization
Removal proceedings, including custody cases

I have had my own practice since 1992. My office was located in San Francisco for six years, and I moved to my present location in downtown Berkeley in 1998.

I began my legal career as an Associate Attorney in the law office of Marc Van Der Hout in San Francisco. I was fortunate to begin my career in the late 1980s when there was a more positive immigrant environment. I was able to help scores of Mexicans and Central Americans gain legal residence through the amnesty program and political asylum. For several years, I was the Supervising Attorney with the San Francisco Bar Association HIV Legal Assistance Program, training volunteer attorneys to represent low income clients with their immigration problems. Prior to law school, I worked as a journalist.

I teach both Immigration Law and Legal Research and Writing in the paralegal certificate programs at San Francisco State University and City College of San Francisco. Some of the awards I have received include an Outstanding Volunteer award from the AIDS Legal Referral Panel of San Francisco (2006), a Senior Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching from San Francisco State University (2005), Outstanding Volunteer in Public Service from the Volunteer Legal Services Association of the San Francisco Bar Association (1999) and the Wing Chong Memorial Pro Bono Award for outstanding pro bono legal services from the American Immigration Lawyers Association Northern California Chapter (1994).

(510) 841--0733

Monday through Friday
9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Early, late and Saturday appointments by special arrangement.

No

I speak Spanish.

I charge a flat (fixed) fee for most services so the client knows from the start what the total cost of my services will be.

$175-$250, although I rarely work on an hourly basis.

I am happy to speak briefly on the phone. A one-hour consultation in the office is $150. That fee is waived if the client retains me.

$500