Past AILA Executive Directors
Greetings and congratulations on AILA 75 years strong! I was privileged to open the AILA National Office in 1982 as its first Executive Director and serve the AILA Membership for 14 years, working with our celebrated Presidents from Charles Foster (’81) and Bob Juceam (’82) to Daryl Buffenstein (’85) and Denyse Sabagh (’86). I also need to call out the original pillars of the AILA staff: Amy Novick, Susan Quarles, and Jeanne Butterfield, from whom I learned so much. Best wishes for another 75 years (at least) of service, advocacy, and community.
“Reisen til Amerika.” Norwegian for “The Promise of America.”
This was an exhibit at the Sonja Heine Art Center in Oslo in 1984. Although I did not then imagine immigration law as my field—I was in a different area of law at the time—I found myself drawn to the exhibit, and even bought the poster. Little did I know that, barely a year later, I would shift from a field of law that was work to the field of law that is a calling. Immigration.
One of the first things I did when making that shift was join an organization called AILA.
This was an organization of just over 2,000 members at the time. It had only recently opened a national office after decades of being run entirely by volunteers and having an “office”consisting of a box that was passed from one president to the next. Yet, it had an astonishingly ambitious mission: to promote justice, advocate for fair and reasonable laws, advance the quality of practice, and enhance the professional development of its members. That was a lot for a relative handful of lawyers to undertake, and yet this was a group of lawyers who didn’t know it couldn’t be done, and therefore did it.Yes, I felt at home immediately.
That is the AILA that has been my professional home, and the home of thousands of others, in the decades since. The numbers have grown exponentially, both in membership and staff, and the execution of the mission has acquired multiple new dimensions, but the commitment and drive remain at peak.
I was privileged to join the staff of AILA in 1999, and to eventually become its Executive Director. The privilege was to serve that ambitious mission and the calling that is immigration law, to work with some of the finest people I have ever known, both on staff and among the membership, and to develop friendships that will long endure.
Through it all, the Reisen til Amerika poster has been on the wall of whatever office I have occupied, including my home office here in retirement land. It is a reminder of the work that AILA and its members do every day. Striving to ensure that the Promise of America is made true.
Congratulations to AILA on its 75th anniversary! I am humbled to have served as AILA’s Executive Director following Warren Leiden and to have been able to pass the baton on to Crystal Williams and Ben Johnson. I am also grateful to have worked in close partnership with 16 AILA Presidents, dozens of outstanding Board members, and wildly talented staff members over the years, to help grow AILA and expand and diversify its programs to address the needs of every segment of the skilled and passionate AILA membership. I came to AILA as a policy associate in 1993. AILA elected and staff leaders had already been prominent advocates for fair and humane immigration laws on Capitol Hill, and AILA was starting to seriously tackle the challenge of more broadly engaging its members in legislative and executive branch advocacy. We had just moved into our newly renovated national office building when we faced the unprecedented challenges that our entire nation would encounter in the aftermath of the tragedy of 9/11. We fought vigorously to keep America’s doors open to deserving immigrants. And in the years that followed, we brought all of our intellectual, political, and moral resource to bear on the fight to enact broad and comprehensive immigration reform that would help our nation meet its needs and honor its values as we moved into the 21st century. AILA members continue to be smart, dedicated, selfless, and fierce warriors for just and humane immigration laws. I know that AILA will not rest until our nation’s laws reflect its values as a “nation of immigrants.”
AILA Presidents – Past and Present
Note: Reflections and photos from past AILA presidents Gustav Lazarus (1951) through Deborah J. Notkin (2005-2006) were pulled from the September/October 2006 Immigration Law Today as printed for that edition. Reflections and photos from Carlina Tapia-Ruana (2006-2007) through Allen Orr (2021-2022) were collected for the 75th anniversary.
Joshua Koenigsberg guessed correctly that other former Immigration Service attorneys would be as indignant as he about the lack of elementary due process concerns among the professional Service officers. Few Service officers were lawyers and many resented or misunderstood the function and responsibility of the lawyer in our society. Josh’s guess that former Immigration Service lawyers could be the catalyst to establish a new association devoted to the representation of immigrants was confirmed. Of the 20 incorporators and first directors of the association, 12 were Service alumni, of whom I was one. My own experience was as a presiding inspector, the precursor of the special inquiry officer (SIO) and immigration judge. Suffice for this piece that I presided as “one man” (prosecutor and judge), hearing hundreds of cases. Upon leaving the Service, I was totally committed to taking an active role in founding a bar association in the field.
New York, NY
News of the founding of this organization soon spread beyond the state of New York; it was the intention of the founders to operate nationwide. Applications for membership were soon received from Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., and the West Coast. Abram Orlow was the first to join our ranks from the City of Brotherly Love and was appointed as a resident vice president for the city of Philadelphia. The membership roster was further augmented with the addition of Jack Wasserman and Thomas M. Cooley, II, from Washington, D.C. Tom Cooley was designated as the resident vice president for the District of Columbia and Jack Wasserman as the law editor, and subsequently Washington legislative representative.
New York, NY
At the Miami convention, we celebrated the 25th anniversary of AILA as a bar association and honored its charter members, most of whom are no longer with us. I continue to feel a special debt of gratitude to those men and women whose vision of raising the standards of practice in the immigration field we were privileged to help implement. In my parting remarks at the annual dinner, I noted that the implementation of many of our plans would be a challenge for the next 25 years. I am proud to say that my successors in office have brought our vision of AILA to levels of fruition that have surpassed the aspirations of those years.
New York, NY
I recall a Board of Governors meeting approximately 40 years ago when Arthur Schapira, a past president, first suggested the concept of an annual conference. It was vigorously debated but ultimately adopted; and for the first 10 years, conferences were of only one-day duration, always in a northeast city, and with a very limited program. The presenters consisted of just four people: Edith Lowenstein, Jack Wasserman, Charles Gordon, and me. My, how we’ve grown! I am told that today there are more than 200 speakers and panelists at our conferences.
New York, NY
AILA was still a parochial organization when I was given her reins in 1975, and resistant to change. But she was ambitious, generous in sharing the know-how of the trade, and, if soft on immigrants, deeply caring about immigration law and policy—a subject that would command and continues to hold the nation’s attention. She had some talented members and would attract many more. She would develop leaders who could see AILA as a national organization, and who would work hard and patiently to realize their vision. And she would hire a young lawyer, Warren Leiden, who would become a superb executive director.
New York, NY
I started a monthly mailing to keep our members informed of what was going on all over the country. We were moving toward national attention and recognition. The monthly mailing was extremely tedious to assemble, since there was no staffing by the national organization except for one secretary. In the year in which I was president, I traveled a lot and devoted a great deal of my time to association business. I was lucky, in that I had a large organization to carry the load with me. But I also saw the need for a national office based in Washington that could do more of the day-to-day work, so that the presidency was not so burdened.
New York, NY
A highlight was the institutionalization of the office of executive assistant. We were up to about 1,500 to 1,600 members, and the national presidents had previously used either part-time or full-time secretarial help or part-time executive assistants paid for by the association. The position of executive assistant was elevated during my term, and I hired Lawrence Linden as the first full-time executive assistant to work out of my office. All the mailings were prepared in my office. Members still remember receiving up to two huge packages (separately mailed as Part I and Part II) as part of the monthly mailing.
New York, NY
From current vantage, three things stand out as long-lasting contributions to AILA, which my tenure as national president achieved. Foremost was the hiring of Warren Leiden as our first permanent executive director at Charlie Foster’s suggestion, and getting him ensconced in D.C. with a grand budget of $58,000 and the revolutionary $1,000 Rapifax machine to make our daily drafting and editing feasible. He hit the ground running; a national office promptly emerged and the rest is a history still evolving. By the end of my term, the idea of a foundation had been approved and steps to implement this tax-exempt entity gave AILA an opportunity to achieve with new sources of funding the creation of the Legal Action Center, and develop credibility in the circles of D.C. policy and law reformers—circles we needed to access in order to begin a profitable program of publications and public education. Finally, given the legislative initiative of what was then the Simpson-Mazzoli bill, and with the irrepressible enthusiasm and vision of Dale Schwartz, we went to the ABA with 14 policy resolutions that passed its House of Delegates, and we laid the basis for becoming an affiliate a few years later and for the ABA’s creation of what is now the Commission on Immigration. Not so bad a record, even if I say it myself. Nothing would have been done without the strong support of our members and all those in our leadership.
New York, NY
Our membership was approximately 300 when I started and maybe a dozen chapters, and now AILA has grown to more than 4,200 members and 34 chapters. This was a spectacular achievement during the last 21 years. We now have a national association with a staff of 20 and a very large budget. When I started, there was just a voluntary director, no staff, and a budget of maybe $100,000. The growth of our membership and number of chapters has been unbelievable. I think it corresponds to the growth of those seeking to enter the United States during this time. I look back and wonder where the association will be 20 years from now. It would not surprise me if we doubled our current membership. The prospects are bright for continued success for AILA under the capable leadership of our officers, Board of Governors, and executive director.
New York, NY
Until 1980, immigration law constituted about 20 percent of my practice, and I still considered it a “hobby.” Then, after being appointed by a federal judge to represent in a class action the Marial Cubans who came to America in the boatlift and who were detained by INS, suddenly I discovered that immigration law was what I really wanted to do, and my practice just grew. Well, we were always reversed by the appellate courts in the Cuban cases, and three times the Supreme Court denied certiorari, but as a result of public pressure, a program was established by the Attorney General, and over 6,000 Cubans have been released from federal custody.
Atlanta, GA
When I concluded my term as president of AILA, I remarked about how our organization had grown so far, so fast. By 1989, we had surpassed the 3,000-member mark, we had increased to 33 chapters, and we had become an affiliated organization of the ABA with a seat in the House of Delegates. Major law firms in the country were beginning to develop immigration law departments, law schools throughout the country were offering immigration law courses, publishers were beginning to publish immigration law texts one after another, and immigration law was recognized as the fastest growing legal specialty field in media from the Wall Street Journal to the New York Times to the National Law Journal to the ABA Journal.
Philadelphia, PA
In 1990–1991, we were essentially successful in ameliorating the harshest provisions of Section 5 of the Immigration Marriage Fraud Amendments of 198. We were successful in convincing Congress that summary exclusion was not an answer to the limited but real abuses that were taking place. As part of my campaign to provide members with a rapid, cost-effective way to obtain information, InfoNet was initiated during my year as president. It provides the fastest available means for disseminating large amounts of information to our members. The Mentor Program was an idea that I proposed and which was instituted before I completed my term of office.
Newark, NJ
By the time I became president, AILA was a completely different and far better organization than when I had joined almost 15 years earlier. It was truly national in scope, and had members from large and mid-size general practice firms, and in-house immigration counsel, as well as our traditional array of solo and small firm practitioners. We also had a busy national office, with a smoothly functioning and highly effective staff. Over the 15-year period, the immigration bar grew in stature, and we numbered among our membership many brilliant lawyers, bar leaders, law professors, future immigration judges, legislators, and policymakers.
New York, NY
Immigration law practice was attractive to me, as it can be less egregiously greedy than some other fields of law. It can help people who really need help, people who came here as my family did—as we all did, at one time or another. Flying taught me how stupid boundaries are. My study of history taught me how short-lived regimes and governments are. Sam taught me how awful it is to be a refugee. And winning a few big ones taught me how much fun winning is. My friends in AILA taught me a lot of what one needs in order to win. It all comes together in the practice of immigration law.
Houston, TX
Serving as AILA president from 1996 to 1997 was an amazing and challenging experience. It was the year of dreadful IIRAIRA. AILA swung into action early on and was right on the front lines, much like today. AILA fought hard and tirelessly. It was the first year we began to institutionalize our advocacy work. We realized that legislative advocacy was an equally critical part of representing clients, as was handling the nuts and bolts legal work. Today, 10 years later, we are in the heat of another battle and are reaping the benefits of the institutionalization of our advocacy work. It was also the first year that we initiated the AILF national essay contest on “Why I Am Glad that America is a Nation of Immigrants,” another important piece to spread the word and include students and families in recognizing and talking about the important contributions of immigrants. AILA has grown over the years and is a unique and impressive organization. The publications, conferences, liaisons, hot-off-the-press information and analysis, and talented staff are incredible. It’s dedicated and hardworking members are one of a kind. It was an honor and privilege to serve as its president.
Washington, D.C.
Having been an active member in a number of bar associations and community organizations before joining AILA, I was amazed by the willingness to share, friendship, and caring I found among my AILA colleagues. It was instant bonding, and AILA became my second family. I am proud to be a member of this association of lawyers committed to improving immigration law and practice in the service to immigrants. It was also my privilege to have the opportunity, during my term, to emphasize bringing technology to AILA members to improve their access to information vital to their practice, by making InfoNet available to every member and increasing diversity in AILA leadership.
Seattle, WA
It was my good fortune to have served as AILA’s president in the year that AC21 (American Competitiveness in the 21st Century) was enacted, giving us the benefits of portability in H-1B cases, the ability to extend H-1Bs beyond six years, and to utilize portability in permanent cases that were bogged down in agency delays. We also received a temporary, although short-term, extension of §245(i) benefits. It was gratifying that Congress accepted the positions that we had long fought to achieve. Additionally, and also due to years of work on the part of many AILA members, we purchased a building that would become AILA’s new home. It was a year that proved that rewards come after years of hard work. My dearest memory is of meeting hundreds of talented, dedicated lawyers throughout the United States.
Rochester, NY
Evolving into a collaborative undertaking between senior staff and the Executive Committee, today’s AILA presidency is not a sprint but a marathon. Initiatives are rarely begun the day a president is installed, nor can goals always be met a short year later, when the torch is passed. Early in my AILA leadership journey, I became involved with Ed Rubin’s vision for grassroots policy advocacy, as implemented by his lieutenant, Neil Dornbaurn. And I also was privileged to be “present at the creation” of the American Immigration Law Foundation, mid-wifed by Bob Juceam, Warren Leiden, and Sam Myers.
Raleigh, NC
Serving AILA as president from 2004 to 2005 was a tremendous honor and privilege, more so than I ever imagined. Looking back, I take the most pride in my work with Jeanne Butterfield and Kathy Moccio that led to AILA’s participation in the establishment of the National Center for Refugee and Immigrant Children. The impact that the center and its volunteer attorneys have had on the lives of so many children has been enormous, and the impact on me also has been profoundly rewarding. As members of this great association, we must never forget our obligation to give something back to both the profession and those who are most in need.
Chicago, IL
When I was elected and installed as AILA’s National President in 2006, I became AILA’s first Hispanic-Latino (now Latinx) to become president of AILA. This was a great honor and responsibility. During this year, AILA spent much of our time and resources addressing the pending Comprehensive Reform Act and the Secure the Fence legislation. Fortunately, I was joined on the Executive Committee by other strong, talented women, who excelled as leaders; like Deborah Notkin, Kathleen Walker, Jeanne Butterfield, and Crystal Williams, to name a just a few. Shortly after my term ended, AILA elected Victor Nieblas Pradis and later, Annaluisa Padilla, who served with distinction, as AILA Presidents. Today, our current President, Allen Orr, represents our first elected African American and LGBT President. Our organization works hard to be as diverse and the clients we serve. I am truly proud of my association with one of the finest and hardest working, professional associations in this country.
Chicago, IL
My fondest memory of my year as AILA President from 2008-2009 was the election of Barak Obama as President. It seemed a restoration of hope and dignity to us as lawyers, and to our immigrant clients. As part of my opening speech as President at the Annual conference in Toronto we handed out pocket size copies of the Constitution, to remind our members of who were as a country after eight long years of the Bush Presidency, which seemed to diminish ours and our clients rights. The year was marked by turmoil with the “Great Recession,” the departure of long time Executive Director and dear friend Jeanne Butterfield, and our search for a new director. But, we did establish the AILA Military Assistance Program (MAP), and saw a surge in federal court litigation across AILA as we continuously encouraged our members to fight for their client’s rights in every venue we could. Serving our members as AILA President was the honor of a lifetime and allowed be to create deep and abiding friendships with some of the finest human beings I have ever known.
Atlanta, GA
It was an honor to serve as AILA president. My term began at a time when immigration enforcement against undocumented immigrants across the country was rigorous, and, all too often, inhumane. Families were being torn apart, Dreamers were being deported and immigrants were dying in detention. Common sense civil immigration enforcement priorities and adherence to humane detention standards were very much in need. We worked hard that year to improve the administration of the law through public messaging, AILA liaison efforts and lobbying Congress. One of the highlights of my year was when the entire AILA executive committee went to the West Wing of the White House to advocate for reform. I’m very proud that a lasting legacy of my year as president is the AILA’s Federal Litigation Section which empowers all members, regardless of practice focus to fight for their clients’ rights in federal court.
Cleveland, OH
I was fortunate in that during my Presidency and time on AILA’s Executive Committee we had strong liaison relationships with the government. We toured the Southern Border with CBP and we visited its training facility, FLETC in Georgia. While we also experienced the unfortunate expansion of family detention for those seeking refuge at the Southern border, I also witnessed the amazing outreach and dedication of AILA members and staff react immediately and selflessly dedicate thousands of hours of their time to help those in desperate need. Dance brought me to immigration and my dance company performed at my installation. It was an amazing experience to see my work and passion combined. I was also fortunate because the year that I was installed the Annual Conference was in my chapter’s hometown. I was able to drive to the conference and brought with me all of the necessary requirements to celebrate. We hired a professional DJ for our party and had an amazing “after party” that was open to all. I became involved in AILA as a result of my interaction with its members and staff and my time as AILA’s president cemented my love, respect, and appreciation for them. That has never wavered and in fact, I continue to marvel at our strength and am proud and honored to be a member.
Burlington, VT
Serving as AILA President in 2016-2017 during the election and initial months of the Trump Administration was one of the most terrifying, exhausting but also inspiring events of my career. After the election results came in, AILA had to work relentlessly to gather information about the new administration’s plans, build alliances to prepare the resistance to those plans. We inspired AILA members to do what AILA members do best: advocate before the agencies, in the courts and in the public square to ensure fair and just immigration law and policy. Saturday, January 28, 2017 saw an outpouring of that advocacy as AILA members showed up at airports to offer impromptu legal clinics and obtain information for relatives as the implementation of the first Muslim Ban began, while AILA committees gathered information and AILA national disseminated practice advice. We were able to learn new skills, make new allies and successfully resist the worst of the administration’s early efforts to restrict immigration and deny due process to immigrants, helping our members survive the onslaught of changes and achieve results for their clients.
Philadelphia, PA
By the time I was installed as President in the summer of 2018, the Trump administration had pushed the boundaries of executive authority to new extremes. Without a single piece of immigration legislation, the administration had built an invisible wall through executive overreach and restrictive policies resulting in unprecedented delays and denials based on legally questionable grounds. It was a difficult time to be an immigration lawyer, but an amazing time to lead the Association. Immigration was at the front and center of the national conversation and immigration issues were the subject of constant media attention and debate. Our members were pushed outside their comfort zones and, with the resources and support of AILA, rose to the challenge to holding USCIS accountable in Federal Court forcing a check on executive abuses. My year was a culmination of all I had hoped to achieve as a member of ExCom and eventually as President including the launch the Immigration Law Journal, the Technology Task Force, and AILA University, all designed to harness the expertise and in depth legal analysis that only AILA is in a position to provide.
New York, NY
My year as AILA president was filled with challenges and opportunities. We continued to punch back at the Trump administration’s efforts to derail and dismantle our immigration system even through its death throes at the end of 2020 while also, for the first time ever, taking a public position against the president’s re-election and partnering with Immigrant’s List to get out the vote. We worked with the incoming Biden administration to identify the most egregious and harmful policies implemented under Trump and proposed solutions to address them. All of this while simultaneously re-imagining how to govern our association, run the national office, support the chapters, and deliver member services during a global pandemic. I am incredibly proud of the national staff and volunteer leadership’s success in providing practice management and wellness services in addition to all other policy and law-related resources our members required during this tumultuous time.
Richmond, VA
While I was president, I made a trip to the West Coast (at my own expense) and visited some of our members in San Francisco where there was concern about the impact of the formation of new chapters on existing association members. In light of that, the Board of Governors made a decision that if a new chapter was created, it would have to include local individuals who were current members of the national association. All local lawyers in that area, who were members of the national association, would be welcomed to the newly formed local AILA chapter. I also visited the Los Angeles group, where a wonderful luau was hosted in my honor at the home of a member.
New York, NY
After serving as president for one year, I was ready to file for Chapter XI. Why? There was no such thing as an expense account during my term of office. You paid for your travel to Washington, for liaison meetings with INS Central Office and the Immigration Committee of the House, and wherever association business required your presence. The final nail in the financial coffin was picking up the tab for your own president’s party—you paid for the food, wine, liquor (the works). My two sons did such a good bartending job at my president’s party that Elmer Fried hired them for his president’s party.
New York, NY
I joined AILA in New York City in 1960 (I think it had fewer than 300 members nationally at that time). I remember being interviewed by the late Andrew Reiner and Anita Streep, the then–membership committee for New York. I was a busy member of the New York chapter, and chaired it for a year. In January 1966, I moved to Washington, D.C. I had to suspend my AILA membership for two years while I worked as a writer of decisions at the Board of Immigration Appeals. When I left the Board on June 30, 1968, I immediately rejoined AILA, and became a member of the Washington, D.C. chapter. It was very small compared to the New York chapter, but it had quick and relatively easy access to INS savants, local and national.
New York, NY
By far, the most significant activity of the year was the plan to make the association “truly national.” This was the consensus of the Board of Governors. It was the consensus and intention of the Board to address our lack of strength on national issues. Much of the essential groundwork was done by Arthur Schapira and Isidore Ostroff. It was a multi-year effort continued by Stanley Mailman and our successors. Chapters were started in Boston, Texas, Miami, and Detroit. An independent association joined as the San Francisco chapter. This led from a membership of fewer than 700 to the present organization.
New York, NY
I was elected President in 1977 and served until 1978. At that time, we had no Washington office, and the office was a perambulating one—wherever the current president was. We had no staff director and no staff. The staff consisted only of the current president’s office staff. Board meetings were always held in New York. The year 1978 marked the first Board of Governors meeting held outside of New York—it was in Houston. It was a very successful event, thanks to the advance work done by Charlie Foster, who was then-chair of the Houston chapter.
New York, NY
At the 1982 conference held in San Antonio, the New York chapter played the Texas chapter in the first game of softball held at the annual conference. It was 110 degrees outside. This game has become a tradition at the annual conference. The New York chapter bought shirts that had “The New York Bombers” on the front. We also played a tape of Frank Sinatra singing “New York, New York,” while our cheerleaders jumped about. We, Yankees, really invaded Texas! The Texas Coyotes general manager was Harry Joe. The Coyotes surprised us in the third inning of our first game when their belly dancers ran onto the field with drums and symbols and started dancing.
New York, NY
We changed the name from the Association of Immigration and Nationality Lawyers (AINL) to the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA). Technically, there already had been a name change proposal adopted immediately prior to my year to change the name to the Immigration and Nationality Lawyers Association (INLA), although there was never any formal name change filed. I proposed a further name change in order that the name more significantly reflect the nature of our organization as one of American immigration lawyers and only secondarily because of the fact that we discovered that INLA, by coincidence, was also the acronym of an Irish terrorist organization.
Houston, TX
I remember, with great affection, Ed Dubroff, our first executive secretary who worked with Steve Mukamal. I remember, with great fondness, Haskell Barst, especially at the craps table. I remember Anita Streep, Saul Kies, Izzy Ostroff, and Elmer Fried, one of the leading modern-day attorneys in the field of immigration law. I remember Edith Lowenstein, who, by herself, would respond to all the administrative changes in immigration law as they came out day by day and week by week in the Federal Register.
New York, NY
When I was vice president, Bob Juceam and I interviewed Warren Leiden when the national office was authorized and we needed an executive director. While I was an officer, one of my ideas was to have the writing award included in the AILA conference book and to have the winner attend the annual conference. Amy Novick, our associate director, was the first winner invited to the conference as our guest. In 1986, while I was president, the legalization program and IRCA had come into being, and we met with INS to help contribute to the implementation of the program. By that time, membership was in excess of 2,000 attorneys. I was one of the first presidents to have the advantage of the national office. However, I believe at that time, I had more day-to-day hands on work than the president does today as the national office was in its infancy and we had very few employees.
New York, NY
As president, I recognized the necessity to visit members throughout the United States to learn first-hand of their concerns. AILA, by this time, had become an organization with over 3,200 members in over 25 chapters. I visited virtually every chapter in the country. I wanted to talk with the members to find out what they wanted and how AILA could respond to the challenge. I met with chapters from Washington State to Puerto Rico. It was an extraordinary educational process for me. I learned how diverse our membership truly is around the country. The diversity is not only in the richness of race, religious, and ethnic backgrounds that make our organization so unique, but it is also in the variety of practices that our members enjoy.
Atlanta, GA
As a result of receiving a myriad of written questions for the government liaison committees involving practice issues that realistically should be answered by experienced AILA members rather than government officials, we initiated a Section on Law Practice with several practice committees composed of experienced AILA members. This section provided a forum for member questions on issues involving labor certification, employer sanctions, visa practice, asylum and refugees, exchange visitors, law office economics, and law office technology. And it became the precursor to the AILA Mentor Program.
San Jose, CA
I first became involved with AILA’s organization as a chapter chair. As a new Board of Governors’ member at our annual meeting in Boston, I sought out Jules Coven, just beginning his presidency, and asked what I could do to be of value, informing him that I would even be willing to chair the INS Liaison Committee. He was patient with my naïveté on matters of association politics and suggested that I might be of help writing comments to proposed regulations. This was not the flashiest assignment, to be sure, but it was exciting and demanding, leading me over the years to work with some of AILA’s best technical minds.
Minneapolis, MN
Getting to know and love the legends of immigration law and be mentored by them—Maury Roberts, Charlie Gordon, Sam Williamson, Gus Lazarus, Esther Kaufman, Jack Wasserman, all deceased—was an extraordinary gift I received from AILA. These brilliant lawyers with their generosity of spirit and time set the standard for our association. In so doing, they leave a lasting legacy. The same is true of Stanley Mailman and Ira Kurzban, except, of course, they are still alive!
Novato, CA
In 1995, as I became AILA president, the Jordan Commission recommended major reductions in legal immigration and Senate and House bills were introduced to implement these. We were told there was little we could do to stop the inevitable restrictions. We swung into action and declared an “Emergency Campaign,” pulling together an unprecedented coalition that, after a year of intense and all-absorbing frenzy, defeated the cuts and preserved legal immigration. AILA triumphed! We came of age politically, a major strategic force. We stood for America, and we won. Today, those who oppose immigration are more powerful and better funded. We must engage, energetically and totally. We must not waver from our core values. We must remember that our clients, large and small businesses, families and individuals, are the face of America. We must fight for them, fight for right, fight to win. Get involved today! Right now!
Atlanta, GA
I became president of AILA in June 1997. That year began a spiral that has divided families and cast good people into the dark shadow of “illegal.” During my presidency, we learned the disastrous realities of IIRAIRA, AEDPA and the calamitous loss of §245(i). Then, like now, we explained the significance of the oversubscription of H-1B numbers. Nearly a decade later, AILA is working harder than ever to reverse the tide that brought the immigration debate to its fevered 2006 pitch. With our leadership, allies, and tools—advocacy, liaison, and litigation—AILA perseveres to press our country back to a course that embraces immigrants.
Chicago, IL
I was thrust into immigration, literally overnight, with a heavy caseload ranging from litigation to business immigration, due to the abrupt disappearance of my would-be partner. I had no colleagues, no books, no online resources to turn to, but I found AILA members willing to take the time to patiently explain things to a novice. A year or two later, I began writing a column to explain things to those only a step or two behind me. Over the years, I have found countless others going through the same cycle of being overwhelmed, getting incredible assistance, and then repaying the favor by helping others as they gained their ground in a challenging field baited with traps. The continuous cycle of young lawyers, who learn their craft from countless others who went before us, always demonstrating their willingness to help—that is what binds us together.
Cambridge, MA
The year 2001 was a year of limitless hope, unspeakable tragedy, and undeniable courage. As I began my term as AILA president, the presidents of Mexico and the United States were preparing to meet to initiate discussions that would lead to a new immigration accord between the two countries. All too soon, the world in which we lived was changed forever on September 11. However, in the days and months following those horrendous events, I was moved by the statements and convictions of AILA members that let us all stand up for American values that were forged in the great melting pot of immigrants from throughout the world. Now, almost five years later, Americans are taking to the streets and reaffirming our fundamental belief that we are a nation of immigrants! It is my hope that in 2006, we will embrace this heritage and enact immigration reform legislation that will empower us to become an even greater nation.
Dallas, TX
Fond memories began the first day of my presidency when my father waded barefoot across the street-turned-raging-river in New Orleans to bring refreshments to Eduardo Aguirre, director of USCIS, and other guests. The Executive Committee and presidential experience is exhilarating and draining—every action and decision takes on great importance. A strong stomach and a stronger sense of humor are necessary. As president, I sought to have AILA focus on ethics and professionalism to provide our members with the tools to develop stellar, ethical—and not coincidentally—productive and profitable law practices. I’d like to think the prominent ethics section on AILA’s website, and the hiring of a practice resource associate had their impetus from this focus.
Washington, D.C.
I truly enjoyed my presidency. Comprehensive immigration reform has been a long-time passion of mine and it was wonderful for me to be president during a time when the issue was in the forefront. During my year, we dramatically stepped up our media efforts with the establishment of a communications department and the addition of a talented media director, George Tzamaras. Our media coverage increased one thousand-fold, and Carlina Tapia-Ruano and myself spoke to more than 30 million people on radio and television during the year. What made my presidency pleasurable was in large part the amazing staff in the national office. These capable men and women are truly devoted to serving the members of our association. I will always be grateful for the support and wisdom they gave me during my presidency.
New York, NY
At the 2007 Annual Conference in Orlando where I started my year as President, we began immediately on Visa Gate litigation preparation against the Department of State as to the rejection of I-485 applications based on its publication of an Update of Visa Availability in July. We also witnessed the cloture death of the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Grand Bargain. AILA was also negotiating the purchase of its new headquarters on 1331 G Street, which was followed by a move to the new location in the first quarter of 2008. I learned more about tax exempt bonds that I ever wanted to know. We addressed the lack of due process and access to counsel during the ICE enforcement operation in May of 2008 at the Agriprocessors meat packing plant in Postville, Iowa, which was a poster child of constitutional violations. This experience led to AILA’s raid response materials and grassroots response coordination. We also worked on and approved the creation of our first international chapter for AILA, the Rome District Chapter, and the policies for international associate status. At that time our national liaison committees addressed nearly 6,600 case specific liaison requests to USCIS service centers. I ended my tenure at our annual conference in Vancouver where we lost our dear friend, Stephen K. Fischel, from the Department of State during that conference. I was privileged and forever grateful to have had the opportunity to serve our association as President. It was an incredible learning experience and a front seat to immigration policy and working to achieve objectives with all of our tools: membership, congressional, advocacy, communications, publications, coordination with fellow associations, liaison, and litigation. What a tremendous gift of knowledge and life-long friendships.
El Paso, TX
Being AILA president in 2009/2010 was particularly exciting as we were optimistic that newly elected President Obama would succeed with Comprehensive Immigration Reform. Meeting key staff in the White House to discuss reform was particularly enthralling. Unfortunately, CIR proved more elusive than anticipated. Also, sadly, after the amazing Jeanne Butterfield’s departure, our Executive Director for almost 20 years, I was responsible for leading during a particularly tumultuous year. I was therefore delighted when Crystal Williams accepted the Executive Director position. The best part of my presidency was helping to rebuild capacity within our professional staff. Greg Chen took over as Director of Advocacy and a new era emerged. With ever-increasing globalization, we focused on establishing a Global Migration Section and International chapters, such as the Rome district chapter that had become critical. I was delighted to receive the AILA Service Excellence Award (now the Susan D. Quarles AILA Service Excellence Award) for my efforts in promoting AILA’s mission. Social media was starting to emerge and AILA was an early adopter in order to promote justice, and to advocate for fair and reasonable immigration law and policy. My leadership was committed to advancing the quality of immigration and nationality law and practice and enhancing the professional development of its members. The best part was traveling to most chapters and getting to know thousands of our members, personally. AILA is many things but most of all it is a special place where one makes life-long friends.
Santa Monica, CA
When I served on the Executive Committee of AILA, David Leopold, who preceded me, Laura Lichter, who was President-Elect, and I used to engage in some friendly banter about whose presidency would be the one that would finally usher in comprehensive immigration reform. Ten years after my presidency, thinking back on this is simply heartbreaking. Not only have we experienced a Congress so paralyzed by partisan politics that it can’t manage to update a first-world country’s antiquated immigration system, but the Trump years essentially shattered the underlying administrative infrastructure that allowed the functioning of the imperfect system that we did have in place to welcome immigrants. The year that I became President, John Morton, head of ICE, addressed the Annual Conference in San Diego and announced the implementation of Prosecutorial Discretion. That year, with the help of those on the executive committee that had expertise in removal and deportation, we worked closely with the agency and monitored how prosecutorial discretion was being implemented nationwide, to ensure that ICE’s memos were being followed in every locality. Now, under the Biden Administration, ICE has announced the re-implementation of prosecutorial discretion. I find this a hopeful sign—reminiscent of the famous words of Martin Luther King, about the long arc of the moral universe bending toward justice.
Just before I assumed the presidency of AILA, a colleague commented that I would have my hands full managing such a large board. I recall being surprised at that statement. I had served for many years on the BOG, loved being a part of that special and august group (and still do) –from the energy of the chapter chairs and the new ideas of the elected directors, to the institutional wisdom of the past presidents. I never felt that we were too many. I did not believe that it was the President’s role to “manage” the board, but rather, to listen to the board with an open mind and benefit from its’ aggregated expertise. I can remember many a time when a BOG colleague, taking the mike, would advance an argument that completely changed my view of an issue and really made me think. As President, I placed a premium on the time and expertise of our BOG members, and tried to use both as effectively and as respectfully as possible, especially at times when the Executive Committee could not reach a consensus on a matter. One of the aspects of my presidency of which I am the most proud is the relationship that the Executive Committee forged with the BOG that year—one that has only improved, in my view, in the years since.
Washington, DC
My term on the AILA Executive Committee afforded me rigorous debate as the “Republican in the room” and the opportunity for three visits to the White House to participate in the ground level roll out of immigration policies, and programs such as DACA, provisional waivers, and agency wide prosecutorial discretion. But nothing was more exhilarating than my installation as AILA President which serendipitously coincided with the June 26, 2013 Supreme Court decision finding section 3 of DOMA to be unconstitutional while in San Francisco for the Annual Conference and PRIDE celebrations and subsequent meetings with USCIS to ensure that same sex marriages would be recognized as valid for purposes of immigration law.
Oklahoma City, OK
After 70 years of existence, AILA got a spicy taste of its first Mexican-American President in 2015-2016. In response to the Obama Administration continued detention of mothers and children presenting themselves at our southern borders seeking protection, AILA joined forces with 3 other organizations to create the CARA Project to bring the fight to the Administration in the area of family detention. To meet the goals of the project, we passed an allocation of $200,000 to fund the CARA Project in 2016. We served over 10,000 families in detention by providing free legal representation. I took the “Tour of Duty” and volunteered one week in Artesia, New Mexico and one week at Dilley, Texas ICE detention centers. In total 820+ CARA volunteers roughly provided 49,200 pro bono hours valued at $7,816,500. Similarly, with the assistance of AILA’s Theresa Waters, I created AILA’s first Diversity and Inclusion Initiative and Committee. I followed a simple approach to ensure diversity, inclusion, and equity within our members by focusing on recruitment, retention, incubation, and ascension. This effort continues today. I was extremely proud of the volunteer work of all of our members and the powerful memories created.
City of Industry, CA
I could have never envisioned that I would serve as AILA’s President during one of the most challenging Administrations of our time. AILA and its members have always risen to any challenges we face in our legal field, but what we experienced during the first months of the Trump Administration was unprecedented. Leading our organization and its members during this time was certainly a challenge, but it was also an honor and a privilege. As an asylee immigrant, I was reminded everyday of the contributions we all make to this country and my time as President was no different. We were able to mobilize quickly to assist immigrants affected by the Muslim Ban mandated by edict only days after the Administration took office and we garnered the power of our nationwide membership to resist and push back against the anti-immigrant and hateful policies of the Administration. I will always be inspired by commitment and dedication of our members to our immigrant community. During my year as President our membership showed the power of our strength in unity.
La Habra, CA
I served as AILA President for the 2019-2020 term, during one of the most difficult eras of immigration history. That period of time, which will always be remembered for the darkest days of the Trump Administration’s attempts to dismantle our country’s immigration system, as well as the onset of the COVID pandemic, created unprecedented challenges for our association, our members and our clients. In many ways it was the darkest and most difficult time that many of us had faced as lawyers, as businesspeople, as parents, and as a community. But what I will forever remember is the light that we, as AILA, created during that time through our collective perseverance, creativity, strength of community, and conviction knowing that we were doing the right thing. I’m particularly proud of AILA’s litigation efforts, advocacy with the agency, political engagement and support to our members during this pivotal time in our history. It was my privilege and honor to serve during this time and I will be forever proud of all that we accomplished together.
Chicago, IL
As President, I intend to continue building on the efforts of the previous presidents to identify and cultivate strong diverse leaders for the future of AILA. Member experience is my focus. The question that guides me is, “what would the membership want?”
In my role as the first Black and gay president of the AILA, I will continue to expand volunteer opportunities so that all members of our organization can see themselves leading at all levels of service.
Washington, D.C.
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