Immigration Ethics

Immigration attorneys often struggle with the demands of practicing in a highly complex area of law in which the stakes are extremely high for their clients. These demands are particularly difficult for those new to this area of law, who must grapple with an entirely new set of ethics-related questions: What rules govern the practice of immigration lawyers? What types of conduct are most likely to result in attorney discipline, and how does discipline occur? How can small- and solo-practitioners manage their practices a manner consistent with the relevant rules of professional responsibility?

This course, led by immigration attorney Matthew Blaisdell, will provide an overview of the various regulatory schemes governing the conduct of immigration lawyers and apply them to basic areas of litigation and practice management, with a close analysis of specific, practice-related issues that immigration attorneys should become familiar with. 

1. Examine the rules to which immigration lawyers are subject within the Code of Federal Regulations and their counterparts in the ABA Model Rules, with a focus on those most relevant for immigration attorneys
2. Review the disciplinary procedures and mechanisms in the Executive Office of Immigration Review and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security related to the conduct of immigration lawyers
3. Explore the conflict of laws between the federal regulations and local laws of professional responsibility, and when each applies

This course originally appeared as a part of our December 2016 Bridge the Gap Event.