Mitigation of Illegal Behavior in Immigration Defense: How Crimes, Fraud, Misrepresentation, and CIMTS Can be Explained Through the Help of Clinical Forensic Evaluations

Among the most important topics in immigration defense today is "crimmigration", that is, the consideration of how to contend with and explain criminal issues, including illegal activity and crimes involving moral turpitude, for immigration clients. This seminar, presented by attorney and New York State Licensed Clinical Social Worker Mark Silver, will consider how to tackle this extremely important issue separate and apart from proving hardship issues in 601-waiver petitions. Mr. Silver will explore how to use mitigation in the immigration context, just as criminal defense lawyers use mitigation to defend and explain their client's criminal behavior with prosecutors or in court.

Learning Objectives:

1. Identify when and how mitigation is effective in the context of crimmigration immigration defense
2. Examine the criteria, key issues, and challenges of mitigation for illegal acts and CIMTS for the immigration defense client
3. Recognize how mitigation helps to provide a more complete understanding of the client's case by having the forensic expert complement and balance the role of the immigration defense lawyer