AILA New England Chapter

KIND Brown Bag
2023-09-25 12:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York)
On September 25th at 12pm please join Attorney Ashley Barkoudah and Attorney Branden Ladebush of Kids in Need of Defense (KIND) for a brown bag on Representing Unaccompanied Children in Immigration Matters. This presentation will review special considerations to take into account representing children in their immigration matters, we will also cover the work KIND does and how you can get involved!

Here is the link: https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_ZGE1NmRiOWUtYTUxNi00MWJiLWIyNjktMmExMjBkZjc2YWNl%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%22103be3e3-0c59-44bd-bee9-5e25d26dcbdb%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%2249433675-5c3e-4328-81d8-3b760096d521%22%7d
Join on your computer, mobile app or room device
Click here to join the meeting
Meeting ID: 252 899 159 391
Passcode: [REDACTED]
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Or call in (audio only)
+1 253-287-3426,,633104464# United States, Tacoma
Phone Conference ID: 633 104 464#

MAP Committee Brown Bag
2023-09-22 12:00 - 13:00
Are you interested in helping out a service member, or learning more about AILA’s Military Assistance Program (MAP)? Join our virtual brown bag event on 09/22 at 12pm EST with guest speaker Catherine Magennis, Vice Chair for AILA National Military Committee. Over the last 10 years AILA MAP has been a joint effort between AILA and the Legal Assistance Offices (LAO) of the U.S. military’s Judge Advocacy General’s (JAG) Corps. Although LAOs provide free assistance to active-duty service members and their families, JAG attorneys have received more complex immigration legal questions that require the assistance of seasoned immigration attorneys. For more information about AILA MAP click here. To join the Zoom event register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUpdOmtqTIpHNK8iJbY4JI-_pB4NZavnuHP .
If you have any questions about the event please reach out to either Daniel Carpenter or Margaret Holland-Sparages at neailamap@gmail.com.

September Chapter Meeting (virtual)
2023-09-21 17:00 - 18:30
Federal Litigation: Nuts, Bolts, and Beyond
At September’s chapter meeting we will kick off our initiative to promote and foster the membership’s confidence and competence in federal litigation. Learn how fellow practitioners use mandamus, APA actions, and other litigation tools to battle rampant backlogs and overly redacted FOIA responses, while advocating for current and future clients. Speakers will share lessons learned and things to consider for new and experienced attorneys, and for employment and non-employment based attorneys alike. Stay tuned for the last 5 minutes to take the first steps in getting barred before District Court (if you aren’t already), learn about more litigation-related plans for the year, and take the (forthcoming) Learn to Litigate pledge Register here!
Speakers:
Anthony Drago, Anthony Drago, Jr., P.C.
Emma Winger, American Immigration Council
Joseph “Joey” Barnett, WR Immigration
Moderator:
Robin Nice

AIC Committee Brown Bag
2023-09-20 12:00 - 13:00

Citizenship Day!
2023-09-16 09:00 - 15:30
AILA’s 18th Annual Citizenship Day is Sept. 16, 2023. This year we are partnering with MIRA to host a citizenship clinic at the Codman Square Library in Dorchester. The clinic will run from 9 am – 3:30 pm, though we welcome folks to sign up for just a morning or just an afternoon shift as works for them. No prior experience with citizenship applications is necessary! The CBO Committee will be offering training during a Brown Bag on September 8th! If you are interested in volunteering, please register here: https://forms.gle/WF2Linu7xJnjAoVR9.

AIC J-1 Program Brown Bag
2023-09-12 12:00 - 13:00
The American Immigration Council sponsors intern and trainee programs at host organizations across the United States. The Council promotes exchange by providing direct support to Exchange Visitors, Host Organizations and Attorneys, from application for J visa sponsorship through alumni engagement. Learn more about this great program and how it could help you.

Register in advance for this meeting:
https://aila-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJEldO-qpjkvGtQ-QWjjv4r1aRmZS-VIMHbi

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Naturalization Training
2023-09-08 12:00 - 13:00
Training on Naturalization applications and fee waiver applications. This training is for Citizenship Day volunteers and anyone else who is interested. For more information, contact Lara Wagner. Zoom: https://riancenter-org.zoom.us/j/8431943790

Brown Bag - Pathway for Immigrant Workers
2023-08-10 12:00 - 13:00
This a Cambridge based non-profit that provides pro bono legal services to local employers and nonprofits wishing to sponsor their lower wage workers (or any nonprofit worker) for an employment based green card through the Labor Certification process. Attend and learn more about the PERM process for nonprofessional jobs and how PIW can collaborate with you and your clients.
You are invited to a Zoom meeting.
When: Aug 10, 2023 12:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Register in advance for this meeting:
https://aila-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJMuf-6gqj0tG9wqKNYpusT_0sNn3axczA-9

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

For more information, please reach out to Leslie Ditrani, Leslie@myimmigrantpathway.org, or visit our website at www.myimmigrantpathway.org.

Summer Social - RSVP REQUIRED
2023-08-09 18:00 - 21:00 | Owl’s Nest, On the Esplanade, Between Berkeley & Clarendon Streets along the Storrow Lagoon, Boston, MA
Get excited! Our annual summer social (and first social event of the year!) will be at Night Shift Brewing’s Esplanade location, Owl’s Nest, on Wednesday, August 9, 2023. Food will be provided by Just Hummus (which, not at all ironically, is not JUST hummus), so you can enjoy your favorite local beers, wines, seltzers & non-alcoholic drinks with flavorful Mediterranean staples. If hummus and falafel aren’t your thing, feel free to bring along the food of your choice! Space is limited, so please email eventsailane@gmail.com with the subject line “Summer Social” to secure your spot ASAP! At this time, the event will be for AILA NE Chapter Members only.

Litigation Committee Brown Bag
2023-07-13 12:00 - 13:00
Register in advance for this meeting:
https://aila-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJYtcO-hrDksEtewdhB_6PEQlVVcgRYRxI_e
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
▪ Speaker(s): Mark Stevens and Kathleen Gillespie
▪ What to expect: A discussion of notable cases from the past few months out of the BIA, the federal district courts for MA, NH, and RI, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, along with a quick review of the most recent SCOTUS immigration-related decisions.

AILA NE Chapter Monthly Meeting
2023-06-29 17:00 - 18:30, 2023-04-13 16:00 - 18:30, 2023-03-16 16:00 - 18:30, 2023-02-16 16:00 - 18:30

Bylaws, Boards, and Benefits of Getting More Involved
2023-06-15 12:00 - 13:00
Do the inner workings of our chapter seem opaque and confusing? Are you wondering how our brand new bylaws affect you and our chapter as a whole? Are you interested in getting more involved with AILA NE and/or joining a national committee? If you answered ‘yes’ to any of those questions, this is the brownbag for you! Speakers will explain how our local Board operates, how to get on a national committee and review highlights from our brand spanking new bylaws.
Register in advance for this meeting:
https://aila-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJcvceqoqD8jHtRoLK6cbrP5GyNqObIkVBrS

Brown Bag: Online Filings through myUSCIS: Who, What, Why?
2023-06-08 12:00 - 13:00
Online Filings through myUSCIS: Who, What, Why?
Date/time: Thursday, June 8th, 12 noon – 1pm
Topic: Apprehensive about using myUSCIS to file petitions and applications? Learn about which forms can be filed, and the advantages of online filing, in this CLE brown bag.
Speaker Ruby Powers (Powers Law Group)
Hi there,
You are invited to a Zoom meeting.
When: Jun 8, 2023 12:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Register in advance for this meeting:
https://aila-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0sfuGprD4qHdMdz77x6wh9vd0phLTeojb2
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Submitting PERMS through the FLAG System
2023-05-31 12:00 - 13:00
Date: May 31st
Time: 12 noon to 1pm
Title: Submitting PERMS through the FLAG System
Speaker: Vince Lau (Clark Lau LLC)

Hi there,
You are invited to a Zoom meeting.
When: May 31, 2023 12:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Register in advance for this meeting:
https://aila-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJEpdOiqqjMuGNKb3v-8FdVYHbrAOjGy-Udc
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

AILA NE Chapter Annual Meeting
2023-05-25 16:00 - 18:30

Partnerships in Forensic Medical Evaluations with the MGH Asylum Clinic
2023-05-24 12:00 - 13:00
Partnerships in Forensic Medical Evaluations with the MGH Asylum ClinicOver the past 5 years the MGH Asylum Clinic and our 125+ volunteers have collaborated with attorneys in New England to provide physical and psychological forensic medical evaluations (FME) to 525 asylum applicants. Among this group, the asylum grant rate has been 90% for those who have received final adjudication. Dr. Matt Gartland (Internist and Pediatrician, Director) and Dr. Altaf Saadi (Neurologist, Associate Director) will present lessons learned on best practices in forming partnerships to address FME and community resource navigation in service of asylum applicants and their families including comparative models and recent medical literature.

Speakers:

Matthew Gartland, MD, Director MGH Asylum Clinic

Dr. Altaf Saadi, Neurologist, Associate Director, MGH Asylum Clinic

May 24, 2023, 12:00pm – 1:00pm

https://aila-org.zoom.us/j/91743863593?pwd=[REDACTED]

Brown Bag: Preventing compassion fatigue: Strategies to reduce burnout and improve lawyer wellbeing
2023-05-23 12:00 - 13:00
You are invited to a Zoom meeting.
When: May 23, 2023 12:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Register in advance for this meeting:
https://aila-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJMvcuiuqzMtG9GtM5tk1DFi3paooAqqCGSL

Preventing compassion fatigue: Strategies to reduce burnout and improve lawyer wellbeing
Immigration lawyers often enter the profession with a strong desire to help people and a passion for justice. When lawyers are able to help those in need, they can feel a strong sense of satisfaction, which can motivate them to continue to work long hours which can lead to difficulty with work life balance. In addition, working with high numbers of clients in distress, particularly with the changes since the pandemic, many immigration lawyers are struggling with compassion fatigue. If left untreated, this can lead to anxiety, secondary trauma, and burnout. This session will review strategies to support immigration lawyers on an organizational and individual level, including how to create a compassionate boundaries, recognize the signs of compassion fatigue, and ways to enhance self-care and resiliency in daily life.

Tracey Meyers, Psy.D., clinical psychologist
Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers, MA
Dr. Tracey Meyers is a licensed clinical psychologist in Connecticut, New York, and Massachusetts. She is a clinician with the Massachusetts lawyer assistance program, Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers (LCL) Inc, an independent nonprofit organization dedicated to helping lawyers, judges, and law students with many personal and professional issues of life in the law. Prior to this, Tracey worked for the State of Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services where she spent over 15 years working in inpatient and outpatient mental health settings. Tracey has a strong commitment to integrative medicine for mental health and wellness and leads mental health, mindfulness and yoga programs for groups, individuals, and professionals in the workplace.

Brown Bag on Deferred Action for Workers
2023-05-09 12:00 - 13:00
Brown Bag on Deferred Action for Workers
Date/time: Tuesday, May 9th, 12 noon – 1pm
Topic: Brown Bag on Deferred Action for Workers: Learn how to assist workers who are involved in labor disputes apply for deferred action under a new DHS program to support labor enforcement investigations
Speakers*: Jose Palma, Justice at Work
Audrey Richardson, Greater Boston Legal Services
Tom Smith, Justice at Work
Courtney Snegroff, Justice Center of Southeast Massachusetts
Adrian Ventura, Centro Comunitario de Trabajadores

AILA National Day of Action
2023-04-27

Brown Bag Topic: Representing Afghan Asylum Seekers
2023-04-26 12:00
Brown Bag Topic: Representing Afghan Asylum Seekers

Presenters:       PAIR Project’s Legal Director Elena Noureddine and Afghan Refugee Project Attorney Tara Rubenstein

Where and When: April 26, 2023 from 12PM-1PM

Please join us for a Brown Bag session led by the PAIR Project’s Legal Director Elena Noureddine and Afghan Refugee Project Attorney Tara Rubenstein on representing Afghan asylum seekers. The session will cover the basics of asylum law and process, highlighting the process for Afghan Operation Allies Welcome (OAW) cases. The session will also cover prevalent issue areas emerging in OAW cases, including the terror/persecutor bars, and share recent updates and trends from the Asylum Office.

Register in advance for this meeting: https://aila-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJEpcOmtrz0oGtPSOqTUq0OvVzhMXzB_v4ul

Preparing O-1 Petitions: Advanced Tips and Strategies
2023-03-28 12:00 - 13:00
Hi there,
You are invited to a Zoom meeting.
When: Mar 28, 2023 12:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Register in advance for this meeting:
https://aila-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJwud-2tqzgqGdY4Qp4ERLzoWVFVFI_cDuq-
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Special Meeting
2023-03-06 17:00 - 17:30

AILA NE Brown Bag: TPS 101!
2023-02-28 12:00 - 13:00
You are invited to a Zoom meeting.
When: Feb 28, 2023 12:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Register in advance for this meeting:
https://aila-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJwvc-mppjstE9AFymCmkIaMFbiijLuqOtO3
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Brown bag CLE presentation on practicing immigration law in times of crisis Presenters: Mahsa Khanbabai, Susan Church, Ivan Espinosa-Madrigal, and Emily Leung
2023-02-09 12:00 - 13:00
Brown bag CLE presentation on practicing immigration law in times of crisis
Presenters: Mahsa Khanbabai, Susan Church, Ivan Espinosa-Madrigal, and Emily Leung
When: February 9th at 12 noon.
The trafficking of immigrants to Martha’s Vineyard last year reminds us to prepare for the unexpected. As we approach another national election cycle,the politicalization of immigration law and policies could lead to similar crises, both man-made and naturally occuring. These very well recognized panelists will speak about practicing when times get hard (new administration) and/or when we have a crisis such as what happened in Martha’s Viineyard.
You are invited to a Zoom meeting.
When: Feb 9, 2023 12:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Register in advance for this meeting:
https://aila-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJUpf-CgqT0qG9RuV6JhggjqwBpGtyTe8-RM
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

DEI Listening Session
2023-02-08 13:00 - 14:00
You are invited to a Zoom meeting.
When: Feb 8, 2023 01:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Register in advance for this meeting:
https://aila-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJErdeygqj8rHtGj9lU_xnhKRYDkLWfCiELM

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Brown Bag: FOIA Requests with Trina Realmuto
2023-02-07 12:00 - 13:00
Tuesday February 7th at 12:00 Noon

Register in advance for this meeting: https://aila-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJYqdu-qqTwpH912UQoFwmg54zphDV-IlTPR

Having your clients’ records or analyzing a client’s case before moving forward can make or break your case. Requesting a FOIA is an important part of the process, but it can sometimes be a difficult one. Attorney Trina Reamulto will share her wisdom with us regarding FOIA requests to help us understand it better and be more efficient in our efforts.

AILA NE Brown Bag: What you Need to Know about Legal Tech to make 2023 your most Efficient Year Yet! Don’t “Let your Midnights Become your Afternoons”
2023-01-26 12:00 - 13:00
Register Here:

Client Communication: How to Do it Effectively and Meet Clients Where They Are:

Leverage customer service to enhance the attorney-client relationship
Obtain signatures outside the United States and update clients about important dates and documents like a pro
Effectively navigate communication in the employer-employee context

“It’s me…Hi…I’m the Problem, It’s me” Don’t be that Person: Horror Stories from the Land of Legal Tech and How to Avoid Them

Immigration Court and Tech: How to NOT get Banned from WebEx
Don’t Give them anything to Talk about at Tea Time: Calendar and Document Management Essentials
“Don’t … Get Older but Never Wiser:”Data Integrity is your new Best Friend
