AILA Presents Lee O’Connor with the 2010 Sam Williamson Mentor Award
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
CONTACT:
George Tzamaras
202-507-7649
gtzamaras@aila.org
Sara Ibrahim
202-507-7626
sibrahim@aila.org
NATIONAL HARBOR, MD - The American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) awarded Lee O'Connor of the Immigrants' & Language Rights Center at Indiana Legal Services, Inc. with the 2010 Sam Williamson Mentor Award for his steadfast dedication to the many lawyers he advises through AILA's mentor program. He will receive the award on July 3, 2010 during AILA's Annual Conference held in National Harbor, MD.
AILA attorneys who have worked with O'Connor often remark that he goes to great lengths to mentor young practitioners by helping them find their own path to the solution. They appreciate that he always finds the time to explain policies and procedures at length and help anyone who asks for his guidance.
He is the 2009-2010 chair of the AILA Indiana Chapter and previously served as its vice chair and treasurer. He has taught immigration law, published various articles and has spoken at numerous conferences on immigration law. He is a member of the AILA Amicus Committee as well as an accomplished appellate attorney.
O'Connor has been the directing attorney of the Immigrants' Rights Center at Indiana Legal Services since 1999. Indiana Legal Services (ILS) is a nonprofit law firm that provides free civil legal assistance to eligible low-income people throughout the state of Indiana. It is funded primarily by the federal Legal Services Corporation. ILS has over 50 attorneys and numerous other staff members working in 8 offices around the state. ILS has several specialized projects to address the needs of particular client communities, including the Immigrants' and Language Rights Center.
Prior to coming to ILS, O'Connor supervised the immigration units at legal services organizations in San Diego and Los Angeles. He received his J.D. from Loyola Law School in Los Angeles and his B.A. in Political Science from the University of California, Berkeley.
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The American Immigration Lawyers Association is the national association of immigration lawyers established to promote justice, advocate for fair and reasonable immigration law and policy, advance the quality of immigration and nationality law and practice, and enhance the professional development of its members.