AILA Presents Geoffrey Hoffman with the 2014 Elmer Fried Excellence in Teaching Award

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Saturday, June 21, 2014

AILA PRESENTS GEOFFREY HOFFMAN WITH THE 2014 ELMER FRIED EXCELLENCE IN TEACHING AWARD

BOSTON,MA — The American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) will award Geoffrey Hoffman, of the University of Houston Immigration Clinic, Houston TX, with the 2014 Elmer Fried Excellence in Teaching Award for outstanding professor in the area of immigration law. He will receive the award today during AILA's Annual Conference in Boston, MA.

Professor Hoffman exemplifies excellence in teaching, as evidenced by the numerous recommendations AILA received from fellow teachers, immigration lawyers, and perhaps most importantly, his students. A multitude of AILA members from around the country recounted the influence he has had on their careers and their love of immigration law, using acclamations such as "Brilliant," "Effective," and "[His] passion for teaching radiates every time he gives a lecture."

Beyond the classroom, he has also served as counsel or co-counsel in over 40 appellate and trial court cases. In 2010, he served as co-counsel, with the help of several student attorneys, on a precedent-setting Supreme Court case which resulted in a 9-0 win for the immigrant in Carachuri-Rosendo v. Holder. Recently, he and his students worked on an important 5th Circuit case which resulted in a published decision relating to the rights of asylum seekers who are subject to return orders under the Hague Convention.

Professor Hoffman earned his A.B. from Columbia University (magna cum laude), his J.D. from Tulane Law School (cum laude), and LL.M. from Harvard Law School. Prior to joining the Clinic, he practiced immigration law at Kurzban Kurzban Weinger & Tetzeli, P.A., in Miami. He also served as a Visiting Assistant Professor at the University of Illinois, held the Forrester Fellowship at Tulane Law School and was a Lecturer at the University of Miami. In addition to his practice and teaching experience, Prof. Hoffman was a judicial law clerk for the Honorable Paul V. Gadola, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan for a two-year term (1998-2000).

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.