In Memoriam: Lisa T. Felix, 1967-2020

On April 1, 2020, the Philadelphia AILA Chapter lost our beloved attorney, colleague and friend, Lisa T. Felix, after a long illness. Lisa served, most recently, as a Senior Attorney at Klasko Immigration Law Partners, where she was a passionate advocate for researchers, professors, artists and other immigrants of exceptional and extraordinary ability. She also counseled numerous colleges and universities on immigration matters. She loved international education and helping her clients establish their careers in the United States.

She earned her law degree from Temple University Beasley School of Law and held an Ed.M from State University of New York at Buffalo and a M.S.Ed. from Southern Illinois University – Carbondale.

Lisa was also well-loved among our colleagues in international education as an active member of NAFSA: Association of International Educators for many years. Prior to her career as an attorney, Lisa worked as a Designated School Official and Alternate Responsible Officer, providing immigration services to students, faculty, researchers, and administrators at the University of Pennsylvania and the State University of New York at Buffalo. She also worked at Southern Illinois University–Carbondale’s branch campus in Niigata, Japan. Lisa’s passion for advancing the causes of her students gave her a particular insight and sensitivity to issues affecting F-1 student and J-1 exchange visitor clients, along with counsel and mentoring to international education and college human resources professionals.

Lisa was an active member of AILA, where she had served as co-chair of the AILA Philadelphia Chapter’s Pro Bono Committee, and co-chair of the chapter’s Annual Conference. In recognition of the endless time she spent sharing her skills, knowledge, and expertise with those around her, Lisa was honored with the 2020 Matthew Baxter Mentorship Award, the chapter’s most prestigious honor.

Lisa is most remembered for her kindness and ability to infect others with her humor. Colleagues recall her as a sweet, funny person – the kind of person with whom you immediately felt friendly. She was compassionate, generous with her time, and shared her expertise whenever it was needed. She also possessed an amazing ability to accept challenges and move on. This was especially evident in the equanimity with which she faced her health struggle. Not once, in all the months that she was ill, did she ever complain or question the fairness of her fate. She accepted what she needed to do next, achieved that goal and prepared for the next step; always with a smile and a ready joke for whomever she met along the journey.

Lisa is survived by her parents and two siblings. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations in Lisa’s memory be directed to the Transnational Law Clinic at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School, c/o Gift Accounting & Administration, 2929 Walnut St., Suite 300, Philadelphia, PA 19130 or online at the following link: https://giving.apps.upenn.edu/fund?program=LAW&fund=843511, where they will be used to teach new generations of lawyers serving vulnerable immigrants on a pro bono basis.

Cite as AILA Doc. No. 20040737.