AILA Elects 2010-2011 Officers
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Thursday, July 1, 2010
CONTACT:
George Tzamaras
202-507-7649
gtzamaras@aila.org
NATIONAL HARBOR, MD - The American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) today elected new officers to its Executive Committee for the 2010-2011 term. The election results were announced at the official membership meeting during AILA’s 54th Annual Conference being held in National Harbor, MD. The following officers were elected today: David Leopold was installed as AILA’s President; Eleanor Pelta as President-Elect, Laura Lichter as First Vice President, Doug Stump as Second Vice President, Leslie Holman as Treasurer, and Victor Nieblas Pradis as Secretary.
David Leopold Elected as New President of AILA
The American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) elected David Leopold as the President of AILA for the 2010-2011 term. Mr. Leopold, an immigration lawyer and expert from Cleveland, OH was installed as the President of AILA during sessions of the association’s 54th Annual Conference being held in National Harbor, MD.
David Leopold is principal of David Wolfe Leopold & Associates in Cleveland, Ohio. He also serves as an adjunct professor of immigration law at the Case Western Reserve and Cleveland State Universities’ schools of law. He has received Martindale-Hubbell’s highest AV rating, is listed in Best Lawyers in America, and has been named an Ohio Super Lawyer.
Mr. Leopold’s past AILA positions include: director, AILA Board of Governors (2003–05); chair, ICE Liaison Committee, receiving a Presidential Commendation (2003–04); member, General Counsel Liaison Committee (2004–05); chair, Due Process Committee (2002–03); and Ohio Chapter chair (2001–03). He is a co-founder of the AILF/AILA Litigation Institute; serves as a senior editor of AILA’s Immigration & Nationality Law Handbook; and has contributed to numerous other AILA publications.
Mr. Leopold has been at the forefront of groundbreaking litigation in the immigration and federal courts. Since September 11, 2001, he has passionately defended the rights of noncitizens subject to closed hearings, special registration, mandatory detention, and "voluntary" interrogation.
Eleanor Pelta Elected President-Elect of AILA
AILA elected Eleanor Pelta of Washington, D.C., as the association’s President-Elect. The election results were announced at the official membership meeting during AILA’s 54th Annual Conference being held in National Harbor, MD.
Eleanor Pelta is a partner in the labor and employment law practice of Morgan Lewis & Bockius, located in Washington, D.C. She is the managing director of the firm’s national immigration practice. The immigration practice at Morgan Lewis focuses on assisting corporate clients in the management of large-scale global immigration programs, immigration policies and procedures, as well as all aspects of immigration compliance. Ms. Pelta was named one of the leading U.S. immigration lawyers by Chambers USA and Chambers Global and is listed in Best Lawyers in America. The Legal Times named Ms. Pelta one of the "Top 10 Immigration Lawyers in D.C." in 2006.
Ms. Pelta’s past AILA positions include: chair, USCIS Liaison Committee; chair, DOL Liaison Committee; and chair of the AILA Annual Conference Planning Committee in 2004. She has been a trustee of the American Immigration Council (AIC) for several years, and was one of the founders of the AIC’s curriculum center. Ms. Pelta is a 1982 graduate of Princeton University, attended the University of Bonn in Germany on a fellowship from the German Government from 1982 to 1983 and received her law degree from Harvard Law School in 1986.
Laura Lichter Elected First Vice President of AILA
AILA elected Laura Lichter, an immigration attorney and expert from Denver, CO as the association’s First Vice President. The election results were announced at the official membership meeting of AILA’s 54th Annual Conference being held in National Harbor, MD. Ms. Lichter’s Denver-based practice emphasizes representation of removable aliens, contested family and naturalization applications, administrative appeals, and related Federal litigation.
A nationally-recognized expert and mentor, Ms. Lichter is a well-respected author and lecturer. Her commitment to community outreach, education, and access to counsel has been demonstrated by numerous projects, initiatives and pro bono cases over the years.
An elected Director of the Board of Governors and former Chapter Chair, Ms. Lichter previously chaired the EOIR Liaison Committee as well as AILA’s ICE Liaison. Ms. Lichter graduated cum laude from Swarthmore College and earned her JD at the University of Colorado.
Douglas Stump Elected Second Vice President of AILA
For over 25 years, Mr. Stump has been an attorney, practicing immigration law exclusively, and maintaining offices in both Tulsa and Oklahoma City. He focuses his practice on employment-based immigration law, complex deportation, federal court litigation and family immigration matters.
A nationally recognized attorney, Mr. Stump has been listed in the Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers since 1996, and is listed in Best Lawyers in America for immigration law. Mr. Stump was recently recognized in Oklahoma Magazine as one of the Top 50 Super Lawyers in Oklahoma, and has been afforded an AV Rating by the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory.
An elected Director of the Board of Governors and former past president of AILA’s Texas Chapter, Mr. Stump previously chaired the National Security Liaison Committee and AILA’s CIS Administrative Appeals Office Liaison Committee. Additionally, Mr. Stump is a senior editor for AILA Publications, and an adjunct professor of immigration law at the Oklahoma City University School of Law, where he earned his JD.
Leslie A. Holman Elected Treasurer of AILA
AILA elected Leslie A. Holman, an immigration attorney from Burlington, VT as the association’s Treasurer. The election results were announced at the official membership meeting during AILA’s 54th Annual Conference being held in National Harbor, MD.
Ms. Holman was first admitted to practice in 1988 and has been practicing immigration law exclusively for 10 years. She is the founder of Holman Immigration Law, a law firm located in Burlington, Vermont and limited to the practice of immigration and nationality matters. She represents both corporate and individual clients. An elected member of AILA’s Board of Governors, Ms. Holman has served as: Chair of AILA’s Admissions and Border Enforcement Committee, Vice Chair of AILA’s National CBP Liaison Committee, member for AILA’s National Interagency Committee, and she is the AILA New England Chapter liaison to regional ports of entry.
Ms. Holman is also a member the Vermont State Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission of Civil rights. In 2008, Holman was awarded AILA’s distinguished “Sam Williamson Mentor Award”. She speaks frequently to a wide variety of audiences on all aspects of immigration.
Victor D. Nieblas Pradis Named New National Secretary of AILA
AILA elected Victor D. Nieblas Pradis, an immigration attorney from City of Industry, CA as the association’s new National Secretary. The election results were announced at the official membership meeting during AILA’s 54th Annual Conference being held in National Harbor, MD.
Mr. Nieblas practices Immigration Law in Southern California where he focuses on deportation defense, Federal Court litigation, consular abroad processing, immigrant and non-immigrant visas, waivers and appellate work. He is also an Adjunct Professor of Law at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles. An AILA member since 1997, he has served the Association as a Director on the Board of Governors and as President of the Southern California Chapter. He is a past Chairperson for the Immigration Law Section for the Hispanic National Bar Association, a past Trustee for the Mexican American Bar Association (MABA), and past chairperson of the MABA Immigration Subcommittee.
Known nationally for being the host of a Cable Television show named "Inmigracion 411", Mr. Nieblas regularly provides answers to viewer questions and is recognized as an immigration expert. Mr. Nieblas is the guest legal commentator for several local News Broadcasts, including Channel 22 News in Los Angeles, Univision’s Primera Edicion, Telemundo’s Evening News in Los Angeles, California. He is also regularly quoted in major national print media and often appears on national news broadcasts discussing Immigration Law.
###
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.