Extraordinary by Design: Structuring O Visa Cases That Shine!
Delays, RFEs, and shifting policies have made the O visa landscape more complex, but also more navigable for the practitioners who understand how to build extraordinary cases by design. Expert panelists will offer a fresh, practical look at how to structure strong O visa petitions and make them “shine” (even in this challenging environment). They will discuss strategies for presenting persuasive evidence, responding to RFEs with clarity and confidence, and working with clients who may not readily meet the criteria (but are on the path to qualifying). Finally, they will offer insights into how they anticipate adjudication trends, avoid common pitfalls, and craft a petition to help their clients stand out!
Featured Topics
- Policy in motion: What recent trends tell us about O petition adjudications
- Evidence that works: What persuades USCIS, and what falls flat?
- Responding to RFEs: clarity, confidence, and compliance
- How to identify a viable O-1
- What if your client isn’t quite extraordinary yet? Communicating your professional opinion and/or exploring other options
AILA Membership Benefit – Access to Free Seminar Recordings (CLE Credit Available for $35)
Enjoy access to free seminar recordings as an AILA Member. AILA encourages live attendance for those wishing to ask the speaker questions. CLE credit is included with purchase for live participants.
Recordings will be available approximately two weeks after the live event date. AILA members can access these seminars, with no CLE credit, for free. Recordings are CLE eligible in most jurisdictions and a $35 administration fee is required to obtain CLE credit.
Contact us at cle@aila.org or visit AILA’s Web Seminar Recordings page for more information about receiving CLE credit for a web seminar recording.
| Product Details | |
| Event Date | September 18, 2025 |
| Format | Web Seminar |
| Length | 90 minutes |
| CLE Eligible | Yes. Live attendance must be recorded in My CLE by Thursday, September 25, 2025. This deadline does not apply to the OnDemand format. |
| Digital Library | Digital goods (MP3, PDF, ZIP, etc.) are available for download for two years after purchase. |
Eligible participants can receive up to 1.8 CLE credit hours. AILA will administer CLE credit only to individuals who register and log into the web seminar. AILA cannot verify your attendance and participation in this program unless you register directly for the web seminar and use your name to log in to participate in the program. Therefore, persons who log in or listen in on the web seminar as part of a group will not be able to obtain CLE credit.
Please note that your jurisdiction may limit the amount of distance learning credit you can earn. To view details on your jurisdiction's credit restrictions and CLE requirements, visit the CLE Center.
AILA has filed for CLE and specialized credit in all jurisdictions with mandatory CLE requirements. For details about specific approvals, contact us at cle@aila.org.
- AILA applies for accreditation upon attorneys’ request after participation for the following states: AR, DE, IA, ID, KS, KY, LA, ME, MN, MS, OR, TN and WY. Programs are typically approved.
- Florida and Rhode Island - Attorneys must apply on their own for approval of seminars in FL and RI. Programs are typically approved.
- The OnDemand Recording format does not qualify for CLE credit in the following jurisdictions: MO and PR. Please note that your jurisdiction may limit OnDemand credit based on the date of the original presentation. View the OnDemand Downloadable Expiration Chart for more details.
To receive CLE credit for the live event, attorneys must record web seminar attendance and the CLE code provided within one week of the web seminar date via My CLE.
Contact us at cle@aila.org or visit AILA’s Web Seminar Recordings page for more information about receiving CLE credit for a seminar recording.
Eileen F. Morrison (DL), Newton, MA
Eileen F. Morrison is a solo practitioner who has practiced immigration law for more than 35 years. She focuses her practice on performing and fine artists. She has served on many AILA and currently chairs the ACES interest group. She is a member of the 2025 Fall Conference Planning Committee. She has been recognized as a Massachusetts SuperLawyer (2021-2025).
Lucrecia Z. Knapp, AILA Client Resources Committee Chair, Rochester, NY
Lucrecia Z. Knapp is an attorney at Mancuso Brightman PLLC. She is the current Chair of AILA’s Client Resources Committee, and past Chair of AILA’s Upstate NY Chapter. Mrs. Knapp received her JD from Brooklyn Law School in 2007.
Ramon E. Curiel, San Antonio, TX
David Estrella, Coral Gables, FL
