Tapia-Ruano Installed as First Hispanic President of AILA

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, June 22, 2006

CONTACT:
George Tzamaras
202-216-2410
gtzamaras@aila.org

TAPIA-RUANO INSTALLED AS FIRST HISPANIC PRESIDENT OF AILA

SAN ANTONIO, TX - Carlina Tapia-Ruano of Chicago was installed as President of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) today during the association's 50th Annual Conference in San Antonio, TX. Tapia-Ruano is the first Hispanic to be elected to this position in the 60 year history of AILA. An expert in various areas of immigration law including business, consular practice, deportation, employer sanctions, family, and naturalization Tapia-Ruano has served as a leading AILA spokesperson on these issues.

Currently, she is the head of the Chicago law firm of Tapia-Ruano & Gunn P.C. and for 25 years has concentrated her practice in family and employment based immigration law and represents clients before the immigration and federal courts.

Tapia-Ruano is a native of Cuba who immigrated to the U.S. as a refugee. Prior to entering the United States, her father was an attorney and her mother worked as an administrator in the Cuban White House. After entering the U.S., her father worked in a factory and her mother was employed as a domestic. Eventually both of her parents became Methodist ministers in the Midwest.

Tapia-Ruano received her BA degree magna cum laud from Illinois Wesleyan University and her J.D. from DePaul College of Law. She has written extensively on various topics related to immigration law and serves as an adjunct professor of immigration law at the Illinois Institute of Technology-Chicago Kent School of Law and the DePaul College of Law. To schedule an interview with Tapia-Runao contact George Tzamaras at 202-216-2410 or at gtzamaras@aila.org

###AILA###

Founded in 1946, AILA is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that provides its Members with continuing legal education, information, professional services and expertise. AILA advocates before Congress and the Administration, as well as providing liaison with other government agencies in support of pro-immigration initiatives. AILA is an Affiliated Organization of the American Bar Association and is represented in the ABA House of Delegates.