AILA Upstate NY Chapter

The 8th Annual Northern Border Conference and CLE is being held at the Buffalo Club in Buffalo, NY on October 7, 2016. The theme this year is 20 Years of NAFTA Immigration: The Perspective from Both Sides of the Border.

SOLD OUT. REGISTRATION IS NOW CLOSED. Email treasurer@upstatenyaila.org to be added to the waitlist.

In addition to CLE credit, attendees get breakfast, lunch, and an early evening reception at the Buffalo Club. See the program below for details. You might also win a Kurzban’s Sourcebook that will be raffled off.

If you’d like to stay overnight, we have a special arrangement with the Westin just a few blocks down the street from the Buffalo Club. The Westin is opening its doors for the first time a few weeks before the conference, so you’ll be among the very first to enjoy Buffalo’s newest luxury hotel. Please call (716) 858 5900 and tell them you’re with the AILA conference to get a $199 room rate Thursday and/or Friday.

Register for this event here.

The annual meeting of the Upstate NY Chapter of AILA was held on May 26, 2016, at the Dinosaur BBQ in Syracuse. Chapter Chair L.J. D’Arrigo presented the year in review and gave us a look ahead at what’s planned for 2016-2017. By vote of the members present, L.J. was elected to another one-year term as chair. Also elected to additional one-year terms were Brian Wang as vice chair, Divya Hoffmann as secretary, and Richard Link as treasurer.

Dave Wilks presented Wally Ruhle with the Mark Kenmore Mentor of the Year Award.

The members got an excellent and wide-ranging overview of recent developments in immigration law from our invited guest, Cyrus Mehta from New York City.

Photos courtesy of Joe Grasmick.

The annual chapter meeting will be held on May 26 at the Dinosaur Bar-B-Que in Syracuse. Register and pay here.

This is our most important event of the year.

Guests are warmly welcomed.

Program will include networking and meeting with New Members Division. We are also pleased to announce our guest speaker, nationally renowned ethics expert Cyrus Mehta, Founder & Managing Partner, Cyrus D. Mehta & Partners PLLC.

Schedule
4:30-5:00PM Executive Committee meeting
5:00-5:30PM Network-cash bar (1 drink ticket included)
5:30-6:00PM NMD/Law Student meeting
6:00-7:00PM Program-cash bar (Additional drink ticket included)
7:00-8:00PM Network/Dinner

Menu
Appetizer:
BBQ Jumbo Wings
Vegetable Tray

Main Meal:
Special Cut Ribs, Pulled Chicken, Grilled Veggie Skewers

Dessert:
Brownies and/or Cheesecake

Program Detail
• Inauguration of new officers
• Kenmore Mentor Award ceremony
• Guest speaker: Cyrus Mehta, Founder & Managing Partner, Cyrus D. Mehta & Partners PLLC. Cyrus is the Chair of the Ethics Committee for AILA National and nationally renowned for his expertise in ethics in the practice of immigration law. Cyrus will be coming in from New York City especially for this event to present an immigration “year-in-review” and other timely topics.

Cost
AILA Members: $29
Not for profit employee, law student, or attorney admitted <18 mos: $19 Law students with true financial need, kindly register and pay. Then contact Syracuse Law School liaison Andrew Kim regarding sponsorship by an AILA member to attend this event.
All other registrants, including government employees and guests: $39

See you on May 26!

This a free event, but space is limited, so we need you to register.

The attorneys from the ICE Office of Chief Counsel in Buffalo have been invited, so take advantage of this opportunity to get to know them!

Register here.

A chapter dinner meeting was held in Buffalo on Monday, November 23 at the Sidelines Sport Bar and Grill.

In addition to a good time of socializing with our colleagues over a nice buffet, Sophie Feal from Buffalo VLP spoke on the new EOIR regulations concerning the list of “Free Pro Bono Legal Service Providers” distributed by the immigration courts. Next year, private attorneys can no longer be on the list if there is a program like VLP in their region through which they can provide pro bono services. Sophie encourages chapter members interested in providing such pro bono representation to work with VLP to do so once the regulations go into effect early in 2016.

We’ve started this website to provide information about the AILA Upstate NY Chapter and its events. Check in periodically to see what’s new!