The American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), founded on October 14, 1946, is a voluntary

bar association A bar association is a professional association of lawyers as generally organized in countries following the Anglo-American types of jurisprudence. The word bar is derived from the old English/European custom of using a physical railing to separ ...

of over 15,000 attorneys and law professors who practice and teach

immigration Immigration is the international movement of people to a destination country of which they are not natives or where they do not possess citizenship in order to settle as permanent residents or naturalized citizens. Commuters, tourists, and ...

law. AILA member attorneys represent U.S. families seeking permanent residence for close family members, as well as U.S. businesses seeking talent from the global marketplace. AILA members also represent foreign students, entertainers, athletes, and asylum seekers, often on a pro bono basis. AILA is a nonpartisan, not-for-profit organization that provides continuing legal education, information, professional services, and expertise through its 38 chapters and over 50 national committees. Its national headquarters are in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

History

Originally called the Association of Immigration and Nationality Lawyers, the association was founded on October 14, 1946, by a group of 19 immigration lawyers and professionals in

Manhattan, New York Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

. Twelve of the association founders had recently worked for the

Immigration and Naturalization Service The United States Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) was an agency of the U.S. Department of Labor from 1933 to 1940 and the U.S. Department of Justice from 1940 to 2003. Referred to by some as former INS and by others as legacy INS, ...

, and saw an opportunity to utilize their professional standing "to elevate the standard and reputation of the practitioner appearing before the Immigration Service"Levin, Leslie (2010).
Specialty Bars as a Site of Professionalism: The Immigration Bar Example
''University of St. Thomas Law Journal'', Vol. 8(2), p. 201. Josh Koenigsberg served as the first

president President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...

of the association with Gaspare Cusumano as

vice president A vice president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vice president is on t ...

, Anita Streep as

secretary A secretary, administrative professional, administrative assistant, executive assistant, administrative officer, administrative support specialist, clerk, military assistant, management assistant, office secretary, or personal assistant is a w ...

, and Daniel Caputi as

treasurer A treasurer is the person responsible for running the treasury of an organization. The significant core functions of a corporate treasurer include cash and liquidity management, risk management, and corporate finance. Government The treasury ...

.(2006) "About AILA: Sixty Years of Service, Sixty Years of Excellence". ''Immigration Law Today'' Vol. 25(5), p.8. In 1982, the association established a national headquarters in

, and it was renamed the American Immigration Lawyers Association. By 1985, the association had 1,800 members; a three-fold increase from 1975. , there are over 15,000 AILA members spread over 39 chapters in the United States and across the world.

Mission

AILA's mission, as stated on its website, is 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.

Publications

AILA Publications is the publishing arm of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) and is the leading publisher of information and analysis serving the practicing immigration lawyer and those in need of immigration law information. AILA Publications is the publisher of many notable titles—among them are Kurzban's Immigration Law Sourcebook, Immigration Consequences of Criminal Activity, AILA's Asylum Primer, Litigating Immigration Cases in Federal Court, Representing Clients in Immigration Court, and Essentials of Immigration Law.

References

External links

* {{authority control 501(c)(6) nonprofit organizations American bar associations Immigration political advocacy groups in the United States United States immigration law History of immigration to the United States Organizations established in 1946 1946 establishments in the United States