On March 15th and 16th 2012, the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) held its annual Northwest Regional Conference at Seattle University. Almost 300 immigration attorneys from in and around the Pacific Northwest attended the successful event. Watson Immigration Law’s Tahmina presented at one of the sessions. It was indeed an honor to present on a panel given the various distinguished and experienced speakers for the 2 day event.
The conference covered a variety of current topics and updates. For example, Customs and Border Patrol are currently discussing whether to keep the traditional I-94
card or not. Top USCIS officials from the Seattle local district office attended and provided some very helpful guidance on current practice matters.
The annual pro bono awards were presented on the 15th. And on the 16th, Citizenship Day awards were presented. Ms. Pramila Jayapal, Director of One America, was the guest speaker at the ceremony on the 16th. Ms. Jayapal thanked AILA Washington Chapter for the collaborative efforts with One America for Citizenship Day. She emphasized the importance of the collaboration particularly in the current economic climate. Ms. Jayapal highlighted that due to the collaboration, over 2000 people in Washington State are now citizens and over 3600 hours of billable time have been donated over the course of the past several years.
The conference was highly educational and enjoyable. Watson Immigration Law thanks the AILA Washington Chapter for all their efforts in organizing such a valuable event.