Overview

Suzan’s practice focuses exclusively on immigration and nationality law. Suzan represents businesses and individuals in administrative proceedings before the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Department of Labor, and U.S. Department of State.

Suzan devotes more than 100 hours annually to pro bono work through direct representation and by mentoring other attorneys. She coordinates the Washington office’s signature pro bono project at the Montgomery County Family Justice Center in Rockville, Maryland, which helps victims of domestic violence obtain immigration relief.

Suzan is a contributing author to the Hunton Immigration Law Blog.

Experience

  • Helps clients and their dependents obtain nonimmigrant status as business visitors and tourists (B-1/B-2), interns and trainees (J-1, H-3), temporary workers (H-1B, L-1, O-1, TN), and treaty traders and investors (E-1/E-2).
  • Develops and implements optimal strategies to ensure that employers in all industry sectors obtain and maintain employment authorization for key foreign-national employees.
  • Represents and advises companies through all stages of sponsoring employees for U.S. permanent residence ("green cards") as skilled workers and professionals (EB-3), as advanced-degree professionals (EB-2), and as multinational managers, outstanding researchers, and aliens of extraordinary ability (EB-1).
  • Prepares and files complex applications at consular posts to register foreign parent companies as E Treaty Traders/Investors.
  • Establishes and updates company blanket L programs to streamline intra-company transfers of executives, managers, and specialized knowledge professionals to the U.S.
  • Obtains cap-exempt status for nonprofit research organizations, enabling them to obtain H-1B workers year-round without regard to the H-1B cap.
  • Counsels foreign-national employees and their family members on maintaining valid nonimmigrant status in the U.S. and on renewing visas at U.S. embassies and consulates worldwide.
  • Advises employers on developing immigration policies and practices to ensure compliance with relevant laws and regulations, including I-9 compliance.
  • Conducts on-site immigration trainings, workshops, and I-9 audits for companies and their foreign-national employees.
  • Assists U.S. citizens and permanent residents in sponsoring relatives for permanent residence through adjustment of status and consular processing of immigrant visas.
  • Represents individuals in applying for naturalization as U.S. citizens and in proving claims to derivative and acquired U.S. citizenship.
  • Represents pro bono clients in obtaining lawful status through humanitarian relief, such as asylum, permanent residence under the Violence Against Women Act, Temporary Protected Status, family hardship waivers, and U status for crime victims.

Accolades

Honors & Recognitions

  • Recommended for Immigration, Legal 500 United States, 2020-2023
  • 2017 Arthur C. Helton Memorial Human Rights Award, American Immigration Lawyers Association, for service as an “Airport Lawyer” at Dulles International Airport, providing legal assistance to travelers caught in the “Travel Ban”
  • Beacon of Justice Award, National Legal Aid & Defender Association, recognizing firm’s contributions in expanding legal services to the underserved, 2015
  • Pro Bono Champion Award, American Immigration Lawyers Association, annually since 2007
  • State Bar of Texas Pro Bono College, annually since 2012
  • Pro Bono Award, The National Law Journal, recognizing advocacy on behalf of Haitian immigrants following the 2010 earthquake, 2011
  • Herbert S. Garten Public Citizen Award, Maryland Legal Services Corporation, recognizing partnership with the Montgomery County Family Justice Center in Rockville, 2010
  • Beacon of Justice Award, National Legal Aid & Defender Association, recognizing firm’s contributions in immigration law, 2010
  • E. Randolph Williams Award, for contributing 100+ pro bono hours per year to legal services, annually since 2002

Affiliations

Professional

  • Member, American Immigration Lawyers Association, 2002-present
  • Member, National Association for Women Lawyers, 2020-present

Insights

Events & Speaking Engagements

  • November 2017
    Event
    Immigration Expert/Speaker
    “Sanctuary Cities: Teaching for Civic Engagement,” Street Law, Washington, DC, August 2017; and Capital Heights, MD
  • July 2015
    Event
    Panelist
    Immigration Workshop, Spain-US Chamber of Commerce, hosted by Embassy of Spain, Washington, DC
  • March 2011
    Event
    Panelist
    Women Leaders in Law and Criminal Justice, Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars, Washington, DC
  • March 2011
    Event
    Panel Co-Moderator
    Ethics: Quality Control, Pro Bono Institute Annual Seminar, Washington, DC
  • July 2010
    Event
    Panelist
    Let FREE-dom Ring! Pro Bono 101, American Immigration Lawyers Association conference, National Harbor, MD
  • March 2010
    Event
    Speaker
    International Student Hiring, Virginia Commonwealth University Brandcenter, Richmond, VA
  • January 2010
    Event
    Speaker
    Temporary Protected Status after 2010 Haiti earthquake, Association of Haitian Professionals, Washington, DC

Blog Posts

News

Education

JD, The University of Texas School of Law, honors; Dean's Achievement Award, Mexican Law; Best Memo, Legal Writing, 2002

BA, Spanish/Translation & Interpretation, The University of Texas at El Paso, highest honors, 1987

Admissions

District of Columbia

Maryland

Texas

Languages

  • Spanish
Jump to Page