Legal Elite 2023: Immigration Law Q&A

Title: Partner

Education: Bachelor’s degree, American University; law degree, American University Washington College of Law

Family: Parents in New York and New Jersey; three siblings, including Linda Blessinger

Career mentors: JoAnne Ryan (aunt), the Hon. Jeffrey Chase (ret.), the Hon. Paul Wickham Schmidt (ret.), Linda Monroe (former supervisor), Scott Leighton (former supervisor), Manuel Leiva (colleague), Rick Wilson (law school professor), Howard Newell (seventh-grade math teacher) and Jeffrey Elias (high school bowling coach)

What book or TV show would you recommend to others? I really like all books by Ken Follett. I highly recommend his Century trilogy. I also enjoy the TV show “Derry Girls.”

Favorite vacation spot: Ireland

Virginia has one of the longest backlogs for immigration and asylum cases in the nation. What needs to be done to fix this? We have an urgent need for more immigration practitioners in the area to ensure that people who want representation can be represented before the court. I am also a strong believer that we should bring back the ability for employers to petition their employees to help small business owners, while also working through the backlog.

How has immigration policy changed under the Biden administration? Under the Biden administration, we have seen a significant increase of judges on the bench — especially in this area. We have also seen the return of prosecutorial discretion through the Doyle memo. This means that government attorneys can decide whether a case is a priority for the government and, if not, dismiss the proceedings against the noncitizen.

How does being a dual citizen of Ireland impact your immigration law practice? Being the granddaughter of immigrants has fueled my desire to help the immigrant community.

Check out the rest of the 2023 Legal Elite.