Attorney at Law
Certified Specialist in Immigration and Nationality Law
Board of Legal Specialization of the State Bar of California
ATTORNEY AT LAW
STONE & GRZEGOREK, LLP
800 WILSHIRE BLVD, SUITE 900
LOS ANGELES, CA 90017
CEL: (310) 717-7279
Education
Juris Doctorate, Golden Gate University School of Law, San Francisco, California (1985)
Master of Social Work, University of Wisconsin, Madison (1978)
Bachelor of Social Work, University of Wisconsin, Madison (1975)
Bar Membership
State Bar of California, admitted 1992 (active)
Pennsylvania State Bar, admitted 1985 (inactive)
Specialist in Immigration and Nationality Law
certified by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization
United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
United States District Court for the Central District of California
United States District Court for the Northern District of California
United States District Court for the Eastern District of California
Professional Memberships
American Immigration Lawyers Association
National Immigration Project of the National Lawyers Guild
Los Angeles County Bar Association
Los Angeles County Bar Association, Immigration Section
Los Angeles County Bar Association, Immigration and
Small Practice Sections
Organizational Affiliations/Volunteer Work
Board of Legal Specialization of the State Bar of California
Member (2008-present)
Immigration and Nationality Law Advisory Commission, State Bar of California
Member (2004-2007)
American Immigration Lawyers Association
National INS Asylum Liaison (2000)
AILA Southern California/Los Angeles Asylum Office
Liaison (1999)
Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Center, Low-Fee Legal Clinic
Legal Counselor (1998-2000)
Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights and Services, San Francisco, CA
President (1987-1988)
Professional Experience
Solo Practitioner (1991 - present)
Deportation and Removal
Representation of respondents in proceedings before immigration judges, with an emphasis on complex cancellation of removal, asylum, withholding of removal, Convention Against Torture, marriage fraud, and contesting deportability.
Appeals
Representation on appeal to the Board of Immigration Appeals, Administrative Appeals Unit, Board of Alien Labor Certification Appeals, the federal circuit courts of appeals, and federal district courts. Argued Castillo-Perez v. INS, where the Ninth Circuit held that if former counsel’s ineffective assistance is evident on the face of the administrative record, the requirements of Lozada are not dispositive.
Family-Based and Employment-Based Permanent Residence
Representing families seeking to unify, and employers seeking to sponsor noncitizens for future employment.
Temporary Visas
Visitor for Business or Pleasure (B Visa), Alien in a Specialty (H-1B, E-3), Fiancée (K), Intracompany Transferee (L-1), Alien of Extraordinary Ability (O-1), Artist/ Athlete/ Entertainer (P), Cultural Worker (Q), TN Entry, Victims of Trafficking (T Visa)
I-9 and IRCA Compliance
Assistance to employers reviewing new hire documentation; conducting on site training on I-9; providing updates on changes in compliance responsibilities.
Naturalization Matters
Assistance with naturalization and citizenship, including complex issues arising from the derivation and acquisition of citizenship.
Associate Attorney, Law Office of Vera A. Weisz, Los Angeles California (1989-1990)
Duties: Represent clients in a wide variety of immigration matters, both administratively and defensively, with a focus on detained asylum cases and federal court appeals.
Staff Attorney, Center for Human Rights and Constitutional Law (formerly The National Center for Immigrant Rights, Inc.) (1988-1989)
Duties: Non-profit, public interest legal advocacy center specializing in legal, legislative, and educational work in furtherance of the rights of immigrants and refugees. Represented high-profile asylum applicants, worked on lawsuits challenging agency interpretations of Immigration Reform and Control Act, consulted with attorneys in the areas of immigration law and procedure, asylum law, and federal litigation, conducted training sessions for attorneys and paralegals in immigration law, prepared articles and training materials on immigration and asylum law.
Staff Attorney, Immigrant Legal Resource Center, San Francisco and East Palo Alto (1983-1988)
Co-authored immigration practice manuals, trained immigration lawyers and paralegals, consulted with lawyers on matters pertaining to immigration law and the immigration consequences of criminal convictions.
Clinical Instructor, Stanford University School of Law (1986-1988)
Taught immigration practice skills to law students.
Executive Director, Dane County Advocates for Battered Women, Madison, Wisconsin (1978-1980)
Founded and directed a 24-hour crisis intervention program and safe house for battered women and children.
Recognition
Recognized as founder of Dane County Advocates for Battered Women, a 24-hour crisis line, safe house, legal advocacy, support group, information and referral program for women and their children, at the 30 Year Anniversary of the founding the program (now known as Domestic Abuse Intervention Services, Madison, Wisconsin) (June 2008)
Legal Publications
14th Annual AILA California Chapters Conference Handbook: “An Immigration Odyssey,” American Immigration Lawyers Association, 2001 (contributor)
Immigration Act of 1990 Handbook, Complete Practice Guide to the 1990 Act, Folinsky, Sklar (West Group, Washington, DC, 1991)
Preparing Late Amnesty Cases, published by National Center for Immigrants’ Rights, Inc., Los Angeles, 1989
Legalization: The Advocate's Guide to the New Immigration Law, Hing, Lydon, Sklar, Brady & Silverman (ILRC Publications 1987)
A Practitioner's Guide to Representing Clients in Deportation Proceedings, Sklar, Hing & Silverman (ILRC Publications 1985)
Mexican Suspension Cases: Using Conditions in Mexico to Establish Extreme Hardship, Silverman, Hing, Coppock & Sklar (Immigration Clinic Publications 1984)
Expert Witness
Testimony as expert witness on the issue of marriage fraud in a divorce proceeding, and by affidavit, in a legal malpractice case
Presentations
Speaker, Conference on Immigration Practice before the Ninth Circuit, Los Angeles, California, January 2008
Speaker, Court Clergy Conference, Immigration Issues in Court Proceedings, Northridge, California, October 2007
Speaker, Practicing Law Institute’s 38th Anniversary Immigration and Naturalization Seminar, Asylum Law Update, November 17, 2005
Speaker at the annual conference of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, on a topic entitled, “Social Group Persecution Claims: "The Impossible Dream??” New Orleans, Louisiana, June 18-22, 2003
Speaker at La Raza Legal Training, Santa Barbara, Applying the Child Status Protection Act, January 2003
Speaker at the annual conference of the American Immigration Lawyers Association
on a topic entitled "Representing Asylum Seekers -- Part II: Making your Case in Court", San Francisco, California, June 12-16, 2002
Speaker at conference entitled “Winning Asylum Cases, Strategies for the Practitioner, New Developments in Caselaw,” American Immigration Lawyers Association, California Chapters Conference, Los Angeles, California, March 3, 2001
Moderator of Panel entitled “The Evidence Needed to Win,” at conference on Winning
Asylum Cases, Strategies for the Practitioner, American Immigration Lawyers Association, Los Angeles, California, March 3, 2001
Speaker, “Our Undeclared Wars in Latin America,” at the 17th Latin American Encuentro, Pasadena, California, October 2001
Speaker, “Selected Asylum Issues,” National Immigration Project Membership Meeting, Boston, Massachusetts, 2000
Speaker on “Recent Legislation on Immigrants” at conference entitled 10th Annual Creating Change Conference, sponsored by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, San Diego, November 1997
Speaker on “Asylum Based on Sex Orientation, Identity & HIVî at conference entitled 10th Annual Creating Change Conference, sponsored by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, San Diego, November 1997
Languages
English (native speaker)
Spanish (good spoken and reading ability)
