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Sandra Grossman is a founding partner of Grossman Young & Hammond, a full-service immigration and international human rights law firm in Maryland. She is a skilled practitioner with nearly two decades of experience in a broad range of immigration matters. She has earned her reputation as a pragmatic and creative lawyer, who gets the job done even in the most complex of cases.
Sandra has developed a unique practice representing and supporting clients before INTERPOL. In 2019, Sandra testified before a bi-partisan Congressional committee (the “Helsinki Commission”) as a national expert on how to curb abuse of INTERPOL by autocratic nations. She also has significant expertise in representing clients before the U.S. consulates worldwide, both in immigrant and non-immigrant visa applications, administrative processing, and waivers of inadmissibility.
Sandra is actively involved in litigation, successfully advocating for individuals before the immigration courts, the Board of Immigration Appeals, and in Federal District Courts. She also represents clients in deportation defense, detention and bond issues, the immigration consequences of criminal convictions, requests under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), asylum, and adjustment of status and naturalization applications, among other matters.
Washingtonian Magazine has repeatedly recognized Sandra as one of “Washington’s Top Lawyers”. She is an active member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) and serves on AILA’s State Department Liaison Committee. In 2022, AILA awarded Sandra the Edith Lowenstein Memorial Award for Excellence in Advancing the Practice of Immigration Law. Sandra is a former adjunct professor in immigration law at the Washington College of Law at American University. Sandra presents and publishes frequently on the topic of immigration law and INTERPOL matters, appearing on CNN, CNN Español, Fox News, the BBC, and C-Span. Sandra regularly handles pro-bono client matters. She is fluent in Spanish.
Education
- JD, Georgetown University Law Center
- Masters in International Relations, London School of Economics
- Bachelor’s, Tufts University
Admissions/Memberships
- Maryland State Bar Association
- District of Columbia Bar Association (Inactive)
- U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland
- U.S. District and Bankruptcy Courts for the District of Columbia
- Maryland Court of Appeals
- American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA)
- American Society of International Law (ASIL)
Accolades
- Lawdragon 500, 100 Leading Immigration Lawyers, 2023.
- Washington DC’s Best Lawyers, Washingtonian Magazine, 2018 – present.
- Listed in Chambers & Partners USA and Global Guides – Band-3, USA-District of Columbia: Immigration (2020-2023); Band-3, USA-Nationwide: Immigration (2020-2023); Band-3, Global -Immigration: Business (2021 – 2023).
- Recognized by Best Lawyers, U.S. News & World Report, 2023.
- Maryland Super Lawyers List, Thompson Reuters, 2021 – 2023.
- Global Leader in Corporate Immigration, Who’s Who Legal, 2021-2023.
- Influencers Spotlight, Ocean Drive, October 2022.
- Dynamic Women Spotlight, DC Magazine, September 2022.
- Recipient of the 2022 Edith Lowenstein Memorial Award for excellence in advancing the practice of immigration law, American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA). (View Sandra’s acceptance remarks here)
- Lawdragon 500, Leading Corporate Employment Lawyer (Immigration), 2020 – 2022.
- Best Law Firms U.S. News & World Report National Ranking: Tier 1 in Immigration, 2020.
- Best Law Firms U.S. News & World Report Washington, DC Ranking: Tier 1 in Immigration, 2020.
- Selected to “Super Lawyers, Rising Stars” (2013-2015), independent rating service based on high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement.
- “Superb” 10/10 Rating, Avvo, unbiased lawyer rating based on years in practice, disciplinary history, professional achievements and industry recognition.
- American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) Michael Maggio Pro Bono Honoree (2015), awarded in recognition of pro bono efforts to provide legal representation to detained women and children.
Professional Activities/Pro-Bono Work
- Member, Board of Directors, Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA) (2019-present).
- Member, Department of State Liaison Committee, American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) (2021-2022).
- Mentor/Volunteer, Immigration Justice Campaign (organized by American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) and the American Immigration Council (the Council) (2019).
- Member, Editorial Board of Benders Immigration Bulletin (Lexis Nexis).
- Member and Co-Chair, Asylum and Refugee Committee, AILA, 2015-2016.
- Former Member, AILA DC Chapter Maryland Bar Liaison Committee; Former Member, Nominating Committee.
- Liaison, AILA DC Chapter Baltimore Office of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE/OCC) and Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), 2010-2013.
- Member, Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) Pro Bono Project, Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. (CLINIC). The Project matches vulnerable immigrants with pro bono counsel to defend their cases before the BIA.
- Former Adjunct Professor, American University, Washington College of Law.
- Volunteer Attorney, AILA Coordinated Pro Bono Services Project, Federal Law Enforcement Training Facility in Artesia, New Mexico, 2014. The Project serves detained immigrant women and children. (see video snapshots taken at the detention facility)
Selected Publications
- Conflicting Accounts on Interpol Abuse: Comparing US Government reports, Red Notice Monitor, September 29, 2023.
- Chapter: Consular Processsing and Interpol Abuse, AILA Consular Processing Handbook, June 2023.
- Asylum seeker from El Salvador has been held in ICE detention for more than six years, The Daily Advertiser, September 18, 2023.
- Practice Pointer: The Doctrine of Consular Nonreviewability and Opportunities for Advocacy, AILA DOS Liason Committee, December 20, 2022.
- Interpol’s New Leadership Demonstrates Lack of Will for Reform, The National Interest, December 17, 2021 (by Sandra Grossman and Ted Bromund).
- Who is Ahmed Naser al-Raisi, the new Interpol chief accused of torture?, Middle East Eye, November 24, 2021 (Sandra Grossman quoted).
- How ICE uses Interpol to deport immigrants who could be wrongly accused of crimes, Los Angeles Times, September 17, 2021 (Sandra Grossman quoted).
- Barahona v. Wilkinson Practice Pointer – Red Notices and the Application of the Serious Non-Political Crime Bar, AILA Practice Pointer, June 2021.
- Matter of W-E-R-B and the Reliability of Red Notices – Benders Immigration Bulletin PDF – Bender’s Immigration Bulletin, June 15, 2020.
- Governments are Using Interpol to Pressure Political Enemies, Voice of America (VOA) News, October 2019 (Sandra Grossman quoted).
- Challenging a Red Notice, What Immigration Attorneys Need to Know About INTERPOL, AILA Law Journal, Volume 1, Number 1, April 2019.
- Actions Speak Louder Than Words Trump’s Policies on Legal Immigration will Decrease U.S. Competitiveness for Decades to Come, Bender’s Immigration Bulletin, November 15, 2018 (with Becki Young and Hannah Stambaugh).
- “Restaurant Panel on Immigration,” in conjunction with “RAMW” (Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington), Radiator, Washington, DC, September 5, 2018.
- Mandamus Actions in the Asylum Context: Avoiding Dismissal and Proving the Case, American Immigration Council Practice Advisory, June 21, 2017 (with Chris Keeler).
- El tratamiento a veces vergonzoso en los aeropuertos de EEUU, Diario Las Americas, 6 enero 2015.
- The U.S. Should Do More to Help Venezuelan Immigrants, The Huffington Post, May 5, 2014.
- Free Speech Crisis in Latin America: Making Use of the Inter-American and U.S. Asylum Law Systems for the Protection of the Rights of Journalists, Media Owners, and Whistleblowers, 19 Benders Immigration Bulletin 389, Apr. 15, 2014 (with Rachel Zoghlin).
- It’s not Romance, it’s Immigration Law: Showing Actual and Good Faith Marriage, AILA DC Chapter 2012 Fall CLE Conference, Nov. 13, 2013 (with Toni Maschler).
- Death of DOMA Revives the American Dream for Same-Sex Couples at Home and Abroad, The Huffington Post, June 30, 2013 (with Rachel Zoghlin).
- Ironic Choice of Asylum for Self-Proclaimed Government Critic, The Huffington Post, June 26, 2013.
- The Venezuelan Presidential Elections: Neither a “Perfect” nor a “Democratic” Battle, The Huffington Post, Oct. 10, 2012.
- Reward for the Oppressor – Injustice for the Oppressed?, The Huffington Post, May 10, 2012.
- Update on Asylum Law: New Hope for Victims of Domestic Violence, The Modern American, Volume 5, Issue 2, Fall 2009.
- Change of Course: Asylum Victories a Real Possibility for Victims of Domestic Violence, The American Bar Association, The International Lawyer, 2009.
Selected Presentations
- Immigration Law Conference 2023, Federal Bar Association, May 5, 2023.
- “North America: An update on Immigration,” 10th Biennial IBA Global Immigration Conference , Internation Bar Association, December 2, 2022 (panelist).
- Consular Processing Update (CLE), Catholic Charities Legal Services, July 21, 2022 (discussion leader).
- “Fighting Interpol Red Notices,” National Immigration Project of the National Lawyers Guild (NIPNLG) (recording available for purchase), May 19, 2022.
- “Don’t Just Google It!: Red Notice Round Table,” Capital Area Immigrants’ Rights (CAIR) Coalition, September 30, 2021.
- “Emerging Frontiers of INTERPOL Abuse,” 2021 Federal Bar Association (FBA) Annual Meeting & Convention Miami, Sept. 23, 2021.
- “U.S. Immigration: An Update,” International Bar Association (IBA), July 8, 2021 (link available to IBA members only).
- “Current Developments in INTERPOL Red Notice Abuse,” American Bar Association, July 10, 2020.
- “Marketing Essentials: Every Immigration Attorney is Also a (Ethical) Salesperson, AILA Annual Conference 2020.
- “INTERPOL, Red Notices, and the Immigrant: Opportunities for Creative Legal Advocacy,” in cooperation with Clark Hill, July, 1 2020.
- “AILA Law Practice Management Conference,” Washington, D.C., October 17, 2019.
- “Tools of Transnational Oppression,” testimony before the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (the Helsinki Commission), Washington, DC, Sept. 12, 2019.
- “Revés Contra Limitaciones de Asilo”, CNN Interview with Sandra Grossman, November 20, 2018.
- “Immigrant Families: Separation, Reunification and Legal Challenges,” Inter American Dialogue, Washington, DC, June 29, 2018 (available as a podcast and as a C-SPAN3 video).
- “Dysfunction Junction: Surviving Asylum Processing Backlogs,” AILA Asylum CLE Conference, San Antonio, TX, Feb. 8, 2016.
- “Creative and Ethical Strategies for Getting Past ‘No’,” AILA Midwinter CLE, Paradise Island, Bahamas, Jan. 22, 2016.
- “Building Your Brand, Marketing Your Immigration Law Practice,” AILA Annual Conference, San Francisco, CA, June 2018.
- “Marketing Your Practice,” AILA Annual Conference, June 2017.
- “Family Based Immigration,” District of Columbia Bar Association Immigration Law Practice Clinic, Aug. 13, 2015.
- “How to Deal with Impossible Visa Denials and Cancellations,” AILA Annual Conference, Washington, DC, June 2015.
- “Family Based Immigration,” District of Columbia Bar Association Fundamentals of Immigration Law Series, Apr. 28, 2015.
- “The Role of the Hispanic Community in Legal, Economic, Educational and Social Issues,” 18th Annual Hispanic Law Conference (co-hosted by the National Hispanic Bar Association and the Washington College of Law, American University), Washington, DC, Apr. 2015 (full video of the panel discussion).
- “Grounds of Removability and Inadmissibility and How to Analyze Them,” AILA Annual Conference, June 2014.
- “Persecution by Non-Government Actors,” Federal Bar Association Asylum Conference, with the Honorable Immigration Judge, Paul Schmidt, Arlington Immigration Court, Feb. 21, 2014.
- “Responding to Requests for Further Evidence, Notices of Intent to Deny, and Denial Notices,” AILA DC Chapter Fall Conference, Nov. 2013.
- “The End of Federal DOMA and the Effect on the States: Immigration and the Impact on a Newly Recognized Marriage,” Montgomery County Bar Association of Maryland, Oct. 2013.
- “The Wonders of your Web Site Revealed in One Hour,” AILA Annual Conference, San Francisco, CA, June 2013.
- “Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, Nuts and Bolts Seminar,” District of Columbia Chapter of the Federal Bar Association (co-sponsored by Capitol Hill Chapter of the Federal Bar Association, Immigration Law Section of the Federal Bar Association, and the AILA DC Chapter), with Stephen Legomsky, USCIS, Chief Counsel, Oct. 31, 2012.
- “Shiny Happy People: Attracting, Managing and Retaining the Best Staff,” AILA Solo & Small Practice CLE Conference and Webcast, Oct. 2012.
- Discussion on Prosecutorial Discretion in Immigration Context, Catholic University, Columbus School of Law, Jan. 30, 2012.
- “Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and Other Possible Remedies for Immigrant Youth,” AILA DC Chapter Fall Conference, Nov. 2011.
- “Preparing Winning Cases For Asylum, T & U Visas, and Special Immigrant Juvenile Status,” AILA DC Chapter Fall Conference, with Angela Gipson, USCIS, Arlington Asylum Office, & Susan Ritter, Victims Specialist, ICE/DHS & Liz Shields, KIND, Nov. 2011.
- “Preparing Winning Asylum Cases before the USCIS and EOIR,” AILA DC Chapter Fall Conference, Nov. 2011.
- “Effective Marketing Practices for the Immigration Lawyer,” AILA Solo & Small Practice CLE Conference and Webcast, Oct. 2011.
- “Starting Your Own Immigration Practice,” American University, Washington College of Law, Lawyer Reentry Program, Oct. 2011.
- “Introduction to Removal Proceedings,” AILA Model Hearing Program, Feb. 5, 2010.
- “More than Collateral Issues, Immigration Practice and Criminal Defense,” PATH Conference, Georgetown University Law Center, July 2010.
- “First 100 Days of the New Administration,” American University Washington College of Law, 12th Annual Hispanic Law Conference, “The Latino/a Agenda in the New Administration and the 111th Congress,” Mar. 5, 2009.
Other Appearances
- CNN Chile, Sandra Grossman: “Trump está creando un temor contra los inmigrantes que está basado en temas de racismo” November 1, 2020.
- CNN Portafolio Global, Se buscan: padres de 545 menores de edad que fueron separados en Estados Unidos. Revisamos las imlicaciones legales de este drama humano con la abogada Sandra Grossman, October 26, 2020.
- Fox News, Sandra Grossman discussing issue of family separation, June 2018.
- Sandra Grossman is quoted in The New Republic on immigration enforcement and reform: Will Immigration Officers Continue to Undermine Obama’s Reforms?, The New Republic, Nov. 2, 2011.