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What will the 2020 Presidential Election mean for international law?

This free online series, hosted by the American Society for International Law (ASIL), features expert panelists discussing the U.S. immigration system and laws, as well as recent executive actions, in light of international laws and norms. Panelists representing both parties will analyze positions and policies of the two U.S. presidential candidates, as they seek to “fix” U.S. immigration law, policy, and practice.

The discussion will cover immigration enforcement matters, including especially extraterritorial detention centers, refugee camps, border walls, biometric screening and surveillance, family separation practices, and deportation practices. The panel will also discuss the implications of international law and norms for U.S. refugee and asylum law, policy, and practice.

Int'l Law and the 2020 Presidential Election--Session Four: Give Me Your Tired, Your Poor: US Approaches to immigration and asylum under international law

Date:

Thursday, October 8, 2020 - 1:00pm to 2:00pm

Location:

Online

REGISTER (Free)

Speakers:

Leon Fresco, Holland & Knight LLP

Enrique Gonzalez, Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy, LLP

Sandra Grossman (moderator), Grossman Young & Hammond

Best Lawyers recognizes GYH Attorneys

Best Lawyers 2020, a division of U.S. News and World Report, recognized Denise Hammond and Becki Young as ‘Best Lawyers’ in Immigration Law for the 12^th and 4^th years respectively.

We are elated to announce that Yeon Me Kim was recognized in “Ones to Watch” for the first time this year. This new listing acknowledges excellence in attorneys who have been practicing for five to nine years.

Best Lawyers recognition is based entirely on peer review. Congratulations to our attorneys for the well-deserved accolades!

The Legal 500 2020 Recognizes Becki Young & GYH for Leadership in Immigration

For the second year in a row, Becki Young was recognized by The Legal 500, a prestigious research-based ranking system for law firms, as a "Leading Lawyer" nationwide. Grossman Young & Hammond was also ranked as a Tier 3 firm in Immigration in the U.S., alongside numerous large, internationally-renowned firms. We are proud of all our attorneys and staff for their contributions to these humbling rankings.

The full Legal500 USA 2020 edition is available here.

Claudia Lainez named a "Rising Star" in Immigration by Super Lawyers 2020

Grossman Young & Hammond is proud to announce that Attorney, Claudia Lainez, was recognized in Super Lawyers Washington DC's 2020 list of Rising Stars. Super Lawyers is known for the credibility of its patented selection process and recognized Claudia based on her impressive ability to get results for her clients and to demonstrate compassion and dedication throughout her work.

Claudia defends individuals in removal proceedings and represents individuals in family-based visa petitions, a variety of waivers, such as J-1 and I-751 waivers, asylum matters, U and T visa petitions, naturalization applications, and petitions for Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS), among others. She represents individuals before U.S. Immigration Courts, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Board of Immigration Appeals, and Maryland and Washington, DC family courts.

Congratulations, Claudia!

See the digital Rising Stars list here.

Sandra Grossman Helps Secure Asylum for Guatemalan Politician and Activist

Last month, Grossman Young & Hammond was thrilled by the approval of the asylum application for client Thelma Aldana. Ms. Aldana, former prosecutor general of Guatemala and presidential candidate, is internationally recognized for her work dismantling powerful criminal structures, and fearlessly investigating, exposing, and prosecuting corrupt high-profile government officials. In 2016, the U.S Secretary of State honored Ms. Aldana with the “International Women of Courage Award.”

Sandra Grossman, Partner, and Ms. Aldana met today, March 12, with Congressman Eliot Engel of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, who provided critical support to Ms. Aldana’s case, along with several other members of Congress. We hope Ms. Aldana will have the opportunity to continue her important work in the United States, for now, until she has a chance to rejoin her fellow Guatemalans in the fight for transparency and rule of law.

Grossman Young & Hammond, as well as the Congresspeople who supported Ms. Aldana's asylum petition, hope she will have the opportunity to continue her important work in the United States, for now, until she has a chance to rejoin her fellow Guatemalans in the fight for transparency and rule of law.

Changes in Leadership at GYH

To start the new year off, GYH is pleased to announce the promotion of two of its attorneys into new leadership positions.

Meg Hobbins, Partner

Meg Hobbins was promoted from Senior Attorney to Partner, making her the first attorney in GYH history to make Partner. Meg’s practice focuses on humanitarian and family-based immigration matters before U.S. consulates abroad, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the U.S. immigration courts, the Board of Immigration Appeals, and the federal courts. She also represents clients before INTERPOL to challenge politically-motivated Red Notices. Meg has proven herself as an outstanding advocate and litigator with well over a decade of experience in the field. In addition to her extensive experience with consular processing, inadmissibility waivers and family-based immigration, Meg spends considerable time seeking a variety of humanitarian forms of relief for her clients, including Asylum, Violence Against Women Act protection, visas for victims of trafficking and more. As part of her dedication to the humanitarian aspects of immigration, she dedicates substantial time to providing pro bono legal services to the most at-risk immigrants. In 2019, Meg spent two weeks at the Texas border volunteering with the Dilley Pro Bono Project, helping detained migrant mothers understand and prepare for their credible fear interviews.

“I am honored to take on the role of partner at Grossman Young and Hammond, a firm that tackles the most challenging immigration and international legal issues of our time,” says Hobbins. “With this new role and new decade ahead, I am excited to continue to advocate for our clients seeking justice before U.S. immigration agencies and INTERPOL.”

Meg’s dedication to her clients and to the firm helped make this first year a success. Her invaluable leadership amongst her colleagues makes her an ideal addition to GYH’s management team. We look forward to her continued contributions.

Rita McCarthy, Counsel

Rita McCarthy, one of GYH’s longest-standing employees, was promoted from Senior Attorney to Counsel in recognition of the critical guidance she offers her colleagues, her unwavering dedication to her clients, and the depth of her expertise.

Rita McCarthy, who joined the firm in 2006, focuses her practice that on business immigration issues for a vast range of corporate clients in the research, technology, and non-profit sectors, among others. Rita also counsels multinational managers, persons of extraordinary ability, foreign investors, and Canadian and Mexican professionals applying for TN status. Rita McCarthy began working in immigration in 1996, where she represented both business- and family-based immigration clients. She later moved on to Loyola University Medical Center, where she handled the business immigration needs of the institution, its physicians and scientists as well as served as the designated officer for J-1 and F-1 students. Rita has extensive experience in all aspects of employment based green cards, including PERM labor certification, immigrant visa petitions, adjustment of status, and consular processing.

“Grossman Young & Hammond has an amazing team of dedicated and knowledgeable professionals and I am thankful to be a part of this respected law firm,” says McCarthy. “I started with Denise Hammond’s firm years ago and was present for her merger with Becki Young and the recent merger with Sandra Grossman. It’s exciting to be a part of such a dynamic and growing organization. I am proud to say that we continuously have provided outstanding legal services with excellent outcomes, despite the immigration turbulence of the last several years. GYH definitely is a rewarding place to work and I am looking forward to my new role as Counsel.”

Sandra Grossman speaks on the TRAP ACT and Interpol Abuse at the Heritage Foundation

On Tuesday, October 29th from 4:30 PM to 5:30 PM Sandra Grossman is speaking as part of a panel of distinguished experts regarding Interpol abuse and the TRAP Act's potential to prevent it.

Interpol is a valuable partner in the fight against transnational crime and terrorism. But autocratic governments around the world have realized that they can manipulate Interpol’s system of alerts — especially its famous Red Notice — to harass journalists, political opponents, and businesspeople. This is part of the wider phenomenon of transnational repression, in which the long arm of international organizations and law is perverted for repressive purposes.

The bipartisan TRAP Act — the Transnational Repression Accountability and Prevention Act — introduced in the Senate and the House by the leaders of the U.S. Helsinki Commission, seeks to put the U.S. in the forefront of the fight against Interpol abuse.

Introductory Remarks by The Honorable Roger Wicker (R-MS),United States Senator and Co-Chairman of the U.S. Helsinki Commission

Followed by a Panel Discussion with:

• Tom Firestone, Partner, Baker & McKenzie LLP
• Sandra A. Grossman, Partner, Grossman Young & Hammond, Immigration Law, LLC
• Thomas K. Ragland Member in Charge, Clark Hill PLC, Washington DC Office

Hosted by Ted Bromund, Ph.D. Senior Research Fellow, Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom, The Heritage Foundation

The event is sponsored by the Heritage Foundation and is taking place at The Heritage Foundation's Lehrman Auditorium at 214 Massachusetts Avenue, NE, Washington, DC 20002.

For the full invitation, click here.

GYH Founding Partner, Sandra Grossman, testified before the congressional, bi-partisan Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (the Helsinki Commission)

September 12, 2019

GYH Founding Partner, Sandra Grossman, testified before the congressional, bi-partisan Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (the Helsinki Commission), regarding the abuse of INTERPOL by autocratic governments. Her testimony focused on the mishandling of red notices by immigration officials, who frequently misconstrue them as arrest warrants despite a clear policy from DOJ that they do not meet the minimum standards for arrest under our constitution. Sandra’s full testimony is available here.

To learn more about the Helsinki Commission and Abuse of INTERPOL, click here.