Litigation, National Interest Waivers, Humanitarian Relief, Family Based Immigration and Naturalization
Elizabeth “Liz” Carlson has experience in both humanitarian and business immigration matters. She focuses her practice on asylum and other forms of humanitarian relief, waivers of inadmissibility, immigration consequences of criminal convictions, family based immigration, and naturalization. Liz represents clients facing deportation from the United States before the U.S. immigration courts and assists individuals seeking appellate review before the Board of Immigration Appeals and federal courts. Her advocacy skills are particularly suited to representing foreign nationals who seek lawful permanent residency based on their qualifications which benefit the national interest of the United States. She also assists individuals of extraordinary ability in applying for permanent status in the United States.
Liz’s breadth of knowledge in her particular expertise and her steady resolve are especially helpful to clients with complex matters, including those facing immigration consequences of criminal convictions and those who have suffered persecution in their home countries. Her sensitivity toward clients seeking asylum, especially those from the LGBT community, empowers them to work closely with her to achieve their goals of obtaining protection and permanent status in the United States.
In addition to representing individuals in their immigration matters, Liz publishes on cutting edge topics in immigration law, including articles relating to Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), the Child Status Protection Act (CSPA), complex naturalization applications and asylum claims based on fear of gangs. She is regularly invited to speak at conferences and trainings hosted by the District of Columbia Bar Association, the American Immigration Lawyers Association, and law schools.
Liz is deeply committed to pro bono representation, and has been recognized for her outstanding pro bono efforts by the American Immigration Lawyers Association. Her pro bono case work includes representation of asylum seekers, detained noncitizens, children fleeing violence, and battered women and children.
Prior to joining Maggio + Kattar, Liz served for two years as a judicial law clerk and attorney advisor in the Attorney General's Honors Program at the New York Immigration Court.
Elizabeth has a Bachelor of Arts degree summa cum laude in history and Spanish from Brandeis University. Elizabeth holds a Juris Doctor from New York University School of Law. While in law school, she participated as a student attorney in the Immigrant Rights Clinic for two years, representing individuals facing deportation. At NYU, she received the Public Interest Law Award for her commitment to public interest law. She is fluent in Spanish.
She is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association.