Sound Immigration

The 21st Century Lawyer
2016-06-07 14:00 - 19:00 (America/Vancouver)
Register here
The Seattle Legal Innovation and Technology Meetup Group is delivering a terrific event for June. (Sound Immigration is the CLE sponsor). We’re talking hackers (the good kind), AI, design thinking for law, and Kanban. Plus, there’ll be adult beverages and networking afterward at Avvo’s new HQ in the area they like to call south-South Lake Union. Beyond the awesome topics, CLE credit (3 credits pending) will be available for attorneys but we promise it won’t be boring!
Event Schedule

2:00-2:15: Welcoming remarks
2:15-2:45: Three Things Lawyers can Learn from Hackers (Dan Lear)
2:45:3:15: Agile project management for any lawyer (Greg McLawsen)
3:15-4:15: The Law of Artificial Intelligence (Kraig Baker)
4:15-4:30: Break
4:30-5:30: Design for Lawyers (Emily McReynolds)
5:30-5:45: Transition
5:45-7:30: Networking reception (hosted by Avvo)

Three Things Lawyers can Learn from Hackers (Dan Lear)
In an increasingly fast-paced world, lawyers and law need not only to adapt but to adapt quickly and often. Beyond that they need curiosity, openness to new ideas, and a healthy dose of technophilia. Believe it or not these were common characteristics among the early hackers. Not the “steal your identity and head off to the French Rivera” hackers but the original hackers who, it turns out, were model train enthusiasts at MIT. This presentation will discuss the origin of hackers and hacker culture and explain how these characteristics can help lawyers build effective robust legal practices in the new economy.
Agile project management for any lawyer (Greg McLawsen)
Busyness is the plague of Lawyerdom. Yet while lawyers claim busyness as a merit badge, our clients don’t care if we’re busy – only if we’re productive. Fortunately there is an entire professional discipline devoted to the art and science of productivity, and that’s the field of project management. This presentation will offer suggestions about how lawyers can improve their effectiveness – and reduce the mental clutter of busyness – by borrowing Agile project management systems from the technology sector.
With its roots in the Toyota manufacturing revolution in Japan, the heart of Agile project management is a system of visualizing work in production. Called a kanban board, this system helps knowledge workers identify and prioritize actionable work, as well as identify the “bottleneck” in their workflow.
This presentation will cover how lawyers can implement Agile principles and kanban workflows in their practices. Whether you run a transactional or litigation-focused practice, Agile can help you gain a new clarity and focus with your case load. Best of all, the tools for implementing kanban are either free or virtually free. Check out Agile and see if there is something you can borrow for your own practice.
Will Siri Become HAL 9000? Legal Issues with Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, Deep Learning, and Big Data (Kraig Baker)

What is Artificial Intelligence?
What is Machine Learning?
What is Deep Learning?
The Artificial Intelligence Debate
Assigning Liability for AI Directed Devices
Disclaiming Liability
Intellectual Property Issues
Controlling Data That AI May Access
Security Issues; Bad Actors
Limiting Law Enforcement and Surveillance
Regulating Artificial Intelligence
Due Process for Data Mining and AI Application
Legal Issues With Prosthetics and Implants
Defamation and Free Speech Issues

Design Thinking for Lawyers (Emily McReynolds)

What is Design?
What is “design thinking”
How design thinking can improve delivery of legal services
HTML coding 101
Applying design thinking to lawyer websites
Using design to communicate legal concepts

Adjustment of Status From ESTA/Visa Waiver (self-help webinar)
2016-06-16 18:00 - 19:00 | Webinar only
Register here
If a foreigner comes to the U.S. on ESTA (Visa Waiver Program), is she eligible to adjust status to permanent resident? Learn about the law on this topic in this free 30-minute webinar.
Under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) nationals of certain “low risk” countries are allowed to travel to the U.S. without a visa. These individuals register with the online Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) before traveling to the U.S. The immigration statute provides that ESTA/VWP entrants are not eligible to adjust status, but there is an exception for immediate relatives. Learn about the details of this process and ask questions in our interactive Q&A.
Topics covered

Which ESTA/VWP entrants are eligible to adjust?
Can ESTA/VWP entrants adjust past the 90-day window?
When and when not?Common problems with ESTA/VWP adjustments.
Important questions to consider about your case.

Who should attend?
Individuals considering pursuing adjustment of status after entering the U.S. on ESTA.
About the presenter
Greg McLawsen is the managing attorney of Sound Immigration. Greg frequently speaks locally and nationally on topics including immigration, law practice management and legal ethics. His writings have appeared in Benders Immigration Bulletin, the Immigration Law and Procedure treatise, and numerous bar journals. Greg Chairs the Solo and Small Practice Section of the Washington State Bar Association, and is the law practice and technology chair of AILA’s Washington State Chapter.

Forensic psychologists & immigration law
2016-06-29 12:00 - 13:30
Register here

Immigration lawyers frequently need psychological evidence in support of waiver cases. But mental health professionals have importantly distinct areas of focus. This webinar will explain the role of forensic psychologists, who provide expert testimony and reports to guide legal decision making. We will discuss what you should expect in a high-quality report, and the evaluation and testing that should support the report’s analysis and conclusions. We will specifically discuss hardship evaluations of qualifying relatives, as used in I-601/601A waiver applications.
This webinar will address:
Understanding the role of the forensic psychologist.

How is a forensic psychologist different from a “regular” psychologist, therapist, counselor, or social worker?
What are the training qualifications of a forensic psychologist?
What is the difference between a therapist’s letter of support and a forensic evaluation?
What goes into creating a strong forensic evaluation?
What are objective psychological testing instruments, why are they useful, and what instruments are typically used in forensic evaluations?
Best practices for immigration attorneys working with forensic psychologists.

Psychological reports in I-601/601A waivers, VAWA applications, U-visa applications, Drug and Alcohol Abuse/Rehabilitation, Mental Health Inadmissibility
Who should attend?

Immigration attorneys with practices involving hardship waivers, 42B cancellation, or other situations where mental health is at issue.

About the speaker
Dr. Julia McLawsen provides psychological evaluations that guide legal decision-makers. Her practice focuses on evaluations for immigration contexts, with special emphasis on I-601 extreme hardship waivers.
Dr. McLawsen earned her PhD from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, one of the country’s most respected forensic psychology programs. Her doctoral dissertation examined how different states implement sex offender civil commitment laws. Her recent professional experience includes:

Independent practice, focusing on forensic psychological evaluations in support of I-601/601A waivers, VAWA applications, U-visa applications, Drug and Alcohol Abuse/Rehabilitation issues, and ongoing research related to these topics.
Pierce County Competency Panel. Dr. McLawsen is one of a handful of expert psychologists contracted by Pierce County to assess capacities relevant to criminal defendants’ competence to proceed to trial. She regularly evaluates criminal defendants at the Pierce County Jail and provides reports to Pierce County Superior and District Courts.
Western State Hospital. Dr. McLawsen is a former forensic evaluator for one of Washington State’s two psychiatric hospitals. Her work focused on providing forensic psychology evaluations for use in civil commitment proceedings, competency hearings, and assessments related to mental state at the time of the offense (e.g., not guilty by reason of insanity, diminished capacity). Dr. McLawsen provided multiple evaluations to courts on a weekly basis and testified in scores of cases.
Washington State Special Commitment Center. During this initial postdoctoral fellowship, Dr. McLawsen provided sexual violence risk evaluations for individuals detained on McNeil Island and in assorted secure transition facilities. Evaluations focused assessing future risk for sexual violence. This experience, along the scope of her doctoral dissertation, informs Dr. McLawsen’s assessment of subjects in Adam Walsh Act immigration matters.

Understanding marriage visas (I-130, DS-260, IR-1 & CR-1)
2016-07-05 18:00 - 19:00 | Webinar only
Register here (free)

The marriage-based immigration process can be extremely daunting. Get started on the right path with a one-hour overview of the process. Learn from an experienced immigration lawyer about what to expect, and how to avoid common pitfalls.
Our webinar will cover:

Yes, it is possible to do your own marriage-based visa.
How long will the process take, and how expensive is it?
Are you eligible to apply? Know before you start!
Step (1) – Preparing the I-130 petition.
How do you prove a “bona fide” marriage?
Step (2) – The DS-260 and National Visa Center (NVC)
Preparing an error-free I-864, Affidavit of Support.
Step (3) – The consular visa interview.
After visa approval.
What happens if your visa is denied?
Audience questions and answers.

This event is offered free of charge by Sound Immigration.Our easy-to-use webinar platform allows you to participate is this event without downloading any special software. Prior to the event you will receive an email with a web link. At the scheduled time all you need to do is click on the link in your favorite web browser.
Audience members will be able to ask questions in real time through a chat interface. We will do our best to answer as many of these questions as possible during the event. If we can’t get to all questions we will post a follow-up Q&A on our website.
Who should attend?
This webinar is for couples who are planning to start the marriage-based visa process. Note that we will not be addressing adjustment of status. The webinar will address scenario’s where the foreign spouse is currently outside of the U.S. and wishing to obtain a marriage-based visa.
About the speaker

Greg McLawsen is the managing attorney of Sound Immigration, a law firm serving clients worldwide. Selected a Super Lawyer Rising Star in the field of immigration, Greg’s firm focuses on helping families immigrate to the United States. Active in the leadership of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, Greg is a regular speaker at law seminars. Greg has written articles for numerous national law journals and is the author of a forthcoming book for the American Bar Association, Immigration Law for the Family Law Practitioner.

Immigration and Adoption - an Introduction
2016-07-20 12:00 - 13:00 | Webinar only
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The intersection of immigration and adoption law is notoriously complicated. This webinar will help you understand the basic substantive and procedural law governing the immigration of adopted children. Learn from Gretchen Korb-Nice, an experience lawyer who’s practice is dedicated to this specialized area. Registration is free, or $10 for those wanting Washington MCLE credit (1 general credit pending approval).
Topics that we will cover include:

Definition of “child” under the INA.
Hague vs. non-Hague adoptions – what’s the difference and why does it matter?
U.S. court jurisdiction over finalizing adoptions.
Understanding the three requirements of a valid adoption under the UNA.
Strategies for children adopted after age 16.
Alternative strategies to adoption.
Adoption of “orphans.”
Derivative citizenship for adoptees.

About the presenter

Gretchen Korb-Nice is a Washington attorney focusing on immigration and adoption. As an attorney at Holman Cahill, Gretchen assists clients with domestic adoptions in Washington State and with international adoptions from across the globe. At Sound Immigration, we consider Gretchen to be one of the leading practitioners in this area of law, and she is one of the first lawyers we refer these issues to. You couldn’t learn this area of law from a better person!

Packaging Legal Services as Products (webinar)
2016-07-27 12:00 - 13:00 | Webinar only
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Today’s attorneys are exhorted to move beyond the billable hour and embrace flat fee billing. But two Washington attorneys have taken this evolution a big step further. Brett Sullivan and Spencer Stromberg created Lucent Law around the idea that legal services could be reimagined as legal products. In this webinar, Brett will discuss the whys and hows that went into creating their online shop of legal products. (1 Washington MCLE credit pending).
Our webinar will cover:
I. Intro to Lucent Law
II. What Does Legal Productization Mean?
A. Basic Theory of Productization.
B. Intersection with Fixed Fee Pricing.
III. Examples of Productization Applied in a Law Practice.
A. Real Estate Transaction.
B. Business Entity Formation Transaction.
C. Estate Planning Matter.
IV. Reasons to Consider Productization.
A. It’s a Retail Word.
B. Easy Onramp to New Client Engagement.
C. Reduce Attorney Burdens in Explaining Pricing/Service.
V. Conclusion.
About the speaker

Brett Sullivan is a creative and experienced attorney representing business and individual clients in real estate transactions and related matters; business transactions and agreements; common ownership associations; and estate and asset protection planning. He also represent parties to insolvency proceedings.
Brett’s business law experience includes entity formation; asset and stock/membership buy sell agreements; shareholder and member agreements; contract preparation; financing; workouts; and general business operational matters. Brett has represented businesses and individuals in a wide variety of real estate transactions, including purchase and sale agreements; financing; residential and commercial development; formation of owners’ associations; and easement preparation and enforcement. He offers services in estate planning, including preparation of wills and trusts; advance health care and mental care directives; and powers of attorney.

Using Inbound Marketing to Promote Your Law Practice
2016-08-05 12:00 - 13:00 | Webinar only
Using Inbound Marketing to Promote Your Law Practice
(Friday, Aug. 5, 2016 – noon PST)
Register here for free
Your law firm already has a website, but it doesn’t perform particularly well, and you would like it to be bringing in more new clients. On top of that, there are dozens of other law firms in your area all advertising the same services on their websites. Some of those websites look like the law firm spent thousands of dollars on web design. How can a small firm even start to compete?
Sound familiar? This webinar will use an existing website, Washington Wills, as an example to explore how implementing inbound marketing techniques can turn your law firm website into a major source of new clients who come in your door already trusting you.
(1 Washington MCLE credit pending)
Our webinar will cover:

Speaker introduction
Brief introduction to Washington Wills
What is inbound marketing?

General principles of inbound marketing
Specific methods for implementing inbound marketing

Inbound marketing for law firms

Traditional law firm websites
Inbound marketing at law firm websites

Example of inbound marketing in action

Walkthrough of Washington Wills
Seeing our results

Getting started with inbound marketing at your firm
Discussion

About our speaker

Twitter: @forrest_carlson
Email: forrest@assemblelaw.com
Web: Assemble Law Group, PLLC
Washington Wills
Forrest Carlson is a technology and design geek who happens to practice law. Forrest is one of the founders and coauthors of Washington Wills, handling everything from initial concept through technical implementation and ongoing development. He has been practicing law since 2008 and is a partner at Assemble Law Group, PLLC.
Forrest is a lifelong advocate for increasing access to legal services. He is one of the founding members of the Washington State Bar Association’s Low Bono Section, and he is a panel attorney for Washington State’s Moderate Means Program. In his free time, Forrest is a technology and startup enthusiast and a web design hobbyist. Forrest often promotes and speaks publicly about law and entrepreneurship, law-related technology, and increasing access to legal services through technology.

Advanced I-864 Issues
2016-08-31 12:00 - 13:00 | Webinar only
Register here
Few immigration forms are as perpetually vexing as the I-864 Affidavit of Support. In this advanced webinar we will address important topics including:

Common errors that cause rejection of the Form I-864.
Meeting income requirements with non-standard income.
The state of case law concerning the enforceability of the I-864.
Ethical best practices in joint/co-sponsor I-864s.

Who should attend?

Any attorney practicing family-based immigration.
Newer immigration attorneys unfamiliar with the I-864.

About the presenter
Greg McLawsen is the managing attorney of Sound Immigration. Greg frequently speaks locally and nationally on topics including immigration, law practice management and legal ethics. He has published extensively on topics relating to the I864 Affidavit of Support. Greg’s writings have appeared in Benders Immigration Bulletin, the Immigration Law and Procedure treatise, and numerous bar journals. Greg Chairs the Solo and Small Practice Section of the Washington State Bar Association, and is the law practice and technology chair of AILA’s Washington State Chapter.

Legal Advocacy with Graphic Design
2016-09-07 00:00 - 13:00 | Webinar only
Register here
As lawyers we like to write and we love to talk. But words are not always the best way to convey information to judges, juries and decision makers. In this webinar we will explore how graphic design can be used to persuasively and clearly communicate legal information. Learn how to cut through the clutter and present information in the way today’s audience expects it.

About our speaker, Troy White

I’ve been drawing, building, inventing, sculpting, and creating all of my life. Becoming a designer was a natural choice, and I’ve enjoyed the variety of experiences I’ve obtained through design over the last 10 years. Any kind of design involves small choices which will make a big difference in the outcome of the whole. In design for the legal world, these small choices can be magnified, as each one might affect the outcome of a significant decision.
I enjoy the problem solving inherent in working on cases – in telling a complex story in a clear and compelling way. For over five years, I have been helping attorneys tell the story of their client, and why they deserve the justice they seek. Once a case gets to court, there is enough in dispute that it is not enough to simply present the facts. You need to persuade. I thrive on figuring out the most effective way to do that; through color, space, or the movement and builds of information on slides.
I currently live in Seattle, and enjoy the change of pace of the Pacific Northwest. Besides trial graphics, my interests lie in illustration, animation, interactivity, and writing. Thank you for taking the time to look at my work.
Troy White
mr.troywhite@gmail.com

What Are the Benefits of Kanban for Legal Teams?
2016-09-27 07:30 - 08:30 | Webinar only
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Kanban is a highly effective method for project management. It’s used by many innovative businesses in various industries and the legal sector is no exception! In this specialized webinar, we will discuss what exactly Kanban is, and how your legal team can leverage it in every phase of your law firm management. Join our panel discussion on the 27th of September and have your questions answered by the experts.

Featuring:
Greg McLawsen

Greg McLawsen is the founder and managing attorney of Sound Immigration, a cloud-based immigration law firm. Greg has championed the reinvention law practice as Chair of the Solo and Small Practice Section of the Washington State Bar Association and as co-facilitator of Seattle’s Legal Technology and Innovation Meetup group.

Sascha Theissen

Sascha is a provider of lean, business improving interdisciplinary solutions. He started his career in 2002 in private practice. In 2010, Sascha switched to a senior in-house position atHoltzbrinck, a leading international publishing group. As a General Counsel, Sascha successfully introduced Kanban, Legal Design Thinking, and agile management into the legal department.

John Grant

John is a lawyer and an Agile Scrum Master who was recently tapped to lead the Fisher Focus innovation program at Fisher & Phillips LLP. Prior to law school, he worked for over 8 years in the software industry, and as an attorney, he has twice served as in-house counsel in addition to co-founding a boutique IP practice.
Over the past few years, John has consulted with in-house legal teams and law firms to implement Lean and Agile methodologies for legal project management and process improvement in both transactional and litigation settings.
John is a zealous advocate for bringing proven business world practices into the legal arena and is a frequent author and speaker on topics like Lean, Agile, Lean Startup, and Design Thinking for lawyers. He blogs at Legal Value Theory and his in-progress book, Kanban for Lawyers, is available here.

Understanding the Visa Bulletin
2016-09-28 12:00 - 12:45 | Webinar only
How in the world are you supposed to use the new Visa Bulletin? That’s what we’ll delve into in this month’s free immigration webinar. We’ll walk through how to understand the Department of State’s new(ish) and confusing format. Learn how to assess case timelines, and counsel clients.
Free registration here
About our presenter

Mercedes Riggs is of counsel to Sound migration. Here’s Mercedes in her own words:
Life is just too interesting to have one career. Before law school I went to Stanford University and earned an Engineering degree in in Product Design. I loved inventing things and understanding the technical “guts” of the products that I was designing. After Stanford I went to work for an internet startup, but soon learned was more interested in protecting the legal rights of people like our software developers than the products we were building. So I decided to go to law school.
Some of my early work in the legal field was for technology giants like Yahoo! and Hewlett-Packard. But I also volunteered with a workers’ rights clinic. After joining the Bar in Washington State I opened my own practice and focused on bankruptcy, small business law, and contracts. The main reason I went into solo practice was to have the flexibility to spend time with my first child (now she’s five!). When I took on some pro bono immigration cases through the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project (NWIRP) I was quickly hooked on the practice area and decided to devote my practice to immigration law. Nothing in my career has been more rewarding than uniting love ones and building new lives in the United States.
I continue to volunteer a substantial amount of my time to helping disadvantaged immigrants. In addition to work for NWIRP I also take on pro bono cases from Catholic Charities, and I usually volunteer at Citizenship Days organized by OneAmerica. I love working as an immigration attorney since a lot of my job helps families be together after long periods of separation. Family is very important to me, and I can relate to my clients since my parents and brothers live on the East Coast. Although I feel close to them, I don’t see them in person as often as I would like. I work hard to ensure that my clients can be united with their families.
If you had told me 15 years ago when I was an engineering student at Stanford that I would now be an immigration attorney I would not have believed you, but I love my job. When I’m not working, I enjoy hiking and exploring southwest Washington with my husband and three kids.
Experience

Mercedes Riggs Law Office, PLLC (Attorney)
Law Offices of William Parks (Legal Assistant)
KGACLC Workers Rights Interviewing and Advising Clinic (Student Intern)
Santa Clara University School of Law (Research Fellow for BroadBand Institute of California)
Magellan Navigation, Inc. (Law Clerk)
Fernandez & Associates (Summer Associate/Patent Strategy Intern)
Hewlett-Packard (Summer Legal Intern)
Yahoo! (Summer Legal Intern)
Become.com (Internet Researcher)

Education

Santa Clara University School of Law (Juris Doctorate)
Stanford University (B.S. in Engineering – Product Design)

DIY video marketing for your law firm
2016-10-07 12:00 - 13:00 | Webinar only
Register here
Producing videos for your law firm might seem daunting but it doesn’t have to be. Great videos can vastly increase your website’s search engine ranking and provide an important way to reach new clients. Best of all, relatively few attorneys are doing video (or doing it well) making this a promising way to market your firm.
In this webinar we’ll talk to attorney Shreya Ley about how she self-produces high-quality videos with little more than an iPhone and free software. Learn about each step that goes into a great DIY video including:

Choosing your video capture device.
Intro to 3-point lighting and good-enough substitutions.
Getting audio-capture right.
What is post-production?
How to clean up your audio.
Free editing tools.
Publishing your video online.
Maximizing your SEO bump.

About our speaker

Shreya Ley is a business owner and Lawyer-Human. She started her working life as a Chemical Engineer in the Oil & Gas Industry and knows way too much about oil & gas and its impact on the global economy & politics. After law school at Tulane, she has focused on working with inventors, entrepreneurs, “idea people,” and family businesses. As a former punk rock kid, she has always had a desire to NOT work for “the man,” so after a short stint at Microsoft, she opened LayRoots. She and LayRoots help their clients live an awesome life.

Creating Your Law Firm: Your Vision, Your Life
2016-12-07 12:00 - 13:00 | Seattle University School of Law – Law School Annex, Room 142, E. Columbia Street between 12th and 13th Ave., Seattle, 98122, United States
In partnership with WSBA’s Low Bono Section, Moderate Means Program, and the Law Office Management Assistance Program, the SU Low Bono and Solo Initiative.

Register here

Starting a law firm can be an intimidating endeavor, but it is not only manageable, it can be rewarding. Jenny Anderson and Greg McLawsen are living proof that running a small firm is possible and is a great path to fulfillment of your personal goals.
Jenny Anderson will share her experience starting a low bono practice before “low bono” became a trend, and how she grew her solo practice to a three-partner firm. Greg McLawsen will discuss how his decentralized, cloud-based immigration law firm allows him to work while traveling in Asia, and has part of its team based in Bangalore.
The goal is for you to leave this CLE feeling energized and capable of taking on the challenge of starting your own firm.

Jenny Anderson is one of the three partners that make up Anderson, York, & Stratton, a low bono family law firm with a focus on cases involving domestic violence and child abuse. Jenny is a Seattle native and earned both her BA and JD from the University of Washington. In addition to her law practice, Jenny is an adjunct faculty member at Seattle University School of Law, where she has taught family law practice skills and is developing the curriculum for a class on domestic violence. She is also a founding member and the 2014-15 Chair of the Low Bono Section of the Washington State Bar Association and serves as a mentor attorney with Eastside Legal Assistance Program.

Greg McLawsen is the founder and managing attorney of Sound Immigration, a cloud-based immigration law firm. Greg has championed the reinvention of law practice as Chair of the Solo and Small Practice Section of the Washington State Bar Association and as co-facilitator of Seattle’s Legal Technology and Innovation Meetup group. Formerly a member of the WSBA’s Future of the Legal Profession Task Force, Greg works to bring innovation into the practice of law. A proponent of alternative legal careers, Greg has run his law firm from Burma, China, India, Hawaii, Thailand, Laos, and sometimes Washington State.

The 2016 CLE Connections Series, which is open to law students and attorneys, aims to offer high quality CLEs designed to help you run a successful law practice and opportunities to connect with other lawyer-entrepreneurs, especially those serving the moderate income client community.

Stay tuned for details about the 2017 Low Bono Connections CLE Series!

The Low Bono and Solo Initiative aims to assist our alumni in starting their own solo practices or small firms, including those whose practices are designed to serve the moderate means client community. You are receiving this email because you have attended past programs or expressed interest in our programs.

Using contract attorneys to scale your law practice
2016-12-14 12:00 - 13:00 | Webinar only
Using contract attorneys to scale your law practice
Register here for free
In small law firms there is an inherent pickle when it comes to growth. If you hire employees too soon, there may not be enough work to go around. If you fail to build capacity, you lose profitable business that could have been yours. What to do?
An increasing number of law firms are solving this problem by outsourcing labor either temporarily or permanently. Outsourcing to contractors or specialty businesses instead of hiring employees can allow you to expand – that is, to “scale” – your practice. At the same time, this strategy allows you to mitigate the risk that comes with hiring employees or taking on additional tasks in house. Use of on-demand contractors means that they help is there when you need it, and costs you nothing when you don’t.
Join us for a conversation to explore whether outsourcing could help you scale your law practice, increase profitability, and restore some much-needed work/life balance.
About our speaker
Andy Backlund is an experienced litigator and a creative entrepreneur. Andy developed the concept for Emerald City Attorney Network, a full-service network of experienced and well-vetted contract attorneys and paralegals who turn excess work into billable hours for their clients. After surveying the Seattle legal market, Andy realized that the available means for hiring quality contract attorneys were clearly insufficient. Emerald City Attorney Network was founded by Andy Backlund to offer an easy and profitable alternative option to hiring full time employees. Emerald City Attorney Network offers its clients well-qualified and experienced professionals who develop trust and familiarity with the attorneys they work for. In addition, Andy acts as a “personal contract attorney/paralegal concierge,” so clients have confidence that they will be well taken care of.
In his legal career, Andy has worked in large firms representing Fortune 500 companies and also in small firms and solo practices helping plaintiffs and other individuals. Andy understands the staffing needs of these firms. While Andy’s practice has focused on product liability, employment, construction and disability law, he has quickly mastered many other issues as a contract attorney. Andy has conducted hundreds of depositions, prepared briefs, argued motions, managed cases, handled mediations and participated in all stages of litigation through trial. Andy also volunteers his time at Disability Rights Washington (DRW) helping individuals with disabilities with their legal issues. Andy’s work with DRW has been highlighted on KOMO TV news and various newspapers. In his spare time, Andy enjoys coaching youth baseball and basketball, hiking, biking and spending time with his family and friends.

Make your practice more client friendly with design thinking
2017-02-01 12:00 - 13:00 | Webinar only
The law is notoriously verbocentric and dense. And from the client’s perspective, legal services are rarely delivered in a user-friendly way. Although design-driven businesses have been shown to outperform their competitors, the legal profession has been slow to adopt good design principles. In this webinar, we’ll explore not only how design can help lawyers differentiate their services, but also how design can make legal work product itself clearer and more effective. Learn what “design thinking” is all about. Hint: it’s not just about graphic design.
Our guest speaker – Alexandra Devendra.
Alexandra Devendra is the founder of Devendra Design, a legal design consultancy. She helps lawyers make their work product more effective using typography and other principles of visual communication design. Alix also consults for legal-tech startups, who value her experience in both law practice and design thinking. She travels internationally to speak and facilitate workshops on legal design.
Alix is also a co-founder of Shape the Law, which organizes unconferences and other innovative programming for attorneys across the country. Its goal is to facilitate authentic, honest conversations about the many challenges facing the legal profession.
Before founding Devendra Design, Alix practiced labor & employment law in San Francisco. She can be found at www.devendra.design and on Twitter (@alixdevendra).
Register here

Across the line; Advocacy at U.S. ports of entry
2017-02-15 12:00 - 13:00 | Webinar only
February 15, 2017 – noon (PST)
When it comes to legal advocacy, United States ports of entry are an unfamiliar ballpark. There’re not even the same game. Foreign nationals have no right to legal representation. Attorneys have no right to be heard. In this unique niche of immigration law, outcomes may be determined by obscure memoranda and local practices. In this webinar we will learn the ropes of this advocacy from some of the country’s leading border advocacy experts; including how to prepare your client for successful border crossings, and how to advocate for your client when things have gone wrong.
Register here (free)
This webinar will address:

Constitutional rights (or lack thereof) at the border

Right to an attorney
4A privacy rights

Nexus issues

You may lose Nexus if you adjust status
No lemons…
Nexus reinstatement

How to avoid wrong inadmissibility findings

Looping in Watch Commander in advance
DHS TRIP

Preclearance
Expedited Removal

Is routinely applied to Canadians
Is not permitted at PFI
How to appeal

Marijuana, DUIs, and the CDC
Port parole and other special entry issues
I-94s and more…

Problems with Nexus
Automated processing at PFI
Deferred Inspection

About our presenters.
Greg Boos.
Greg Boos is a noted U.S. immigration lawyer and award-winning cross-border advocate. His practice includes U.S. nationality matters and U.S. business immigration. He represents a broad spectrum of multi-national companies, international businesspersons, and expatriate Americans.
A results-oriented advocate, Greg has been named one of the world’s leading practitioners of U.S. immigration law by the International Who’s Who of Corporate Immigration Lawyers. Based on peer reviews, Martindale-Hubbell has awarded Greg an AV Preeminent rating, a testament to the fact that his colleagues rank him at the highest level of professional excellence.
Greg received his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Idaho in 1977. He is a member of the Washington State Bar Association and the bars of various U.S. Federal courts. He is also licensed as a Practitioner of Foreign Law by the Law Society of British Columbia. The International Criminal Court has approved Greg to practice before it and includes him as one of approximately 300 lawyers worldwide on its List of Counsel.
Greg is an Adjunct Professor at Western Washington University where he acts as an external advisor to its Border Policy Research Institute. He is President of the Pacific Corridor Enterprise Council, a Vancouver BC – based non-profit organization formed to promote cross-border trade and advocate for removal of barriers that impede the legitimate flow of people, goods and services across the Canada/USA border. Greg splits his time between Vancouver B.C. and Bellingham, WA. He enjoys early music, opera and theater.
Heather Fathali.
Heather Fathali joined Cascadia Cross-Border Law after receiving her Juris Doctor degree from Seattle University School of Law in May 2014, graduating summa cum laude. Heather is a member of the Washington State Bar Association and her practice focuses on citizenship and immigration matters.
During law school, Heather served as judicial extern to Justice Charles W. Johnson at the Washington State Supreme Court; and also completed externships with two immigration non-profit organizations: the Ronald A. Peterson Law Clinic’s Immigration Clinic, where she represented asylum applicants detained at the Tacoma Northwest Detention Center; and Catholic Community Services Family Immigration, where she provided immigration and citizenship assistance to low-income residents of Washington State.
Heather is a native of Bellingham, WA. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Cultural Anthropology from Western Washington University, and continues to be interested in the study of diverse cultures. She serves on the Board of Directors for the Whatcom Literacy Council, a non-profit organization dedicated to increasing literacy and English language skills for adults in Whatcom County. She is a PADI-certified advanced scuba diver, and enjoys traveling, photography, and spending time with her family and her dogs.

Administrative Processing: Alternatives to Waiting
2017-03-29 12:00 - 13:00 | Webinar only
Your client has waited for over a year to bring a loved relative to the United States. The last hurdle has come, the day of the immigrant visa interview. The interview passes and you get a panicked call, “the consular officer said we have to wait for a decision!” A week passes, no news. Two weeks pass, no news. You write the immigrant visa unit and ask what is going on and get the dreaded response, “the case is pending administrative processing. When administrative processing is required, the timing will vary based on the individual circumstances of each case.” Rather than pulling out your hair and gnashing your teeth, this webinar will go over techniques to identify the problem, calm the client down, and speed up the process.

How to avoid administrative processing (e.g., preloading your case).
When to wait and for how long.
How to identify the potential problem.
Exploring and exhausting your remedies.
Possibilities for litigation.

About our presenter.

Jay Gairson is an immigration and national security attorney in Seattle, Washington. His clients are primarily from the Middle East, East Africa, and South Asia. He regularly handles cases that receive additional fraud detection and national security review. He uses systems thinking to evaluate government programs and strategize solutions to problems that appear to be otherwise intractable. He graduated in 2010 cum laude from Seattle University. He has served on several professional committees including AILA Washington’s Executive Committee and is highly involved in community groups.

Register here

Recognizing Immigration Issues in Your Practice
2017-04-03 12:00 - 13:00 | Skagit Food Co-op, Room 309, 202 S. First St., Mount Vernon, WA, 202 S. First St., Mount Vernon, WA, 98273, United States
Thank you to the Skagit County Bar Association for having me up north to speak at their monthly CLE. This page contains slides and related materials for the live event.
Slides for the program.

Recognizing immigration issues from Greg McLawsen

Additional materials.

ABA I-864 Article. Published in the ABA Family Law Journal, this article gives an overview of the Form I-864, Affidavit of Support, aimed at matrimonial lawyers.
I-9 blog post. Originally published in the Pierce County Bar Newsletter, this post describes the need to comply with the Form I-9 employment authorization rules.
2015_03_10_Mistaken_Beliefs. This short article, published by the King County Bar Newsletter, describes misperceptions about immigrants and immigration law.

Advising LPRs on foreign travel
2017-04-19 10:00 - 11:00 | Webinar only
Whew – your client has finally made it through the lengthy immigrant visa process. Or she’s nailed the adjustment interview and at long last has her green card in hand. What’s the first thing the client wants to do? Often, they want to pack their bags and go on a trip.How should you advise your clients?
How should you advise your client?
LPRs are permitted to travel abroad. But as is often the case, the devil is in the details. A blasé approach to foreign travel can jeopardize the client’s future ability to naturalize, or even lead to abandonment of LPR status altogether. Moreover, foreign travel can seek especially risky given the current immigration environment.
In this seminar we will cover:

Continuity of residence for purposes of naturalization.
Understanding LPR abandonment – substantive and procedural aspects.
How to advise on the risks of foreign travel in the changing environment of the Trump administration.

Please join us!
Register here (free)

Understanding a spouse's right to immigration financial support
2017-04-26 12:00 - 13:00 | Webinar only
When a non-citizen gets divorced, she may be left with little means of support. Language barriers can make employment difficult, and many types of public assistance are unavailable. But many may be eligible to receive financial compensation from their (former) spouse, if the spouse was a visa sponsors.
Under immigration law in effect since 1996, certain non-citizens are entitled to financial support from their visa sponsor. In virtually all family-based immigration cases, the sponsor is required to file a Form I-864, Affidavit of Support. By signing the Form I-864, the sponsor promises to ensure that the immigrant has income at or above 125% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines. This obligation lasts until the immigrant becomes a U.S. citizen, is credited with 40 work quarters, leaves the US under certain circumstances, or dies.
But divorce does not end the sponsor’s support obligation. For this reason, some immigrants can use the Form I-864 to recover financial support from abusive spouses, even when a divorce court would be unable to award alimony.
It is important for family law attorneys to understand the support rights of the Form I-864. This support can provide crucial resources to clients who are transitioning to self-sufficiency. Form I-864 support may be available to clients who would normally not qualify for public benefits.
This training will help family law attorneys identify clients/survivors who might be able to benefit from the Form I-864. Learn easy questions that can be added to your intake procedure to screen for potential eligibility. Learn to assess the scope of support to which an individual may be entitled, and how enforcement works.
Register here (free)

Tax Issues for Immigration Lawyers
2017-05-31 12:00 - 13:00 | Webinar only
Wednesday, May 31, 2017 at 12:00 PM (PST)
When it comes to getting your clients to the United States you’re the master. But what happens when that conversation turns to the client’s financial planning? Global migration can lead to some tricky tax situations which may not always get the attention they deserve. In this webinar, senior accountants from Moss Adams LLP will address some tax issues that every immigration lawyer should be aware of.
In this presentation, our speakers will discuss planning for entry into the U.S. tax system, including a high level overview of income, and estate and gift tax considerations. We will address the U.S. foreign disclosure rules and the US anti-deferral regimes. And we will briefly touch on tax planning prior to surrender of U.S. citizenship or long-term permanent resident status. Please join us!
Register here (free)
Presentation outline.
Estate and Gift Tax Issues.

Planning for move to U.S.
Estate/gift tax residency.
Estate/gift tax applicability for NRA’s and for U.S. residents.
Planning for U.S. gift/estate tax applicability – considerations of trusts/gifting before a move.
Planning for the U.S. foreign disclosure rules – streamlining/consolidation of foreign assets/entities before a move.

Considerations Prior to moving to U.S.

Considerations related to negotiating compensation arrangements/benefits/tax equalization agreements/etc. before moving to the U.S.

Determining taxation and differences of taxation for U.S. residents vs. non-residents.

U.S./State taxation of foreign nationals.
U.S. residency vs non-residency for income tax purposes.
U.S. taxation of U.S. persons vs NRAs.
Substantial Presence Test.
Closer Connection Exception.
Dual Status Returns.
First Year Elections.

Our guest speakers.
Satoko Valdes, Senior Manager, Moss Adams LLP.
Satoko has been providing inbound international tax compliance and consulting services since 1996. She has managed inbound and outbound corporations and individual tax returns, tax equalizations, and international consultations. Prior to joining Moss Adams, Satoko led the Japanese tax practice of a Big Four firm’s Seattle office. Satoko is a board member of the Japan America Society, a member of the Japan Business Association and the Tax Advisory Board of Golden Gate University.
Stephanie Hathaway, Tax Partner, Moss Adams LLP.
Stephanie is a leader in the firm’s International Tax and Private Client Services practices. Her experience includes over twenty years in public accounting and ten years in business management and administration. Stephanie works closely with international legal, accounting and financial professionals to coordinate cross-border planning and compliance for individuals, trusts, estates, and closely held businesses. In addition, she has presented on a wide variety of international topics for Moss Adams professionals and for outside organizations. In 2000 Stephanie received the Moss Adams Technical Excellence Award in Taxation for consulting and analysis regarding the expatriation provisions of Internal Revenue Code Section 877A and for preparing Private Letter Ruling requests under Section 877A for individuals giving up US citizenship or US long-term permanent resident status.
Brian Steuber, Partner, Moss Adams LLP.
Brian Steuber has been in public accounting for over 22 years, with experience related to individual income tax matters, focusing specifically on international assignment and private client tax services. Prior to joining Moss Adams, he has spent his entire career within the Big 4.
Brian has worked with small to large Fortune 50 clients with respect to their international assignment programs addressing the complex individual tax planning and compliance matters, corporate reporting and withholding issues, tax-efficient delivery of compensation in multiple jurisdictions, tax reimbursement schemes and cross-border equity issues. He has also provided wealth management services to ‘C-Suite’ and other key executives regarding stock options, equity transaction planning, AMT tax planning, and other complex investment tax issues and structuring.
