Membership

Membership Benefits

AILA Monthly Mailing.  A service for all  AILA Members, the Monthly Mailing reports the latest developments in the immigration field.  Much of the information and material is submitted by individual members for the benefit of the entire membership. Numerous items, reports, and memoranda are available through AILA's Reprint Order Service.

AILA Immigration Law News on InfoNet. AILA Members now have access to their very own electronic bulletin board - AILA InfoNet on CompuServe. AILA InfoNet brings you up-to-the minute news and developments in immigration and provides a forum exclusively for members to communicate with each other. Sign up and software are free for AILA members.

Networking and Education

AILA Local Chapters. Your opportunity to participate in an active local network of immigration practitioners. Share tips and tactics, get the inside track on local office procedures, and be represented on a regional level. The Canada chapter offers several additional benefits for chapter members only, including:

  • the AILA Canada Chapter Updates (distributed via e-mail) containing information relevant to U.S. immigration practitioners in Canada; and
  • participation in the AILA Canada e-mail discussion list.
AILA Mentor Program. The Mentor Program is a network of experienced practitioners who have agreed to answer questions and aid other members in specific areas of law. The program is designed for brief "how to" advice on practical aspects of day-to-day practice, office equipment and procedures, and ethical dilemmas.

Young Lawyers Division. The Young Lawyers Division (YLD) is open to all AILA Members who are 36 years of age and under or who, regardless of age, have been AILA Members for three years or less. The YLD seeks to provide further training and education for its members using the expertise of more senior members. The YLD is a great support system for new members.

AILA Conferences. The AILA Annual conference is the preeminent immigration law symposium held in the country. More than 90 hours of continuing legal education are offered through several days of panels, workshops, and colleague-to-colleague mentoring. Other national and regional conferences take place throughout the country during the year.

Advocacy and Representation

Government Liaison. AILA staff and Members regularly meet with the government agencies charged with the administration of immigration and related law fields, including the INS, the Visa Office of the State Department, the Executive Office for Immigration Review, the Department of Labor, the U.S. Information Agency, and other regional and local bodies.

Congressional Affairs. Through AILA's National Office in Washington, DC, the immigration bar and its clients are represented in the formulation of affirmative proposals for legislative reform and in the monitoring of legislative proposals.

Membership Services & Discounts

Membership Directory. AILA publishes an annual directory of its Members with addresses and telephone numbers. This directory is exclusively for members, and includes valuable contact and phone numbers for important government agencies.

Membership Discounts. AILA members receive at least a 40% discount on all AILA publications. Members also receive a substantial discount on CLE conference registrations.

AILA Professional Liability Insurance. AILA Members can take advantage of lower cost liability insurance designed especially for immigration lawyers offered through Complete Equity Markets. AILA insurance application forms are available for download in the members-only section of this web site. Many mandatory professional liability insurance programs in Canada do not cover Canadian lawyers when they practice U.S. law. Through AILA Canada and Complete Equity Markets, Canadian lawyers practicing U.S. immigration may obtain supplementary professional liability coverage.

Application Information

To Apply Membership application forms are available for download at the AILA National Website. Applicants whose principal place of business falls within the geographic jurisdiction of any AILA chapter must join that area chapter and pay both national and chapter dues.

Membership Eligibility According to the AILA Bylaws, any attorney, except those employed by the United States government or by the Labor Department, Employment Service or a like body in any state, territory or subdivision thereof, is eligible to be a Member of this Association if such attorney:

  • has not been disciplined, suspended or disbarred by any court, bar association, administrative agency or other disciplinary authority,
  • for the five years immediately preceding application has not violated the disciplinary rules of the Code of Professional Responsibility of the American Bar Association as amended or of any state or other jurisdiction in which such person has represented clients or engaged in practice,
  • is licensed to practice law and is a member in good standing of the bar of any state or territory of the United States or the District of Columbia or, if not a member of the bar of any state or territory of the United States, is licensed to practice law and is in good standing in a court of the country in which one resides and is engaged in such practice of law, and
  • if engaged in the practice of law, is so engaged in compliance with the law applicable in every place where the attorney maintains an office for the practice of law.

Burden of Proof and Waiver Applicants must prove their eligibility to become a member of the association. The Board of Governors may waive membership requirements for certain applicants with the affirmative vote of three fourths of the Members.

AILA National Office

American Immigration Lawyers Association
918 F Street, NW
Washington, DC
20004
Phone: 202-216-2400
Fax: 202-783-7853