Roberta Freedman concentrates her practice in the area of immigration and nationality law. Ms. Freedman has more than 20 years of experience in representing clients, including physicians, healthcare providers, business professionals, outstanding professors and researchers, and Fortune 500 corporations. She has been selected by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS) to lead high-profile joint CIS-private sector projects.

Ms. Freedman is an active member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) and is the past Chair of the Washington, D.C. Chapter and past Director of the Board of Governors and has been appointed to serve and chair on a number of AILA national committees. She is a former member of the Coordinating Committee on Immigration Law of the American Bar Association.

Admitted to practice in Maryland and the District of Columbia, Ms. Freedman is a 1983 graduate of the University of Baltimore School of Law and a graduate of Syracuse University. She is fluent in Spanish.

Professional Activities

American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), 1983-present
Elected Positions
-Director, Board of Governors, 1995-1998
National Appointments
-Member, Vermont Service Center Liaison Committee, 2001-2003
-Mentor, Arlington, VA and Baltimore, MD INS District Offices, 2002-2005
-Chair, Spring Conference Committee, 2000
-Chair, Department of State Visa Office Liaison Committee, 1998-1999
--Committee Member 1997-1998
-Chair, Information and Technology Committee, 1997-1998
-Co-Chair, Vermont Service Center Liaison Committee, 1996-1997
-Chair, Social Security Liaison Committee, 1995-1996; 2000-2001
-Chair, Improved Adjudications Task Force, 1994-1995
-Co-Chair, Immigration Service Headquarters Liaison Committee, 1993-1994
-Co-Chair, Alien Physicians Task Force, 1992-1993
AILA Washington, DC Chapter
Elected Positions
- Chapter President, 1991-1993
- Chapter Secretary, 1989-1991
Chapter Appointments
- Chair, Baltimore District Office Chapter Liaison, 1999-2001, 2004-2005
- Chair, Arlington District Office Chapter Liaison, 2001-2004
- Chair, District Counsel Liaison, 1997-1998
- Chair, Naturalization Committee, 1993-1995
- Co-Chair, Executive Office for Immigration Review, Liaison Committee, 1987-1989
American Bar Association (ABA), 1983 to present
National Appointments
- Member, Coordinating Committee on Immigration Law, 2000-2002
- Chair, Immigration Law Committee, 2000-2002
- Vice Chair, Immigration Law Committee- 1998-2000

Admissions

District of Columbia
Supreme Court of the United States
U.S. District Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
Court of Appeals of Maryland
District of Columbia Court of Appeals

Education

University of Baltimore School of Law, J.D., 1983

Board Memberships

Capital Area Immigrants Rights Coalition (CAIR)
- Member, Legal Advisory Board, 2001-present

Civic and Charitable Activities

Judge, "Regional Competition," ABA National Appellate Advocacy Competition, Washington, D.C., 2003
Develop and Mentor Volunteer Attorney Program, UJA Federation of Greater Washington, Community Resettlement Program, "Project Citizenship", Rockville, Maryland, 1997-present
Participant, Council of Latino Agencies, Washington, D.C., 1997
Peer Reviewer, National Institute of Justice's Illegal Immigration Peer Review Panel, Washington, D.C., 1995

Honors and Awards

Listed in Washington, D.C. Super Lawyers for Immigration, 2008
Listed in The Best Lawyers In America, 2006-2009 editions
Listed in Chambers USA: America's Leading Business Lawyers, 2006-2008 editions
"Certificate of Appreciation" in recognition of service in advancement of immigrant's and refugees' rights and access to justice, ABA Coordinating Committee on Immigration Law, 1999-2002
"Community Service Award," UJA Federation of Greater Washington, Washington, D.C., 1998
"Certificate of Appreciation" for outstanding volunteer services in Legal and Consumer Protection in the Latino Community of the Washington, D.C. Area, by Ayuda, Inc., 1981

Selected Publications

Contributing Author, "J-1 Physicians: A Recruitment Opportunity Comes Knocking," The Journal of Medical Practice Management, Nov./Dec. 2005
Contributing Author, Professionals: A Matter of Degree, 4th Ed., 2003
Contributing Author, The Visa Processing Guide, 1994-2000, 2002-2003
Co-Author, "A Survey of J-1 Physicians Interested Government Agency Waiver Programs Available Following the Completion of the Exchange Visitor Program," Immigration Law Committee Update, 1998
Contributing Author, Annual AILA Conference Handbook, 1995, 1996, 2000

Selected Speaking Engagements

Faculty Member, "Unlawful Presence and Immigration Visas" and "Enforcement Issues in Family-Based Immigration," AILA's Annual Conference on Immigration Law, Orlando, FL, June 2007
Speaker, "Adjustment of Status & Consulor Processing Workshop With The Experts," AILA's Fundamentals of Immigration Law Practice Conference, Atlanta, GA, March 2007
Speaker, "Advising Clients Of Their Business Visa Options," AILA Chapter Spring Conference, Washington, D.C., April 2007
Speaker, "Determining The Correct Type of Nonimmigrant Visas To Minimize Organization Risk," Council on Education Management's "Immigration Law Update 2007, Ensuring Compliance to Avoid Costly Fines and Minimize Liability Risks," Baltimore, Maryland, March 3, 2007
Speaker, "Navigating the maze of employment-based immigration options to ensure compliance with regulations," Immigration Law Update 2007. Council on Education in Management, Baltimore, MD, March 8, 2007.
Faculty Member, "Bars to Admission and Waivers for Immigrant Visa and Non-Immigrant Visa Employees," 2005 Annual Conference on Immigration Law, AILA, Salt Lake City, UT, 2005
Faculty Member, "Visa Retrogression, Strategies for Surviving the Visa Crisis," AILA D.C. Chapter Fall Conference, 2005
Guest Lecturer, George Washington University School of Law, Washington, D.C., 2004-present
Moderator, "Consular Processing Today: Visa Procedures, Security Clearances and Waivers," Three (3) Part Series sponsored by the Immigration Lawyers on the Web, Feb. 2005, March 2005, April 2005
Faculty Member, "NIV Waivers," 2004 Annual Conference on Immigration Law, AILA, Philadelphia, PA, 2004
Faculty Member, "Practicum for Intermediate and New Lawyers," AILA D.C. Chapter Fall Conference, 2004
Guest Lecturer, American University School of Law, Washington, D.C., 2004-present
Speaker, "J-1 Physician Conference Series," American College of International Physicians, Bethesda, Maryland; New York, New York; Chicago, Illinois; Houston, Texas, 2002-2005
Panelist, "Helping Your Clients Get Another Chance," AILA DC Chapter Fall Conference, 2003
Panelist, "New Systems: New Challenges for Immigration Attorneys, In-House Counsel & Human Resource Personnel," New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education, New Brunswick, New Jersey, 2003
Resource Panelist for Medical Professionals, Fall CLE Conference, AILA, San Antonio, Texas, 2003
Day Coordinator, 2003 Annual Conference on Immigration Law, AILA, New Orleans, Louisiana, 2003
Panelist, "AILA Teleconference With Senior State Department Officials MOUs, PAWs & SAOs," AILA, Washington, D.C., 2003
Speaker, Town Hall Meeting, Human Rights Campaign, Washington, D.C., 2002
Faculty Speaker, "Adjustment of Status and Consular Processing," Law Education Institute, Inc., Steamboat Springs, Colorado, 2002
Moderator, "Liberty and Justice Denied: The Struggle for Immigrant and Refugee Rights in America," ABA Coordinating Committee on Immigration Law, San Diego, California, 2001
Day Coordinator, 2001 Annual Conference on Immigration Law, AILA, Boston, Massachusetts, 2001
Panelist, "What Every Lawyer Needs to Know About Immigration Law," ABA Coordinating Committee on Immigration Law, New York, New York, 2000
Faculty Member, "Immigrant Visa Processing," 2000 Annual Conference on Immigration Law, AILA, Chicago, Illinois, 2000
Faculty Member, "Department of State Open Forum," 1999 Annual Conference on Immigration Law, AILA, Seattle, Washington, 1999
Speaker, "The Marriage Interview; Removing the Condition on Permanent Residence; Special Cases," AILA Immigration Law Basics Conference, Washington, D.C., 1999
Speaker, "Affidavits of Support and Consular Issues," D.C. Community Coalition, Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc., Washington, D.C., 1999, 1998
Panelist, Immigration Law Basics Conference, AILA, Cleveland, Ohio, 1999
Panelist, "Immigration Law: Basics and More," American Law Institute-American Bar Association Committee on Continuing Professional Education, Washington, D.C., 1999
Panelist, "Overview of the Internet," Technology Training Program, AILA, Washington, D.C., 1999
Panelist, "Consular Practice Roundtable," 1998 Annual Conference on Immigration Law, AILA, Houston, Texas, 1998
Faculty Member, "Consular Practice," 1998 Annual Conference on Immigration Law, AILA, Houston, Texas, 1998
Faculty Member, "Regional Service Center and INS District Office Update," 1997 Annual Conference on Immigration Law, AILA, Orlando, Florida, 1997
Speaker, "International Network of Employment Services," American Chemical Society, Washington, D.C., 1997
Panelist, "A Washington Town Meeting: Public Liaison Meetings with Government Decision-Makers," Spring Conference, AILA, Washington, D.C., 1996
Faculty Member, "Procedural Issues for Nonimmigrants,"-1995 Annual Conference on Immigration Law, AILA, Atlanta, Georgia, 1995
Faculty Member, 1994 Annual Conference on Immigration Law, AILA, San Francisco, California, 1994
Faculty Member, Fall Conference on H-1B Issues, AILA, Chicago, Illinois, 1994
Speaker, "Survey of U.S. Immigration Laws," Caribbean Basin Professional Association, 1992
Faculty Member, "TIVPC/Day at the Consulate," 1993 Annual Conference on Immigration Law, AILA, Toronto, Canada, 1993
Speaker, Comprehensive Seminar on the New Immigration Act of 1990, AILA, Washington, D.C., 1991
Speaker, "Seminar on Immigration Law," Women's Bar Association of Maryland, Annapolis, Maryland, 1990
Speaker, "How to Legally Employ Aliens," The International Association of Hospitality Accountants, Inc., Washington, D.C., 1989
Speaker, "A Historical Survey of U.S. Immigration Laws," Shaare Tefila Congregation, Silver Spring, Maryland, 1987
Speaker, "In-Service Training Regarding Current Immigration Laws," St. Elizabeth's Hospital, Washington, D.C., 1987
Speaker, "A Review of Current U.S. Immigration Laws," Anne Arundel County Women's Law Center, Annapolis, Maryland, 1984