The International Law Section Gazette | |
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The cumulative impact of thousands of small acts can be bigger than we imagine.
- Queen Elizabeth
Dear ILS Members:
It is inspiring to see the number of individuals, organizations, and entire communities that have gathered over the past week to provide different forms of relief and support to those impacted by Hurricane Ian. From small individual donations to full-fledge mobilizations by various municipal and county agencies, these immediate efforts are significantly helping our friends, colleagues, and neighbors on the west coast. Working together, I know we will remain Florida strong.
The Florida Bar has created a special page in The Florida Bar News’ Classified Ads section to connect Florida Bar members who would like to help attorneys and law firms impacted by Hurricane Ian. If you have temporary office space or other resources that can assist impacted attorneys, please contact Mark Killian at mkillian@floridabar.org. Additionally, if you have other ideas on ways the ILS can help those affected by the hurricane or would like assistance setting-up a specific relief effort or project, please feel free to contact me directly at jvillalba@harpermeyer.com.
The ILS would like to thank USCIS, ICE, CBP, Labor and State Department Liaison Committee member, Tammy Fox-Isicoff, for her swift efforts in communicating with those agencies on behalf of the ILS to request liberal extensions of filing deadlines, forgiveness for late filings, and other accommodations for attorneys and foreign nationals in Florida who were affected by Hurricane Ian. We would also like to thank Committee Chair, Larry Rifkin, for his assistance in organizing the information for publication in this week’s Gazette and his commitment to keeping our members apprised of future updates.
I look forward to seeing you next Tuesday at the Farewell to Summer event.
Best regards,
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Jacqueline Villalba, Esq. | |
THE USCIS, ICE, CBP, and the State Department Liaison Committee Provides Practitioners with a Summary of the Federal Government's Current Accommodations for Individuals Impacted by Hurricane Ian. | |
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The USCIS, ICE, CBP, Labor, and State Department Liaison Committee is pleased to provide practitioners with a summary of the federal government’s current accommodations for individuals impacted by Hurricane Ian.
1. EXECUTIVE OFFICE FOR IMMIGRATION (EOIR)
At this time, the EOIR (part of the Department of Justice) has committed to the following: Due to the impact of Hurricane Ian, the Miami, Krome, and Orlando Immigration Courts will exercise their discretionary authority to automatically accept late-filed documents for 30 calendar days, effective September 28, 2022. The Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) will exercise its discretionary authority to automatically accept late-filed appeals, motions to reopen or reconsider, or accept late-filed briefs in cases arising from these Immigration Courts for 30 calendar days, effective September 28, 2022. Outside of cases arising from these Immigration Courts, pursuant to section 3.1(b)(6) of the BIA Practice Manual, the BIA will take into account the extenuating circumstances caused by Hurricane Ian when the Board receives requests to accept late-filed documents where the inability to meet the deadline was caused by the storm. Due to the inability to deliver mail to many individuals impacted by the storm, we are continuing to work with EOIR and the BIA on further relief.
2. U.S. CITIZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATION SERVICES (USCIS)
We have implored USCIS, part of the Department of Homeland Security, to liberally extend deadlines and provide for satisfactory departure for those persons present in the United States on ESTA (Visa Waiver) impacted by Hurricane Ian. We are continuing to work with the agency and will provide updates as we receive them. At this time, they have our wish list and we expect to hear back from USCIS shortly. In the interim, please check this link for USCIS’ current policies for those individuals affected by natural disasters and other unforeseen circumstances who are seeking immigration assistance: https://www.uscis.gov/newsroom/alerts/immigration-help-available-to-those-affected-by-natural-disasters-and-other-unforeseen-circumstances-2
3. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR (DOL)
The Department of Labor has graciously made arrangements to forgive late filings in many cases. We are continuing to work with them.
https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/ETA/oflc/pdfs/Hurricane%20Ian%20Disaster%20Guidance%20-%209-29-2022.pdf.
4. SENATOR MARCO RUBIO (FLORIDA SENATOR)
Senator Marco Rubio’s office has indicated that it will assist in expending nonimmigrant visa appointments for families of victims of Hurricane Ian who are abroad. The wait time for tourist visa appointments at most consulates is over a year. The applicant is instructed to schedule an appointment with the consulate and then contact Senator Rubio’s office. The applicant must provide Senator Rubio’s office with the nature of the emergency, any backup documentation (for example: property in the area impacted), the date and place of the scheduled visa appointment, and the attached consent form completed. Once the form is completed, please email the documentation to Casework@rubio.senate.gov with the subject line "Hurricane Ian Travel Assistance" so it may be identified and processed by their team in a timely manner.
The Committee thanks Tammy Fox-Isicoff, Esq. for her efforts in this matter.
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Join The ILS, YLD, and Young MIAS for a Farewell to Summer Happy Hour October 11, 2022! | |
Upcoming CLE Opportunity: International Arbitration Battle Royale - Civil vs. Common Law | |
For those interested, please visit the registration link, which can be found here! | |
Florida Bar International Law Section Secures Discount for the IBA Annual Conference for Young Florida Bar Members | |
MIAS: First Annual LATAM Investor-State Arbitration Conference | |
International Law Deskbook 2020 | | |
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The International Law Section is proud to announce that its International Law Deskbook is now ready for shipping! Get yours today! CLICK HERE to purchase!
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Join the International Law Section
If you are reading the Gazette, chances are that you are a practitioner or a student with an interest in International Law, one of the most wide-ranging, exciting and challenging legal specialties. Everyone in our field knows how crucial it is to stay on top of diverse and evolving national legal regimes, and at the same time, the difficulty of keeping meticulously up-to-date on developments around the world.
The International Law Section (ILS) of The Florida Bar is here to help you, the practitioner, navigate both the everyday and big-picture challenges of our field. Our Section is your forum to share knowledge and best practices, and to meet and mingle with peers in professional collaborations that can only enhance your grasp of the specialty and your standing among clients and peers.
Let ILS membership assist you in developing a thriving international practice through peer network development that includes important shared learnings and reciprocal referrals of clients and casework.
If your practice transcends borders, join us in making this the authoritative, go-to forum for Florida and the gateway to the region for anyone practicing International Law. Our Section is open to lawyers from other states and countries, full-time faculty at U.S. law schools, and full-time U.S. law students, all of whom may participate as associate members. For more information regarding membership with the ILS, click HERE.
Turn in your membership application TODAY!
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ILS Member Jennifer Diaz Moderated the OWIT South Florida's International Round Table on September 20 | |
International Law Quarterly | |
The International Law Quarterly - Spring 2022 | |
The Spring 2022 Issue of the International Law Quarterly - International Law in the Time of COVID-19 is now available. Click on the image above to download! For all previous issues of the International Law Quarterly, please follow this link.
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The ILS Thanks its Sponsors
In light of what we accomplished this past year, we hope you will continue to support the Section as a sponsor. In 2021-2022, various firms, companies and suppliers sponsored the Section.
We look forward to another year of innovative programs where we can advance international law and further promote our sponsors. To learn more, read the Section's sponsorship package. You can also contact our Treasurer, Cristina Vicens Beard at cvicens4@gmail.com for more details., or Vice Treasurer, Laura Reich at lreich@harpermeyer.com for more details.
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The ILS Gazette
Editor: Matthew Akiba
Chair: Jacqueline Villalba
Immediate Past Chair: James M. Meyer
Chair-Elect: Richard Montes De Oca
Secretary: Ana Barton
Treasurer: Cristina Vicens Beard
Vice-Treasurer: Laura Reich
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