Legal Ethics in Immigration Practice: Confidentiality, Informed Consent, Competent Representation, AI Use, and More

Course Details
- smart_display Format
On-Demand
- signal_cellular_alt Difficulty Level
Intermediate
- work Practice Area
Immigration
- event Date
Thursday, December 5, 2024
- schedule Time
1:00 p.m. ET./10:00 a.m. PT
- timer Program Length
90 minutes
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This 90-minute webinar is eligible in most states for 1.5 CLE credits.
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An excellent opportunity to earn Ethics CLE credits. Note: BARBRI cannot guarantee that this course will be approved for ethics credits in all states. To confirm, please contact our CLE department at pdservice@barbri.com.
This CLE webinar will equip immigration attorneys with a deeper understanding of key ethical challenges in immigration law and provide practical tools for navigating these issues in their practice.
Faculty

Mr. Dobson provides ethics advice to lawyers and practices immigration and nationality law at Dobson Law LLC.
Description
Immigration law is a complex and rapidly evolving field, often involving high-stakes decisions that affect individuals and families across borders. Factors such as frequent changes in immigration policy, the involvement of multiple legal systems, and vulnerable clients pose unique ethical challenges for attorneys.
Key ethical concerns include conflicts of interest, especially when representing multiple individuals in related cases, and the duty to provide competent representation in the face of a constantly shifting legal landscape. Other prominent ethical issues include confidentiality and informed consent, which can be particularly challenging when representing clients from different cultural backgrounds or when there is a language barrier between the attorney and client. And the burgeoning use of AI in immigration law may give rise to a host of issues such as procedural bias and others.
Counsel must balance zealous advocacy with the ethical requirement to avoid frivolous claims or misrepresentation, ensuring that their actions align with legal standards while protecting the rights and dignity of their clients.
Listen as our expert panel discusses the ethical considerations that frequently arise in immigration law practice and how attorneys can maintain professional integrity and compliance with ethical standards while providing effective advocacy for clients.
Outline
- Sources of ethical guidance and rules
- ABA Model Rules 1.1, 1.3, 1.4, 1.6, 1.7, 3.3, others
- Professional Conduct for Practitioners Rules and Procedures (Executive Office for Immigration Review, Department of Justice)
- Matter of Lozada
- Common ethical issues in immigration law
- Conflicts of interest
- Competent representation
- Effective assistance of counsel
- Informed consent
- Confidentiality
- Navigating cultural sensitivity and bias; avoiding unconscious bias
- Issues presented by the use of AI
- Best practice tips for compliance with ethics rules, principles, and guidelines
Benefits
The panel will discuss these and other key issues:
- Guidance from Model Rules and EOIP Professional Conduct for Practitioners Rules and Procedures
- The ethical concerns immigration attorneys often face
- Issues presented by the use of AI in immigration law, and what immigration attorneys can do
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