Updates About Me

Free Consultations Under NYC Phase 2 Reopening

June 22, 2020 by Matthew

Today, NYC entered into phase 2 of reopening. Under phase 2, lawyers can now meet with clients in their office.

I have resumed meeting with clients and making appointments for free consultations.

I only meet with people in my office by appointment.

I will be wearing a mask during all appointments and anyone that wishes to meet with me must also wear a mask.

All consultations are screened on the phone before scheduling an appointment. Please be prepared to discuss your case before calling.

Free Consultation by Phone

June 11, 2020 by Matthew

Lawyers are not yet permitted to hold in-office meetings with clients under New York City’s Phase One of Reopening. In compliance with the law, I am not scheduling in-person consultations in my office at this time. I will resume consultations in my office when it is safe and permitted by law.

If someone is looking to hire an immigration lawyer, I am more than happy to speak to you over the phone. While it is not ideal, many of the services that I provide can be done over the phone and via e-mail. Since the quarantine has begun, I have prepared immigration forms for clients, such as naturalization applications, without actually meeting with them in person.

Information About My Case in the U.S. Supreme Court

November 17, 2015 by Matthew

On November 3, 2015, I argued an immigration case before the U.S. Supreme Court.

The transcript and audio for the oral argument are on-line. If you are reading this and you’re thinking of hiring me for your deportation case, listening to the audio will show you what I can do in court.

Since it’s an open case, I prefer not to comment about the case. Although, I will say that it was a dream come true to be able to argue before the U.S. Supreme Court. This was my first time ever arguing before the U.S. Supreme Court. This meant a lot to me because I’ve twice lost out on opportunities to argue before the Supreme Court.

In 2007, I was part of a team of lawyers that won a case before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit called Blake v. Carbone, 489 F.3d 88 (2d Cir. 2007). At the time, Blake was considered an important decision and it was expected that the Solicitor General’s Office would file a petition for a writ of certiorari to the Supreme Court challenging the Second Circuit’s decision. However, they did not. A few years later, the Supreme Court decided Judulang v. Holder, 132 S.Ct. 476 (2011), which involved the same issue as Blake, but from a case from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

In 2008, I won a case before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit called Martinez v. Mukasey, 519 F.3d 532 (2d Cir. 2008). Once again, it was expected that the Solicitor General’s Office would file a petition for a writ of certiorari challenging the Second Circuit’s decision. However, they did not. A few years later, the Supreme Court decided Moncrieffe v. Holder, 133 S.Ct. 1678 (2013), which involved the same issue as as Martinez, but from a case from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.

Since I won Blake and Martinez, it was hard for me to watch other lawyers litigate issues in the Supreme Court that I had litigated first in the Second Circuit. Not being able to argue Blake and Martinez before the Supreme Court made this experience even more special for me. I finally got my chance to argue before the Supreme Court.