Ethics Issues for Immigration Attorneys

In “Ethics Issues for Immigration Attorneys,” a chapter featured in the District of Columbia Bar’s Nonimmigrant Visa Practice Manual, Zuckerman Spaeder LLP partner Thomas B. Mason and associate Rachel F. Cotton examine the unique and complicated ethical challenges for immigration attorneys practicing in Washington, DC. In addition to the potential conflicts involved in representing multiple parties, Mr. Mason and Ms. Cotton point out that immigration attorneys in Washington, DC are also subject to two sets of ethics rules: the D.C. Rules of Professional Conduct and the rules promulgated by the Executive Office for Immigration Review. Mr. Mason and Ms. Cotton write that these parallel, yet different, guidelines present challenges in determining how attorneys communicate with their clients, establish their scope of work, handle their clients’ funds, and disclose evidence.