Contact Information     Phone: (703) 218-2120   Fax: (703) 218-2160   Email: nancy.lawrence@ofplaw.com   Printer Friendly Version

Nancy Lawrence is Of Counsel to the firm, focusing on U.S. Immigration and Nationality Law. She has practiced immigration law exclusively since 1978, advising individuals and small, medium and large corporate clients on appropriate filings and strategies for dealing with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (formerly the Immigration and Naturalization Service), the Department of Labor, and the State Department and its embassies and consulates abroad.  She has also been recognized in the Best Lawyers in America list in 2008, 2009 and 2010, and was selected as one of Washington, DC's 800 top lawyers in 2009.

Practice Areas:

• Obtaining various types of U.S. nonimmigrant visas including:
  • Specialty occupation (H-1B) visas for IT professionals, economists, business professionals, teachers, etc.
  • Intracompany transferee (L-1) visas for managers, executives and employees with specialized knowledge
• Obtaining U.S. Permanent Resident (“green card”) status for individuals including:
  • Family-based relative petitions
  • Employment-based labor certification applications (traditional and PERM) and preference petitions
• Advising individuals on strategies for handling the immigrant visa phase of their cases
• Representing corporations in establishing blanket L-1 intracompany transfer programs

Education:

• J.D. George Washington University Law School, 1978
• B.A., Foreign Languages, magna cum laude, Clark University, 1974
  • Phi Beta Kappa

Teaching Positions:

• Professional Lecturer in Law – George Washington University Law School, Spring 1998-Present
• Adjunct Associate Professor – American University Law School, Fall 2001-Present
• English Language Conversation Teacher, Lycee D’Etat Mixte, Amiens, France, 1974-1975

Professional Activities:

• American Immigration Lawyers Association – Washington, D.C. Chapter
  • Chapter Chair, 1987-1988
  • Chapter Secretary, 1985-1987
• Women’s Bar Association of the District of Columbia
  • Co-Chair Naturalization Ceremony Committee, 1986-1988

Awards / Honors:

• Included in the Best Lawyers in America in the category of Immigration Law - 2008, 2009 and 2010
• Selected to Virginia Business’ “Legal Elite - Immigration Lawyers” in 2002, 2005 and 2006 (the 3 most recent years in which immigration lawyers were included)
• Selected to the Washingtonian's "top 800 lawyers in Washington" list in 2009

Publications / Speeches / Presentations:

• Author, A Key to the Golden Door: A Guide to Family- and Employment-Based Immigration Law, now in its 12th edition
• Virginia CLE, Hot Topics in Business Immigration,” Fairfax, VA, January 2006
• Virginia CLE, Immigration Law & Practice Seminar – Family-Based Immigration,” Richmond and Fairfax, VA, August 2005
• Immigration Law for Local Government Attorneys, Local Government Attorneys of Virginia Spring 2005 Conference, Alexandria, VA, April 2005
• HalfMoon Seminar, Understanding Family-Sponsored Immigration, Arlington, VA, March 2005
• Virginia CLE, Immigration Meets Employment, Fairfax, VA, August 2004
• Immigration Law Issues in the Employment Setting, Fairfax Bar Association, Tysons Corner, VA, April 2004

Languages:

• Fluent in French
• Functional Proficiency in Spanish

Admitted to Practice:

• District of Columbia