Ester Greenfield
Phone: 206.622.1604Fax: 206.343.3961
*Email:
PRACTICE EMPHASIS AND EXPERIENCE
Immigration Law
Ester’s practice focuses on immigration law with an emphasis on labor certifications, multinational managers, and outstanding researchers. She also assists individuals and businesses with family based immigrant petitions, naturalization, and petitions for status under the Violence Against Women Act. She has participated in formulating large scale immigration business solutions and policies and has advocated for reform before the U.S. Department of Labor at the national level. She is a frequent speaker and writer concerning labor certification issues throughout the country.
Ester is "AV" rated by Martindale-Hubbell*, the highest rating obtainable by members of the legal community.
PROFESSIONAL AND CIVIC INVOLVEMENT
- American Immigration Lawyers Association (Former Vice Chair, National Department of Labor liaison Committee; Former President, Washington Chapter; Senior Editor of the AILA Annual Handbook;
- IMMLAW, national consortium of noted immigration lawyers (Member)
- Seattle Human Rights Commission former member
- Seattle University School of Law (Former adjunct professor teaching immigration law and VAWA immigration clinic)
- Washington State Bar Association (Member)
- Volunteer and Coordination, King County Bar Association Immigration Legal Clinic
University of Chicago, B.A., 1973
University of Illinois, J.D., 1976
Law Clerk to Hon. Prentice H. Marshall, US District Judge, Northern District of Illinois, 1976-78.
BAR/COURT ADMISSIONS
Washington State Bar, 1978
Illinois State Bar, 1976
HONORS AND AWARDS
- Listed "Best Lawyers in America" in the field of immigration law for more than ten years
- Listed "Washington's Super Lawyer", 2005-2010
- Listed "Top 50 Women Super Lawyers", 2007-2009
- Listed in International “Who's Who of Business Immigration Lawyers”
- Listed in “Who's Who in American Law”
- Listed in “Who's Who of American Women”
Clark, Steven, Cohen, Robert, Greenfield, Ester, and Notkin, Deborah, "Labor Certification du Jour: 2007-08 PERM Developments, in Immigration and Nationality Handbook, 2008-09 Edition, AILA.
Greenfield, Ester, The David Stanton Manual on Labor Certification: Successful Strategies for Practice under PERM (Third Edition 2005). Co-Editor in Chief. American Immigration Lawyers Association.
Greenfield, Ester and Rose, Linda, "Prevailing Wages under PERM: How to "Do the Right Thing" in The David Stanton Manual on Labor Certification: Successful Strategies for Practice under PERM (Third Edition 2005).
Greenfield, Ester. "The Brand New World of PERM Labor Certifications." Immigration Law in the Workplace seminar, June.
Greenfield, Ester. "2002 Department of Labor Developments." 2003 Northwest Regional Immigration Seminar. Portland, OR: American Immigration Lawyers Association, 2003. pp. 42-43
AILA's Department of Labor Directory for Immigration Lawyers 2003 Edition. Ed. Jane W. Goldblum & Ester Greenfield. Washington D.C.: American Immigration Lawyers Association, 2003.
Greenfield, Ester & Donaldson, Bob & Stroupe, Bart. "Problems That Arise With Dual Representation: Responsibilities of Immigration Lawyers Under the Rules of Professional Conduct." 2002 Northwest Regional Immigration Conference: The Times They are Changin'. Seattle, WA: King County Bar Association, 2002.
AILA's Department of Labor Directory for Immigration Lawyers 2002 Edition. Ed. Jane W. Goldblum & Ester Greenfield. Washington D.C.: American Immigration Lawyers Association, 2002.
Rose, Linda & Greenfield, Ester. "You Take the High Road and I'll Take the Low Road and Never the Twain Shall Meet: A Practice Advisory on Prevailing Wage Levels." Immigration Law Today: July/August 2002, Vol. 21 No. 6. Ed. Randy P. Auerbach. Washington D.C.: American Immigration Lawyers Association, 2001. pp. 451-459.
Greenfield, Ester. "Strategies for Coping with H and L Nonimmigrant Time Limits." Immigration and Nationality Law Handbook 2000-2001 Vol. II. Ed. Randy P. Auerbach. Washington D.C.: American Immigration Lawyers Association, 2000. pp. 100-104.
Greenfield, Ester. "Using OES and Private Salary Surveys to Find the Prevailing Wage Under Gal 2-98 (Caution at the Crosswalk)." Immigration and Nationality Law Handbook 1999-2000 Vol. II. Ed. R. Patrick Murphy. Washington D.C.: American Immigration Lawyers Association, 1999. pp. 215-226.
Greenfield, Ester & Pelta, Eleanor. "Labor Certification for Computer Professionals." The David Stanton Manual on Labor Certification. Second Edition. Ed. Josie Gonzalez. Washington D.C.: American Immigration Lawyers Association, 1998. pp. 141-160.
RECENT PRESENTATIONS
AILA National Webinar, "PERM Audits and the Attorney's Role in the Recruitment Process," November 12, 2008
IFAP (Immigration Family Advocacy Project), "Ethics in VAWA Petitions," October 10, 2008 (Seattle, WA)
AILA Annual Conference, "Scope of Representation in Labor Certifications," June 26, 2008 (Vancouver. Canada)
AILA National Webinar, "SVP/Job Zones and Business Necessity, " April 29, 2008
AILA Northwest Immigration Conference, PERM Panel, February 7, 2008 (Seattle, WA)
AILA Fall Conference, "DOL: Under Water Again?" September 28, 2007 (Lake Tahoe, NV)
AILA National Webinar, "ABCs of Business Immigration Law for Newer Practitioners," May 8, 2007
Fundamentals of Immigration Law, AILA, "Employment Based Immigrant Visas," October 19, 2006 (Seattle, WA)
AILA Annual Conference, "Labor Certification-Based Immigration: Post Filing," June 22, 2006 (San Antonio, TX)
AILA Northwest Regional Conference, "PERM Update," March 9, 2006 (Seattle, WA)
AILA California Chapters Conference, "Update on PERM," November 4, 2005 (Palm Springs, CA)
Northwest Regional Immigration Law Conference, Labor Certification Panel, February 26, 2004 (Seattle, WA)
Immigration Lawyers on the Web Teleconference on Labor Certifications: "Are We All Certifiable?" March 18, 2004
AILA Annual Conference, Labor Certification Panel, June 10, 2004 (Philadelphia, PA)
Immigration Law in the Workplace, "Planning Following DOL /CIS Changes," June 24, 2004 (Seattle, WA)
ILW Teleconference on Labor Certifications: "Preparing for PERM" November 4, 2004.
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