Ester Greenfield

Ester brings many years of experience to today’s immigration challenges.

Ester is now semi-retired and maintains her long association with MacDonald Hoague & Bayless and its immigration group.  In her former practice, she represented a wide variety of clients, including individuals, start-up companies, and large corporations.  She actively consults with the practicing immigration lawyers at MacDonald Hoague & Bayless, bringing her years of experience to today’s immigration challenges.

With the full support of MacDonald Hoague & Bayless, Ester has been co-leader of a weekly pro bono immigration clinic for migrants since the fall of 2023.  This project is sponsored by Riverton Park United Methodist Church in Tukwila WA and by Jewish Coalition for Immigrant Justice NW.  Working with dozens of volunteers, the clinic assisted hundreds of migrants.  The clinic filed Temporary Protect Status and work authorization applications for Venezuelans as well as applications for employment authorization for migrants who entered under the former CBP-1 program.  These programs were shut down in the spring of 2025.  The clinic is also filing applications for employment authorization for asylum applicants and providing individual immigration consultations.  For her leadership in this project, Ester was recognized in 2025 by the Washington chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association with its AILA WA Champion Award, for excellence in pro bono service. She was also recognized in 2025 with the Tzedek Justice Award by Jewish Coalition for Immigrant Justice NW.

Ester worked on labor certification issues for many years on a national level. She served on the Department of Labor liaison committee for the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) for eight years. She was an author and co-editor-in-chief of The David Stanton Manual on Labor Certification (AILA, 3rd ed. 2005). She taught immigration law as an Adjunct Professor at Seattle University School of Law. She has been listed in "The Best Lawyers in America" in the field of immigration law from 1999 to the present. She was recognized as Immigration Lawyer of the Year in Seattle by Best Lawyers in 2013 and 2015.

During her years of active practice, Ester volunteered in free legal clinics sponsored by the King County Bar Association and One America. She served as a speaker at local and national immigration law conferences sponsored by AILA on labor certifications, ethics issues, and other business immigration law issues.

Professional and Civic Involvement

• American Immigration Lawyers Association (Former Vice Chair, National Department of Labor Liaison Committee; Former President, Washington Chapter; Former Senior Editor of the AILA Annual Handbook; Member, National Students, and Scholars Committee 2013-2014; Seattle Chapter Liaison Committee with 7^th District Congressional Office)
• Member, IMMLAW, national consortium of noted immigration lawyers, www.immlaw.com
• 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 Coordinator, King County Bar Association Immigration Legal Clinics
• Volunteer, One America Citizenship workshops

Media

• Quoted in Seattle Times in article on September 19, 2025 about crushing $100,000 new fee for new H-1B visa petitions:  https://www.seattletimes.com/business/technology/trump-raises-h-1b-visa-fee-to-100k-possibly-shaking-up-wa-tech-scene/#:~:text=Trump%20adds%20new,Amazon%20and%20Microsoft

Education

• 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