Can you make the government pay for your attorney fees? Yes! If you win a FOIA appeal case, a reversal of the BIA, or a Mandamus case, can you really get fees from the government? Yes! Our panel of experts will guide you through the process and advise on best practices for how you can make the government pay for your attorney fees.

Featured Topics:

• What Are the Requirements and Practical Tips for Receiving Fees for FOIA Litigation?
• When May Attorney Fees Be Paid Under the Equal Access to Justice Act (EAJA), and How Does That Affect Retainer Agreements and Time-Tracking?
• What Are Practical Considerations for Seeking EAJA Fees in Employment-Based, Family-Based, Asylum, and Humanitarian Cases?
• Astrue v. Ratliff: Impact of the Case on Payment of Attorney Fees
• How Often Do Fees Get Awarded in Mandamus Lawsuits, and What Are Practical Tips for Seeking Attorney Fees?

Free Seminar Recordings with AILA Membership Starting March 2021
Please note, all 2021 seminar recordings are free to AILA members starting in March 2021, as part of a new service provided with AILA membership. Recordings will be available approximately two weeks after the live event and are CLE eligible in most jurisdictions. A CLE administration fee will apply for AILA members interested in obtaining CLE credit. More details available [here].

CLE Credit

This web seminar is CLE eligible.

CLE processing is included with purchase for all nonmembers. Members receiving this recording as a free member benefit may also obtain CLE credit for the program. Detailed information on how to obtain CLE can be found on the AILA Seminar Recordings page.

AILA has filed for MCLE and specialized credit in appropriate jurisdictions. To receive CLE credit, attorneys must record seminar attendance and the CLE code provided via webCLE. Eligible participants can receive up to 1.8 CLE credit hours.

The OnDemand Recording format does not qualify for CLE credit in the following jurisdictions: AR, MO, PR, and TN.

Please note that your jurisdiction may limit OnDemand credit based on the date of the original presentation. Please view the OnDemand Downloadable Expiration Chart for more details. Your jurisdiction may also limit the amount of distance learning credit you can earn. To view details on your jurisdiction's credit restrictions and CLE requirements, please visit the CLE Center. For more information on specific approvals, email cle@aila.org.

About the Faculty

Michael W. Gahagan (DL), AILA FOIA Committee, Metairie, LA
Michael W. Gahagan is the owner of Gahagan Law Firm, L.L.C. - The Immigration Law Firm of New Orleans. Mr. Gahagan practices Immigration Law and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) law exclusively in federal courts and immigration courts nationwide. Mr. Gahagan has been a member of AILA since 2008 and the AILA Federal Litigation Section since 2013. Mr. Gahagan has been the AILA MidSouth Chapter Federal Court Litigation Chairman since 2013 and the AILA MidSouth Chapter Federal Litigation Liaison since 2019. Mr. Gahagan has also been an AILA National Committee Member on the Distance Learning Committee from 2017 to 2019; and he is currently on the FOIA Strategy Committee. In addition to holding positions within AILA, Mr. Gahagan is consistently invited to be an expert speaker at State Bar conventions and AILA conventions worldwide on the topics of immigration law, federal immigration litigation, FOIA, FOIA litigation, and the Administrative Procedure Act. Mr. Gahagan has successfully represented hundreds of clients in federal court litigation against DHS, USCIS, ICE, and CBP. Michael W. Gahagan can be contacted at MichaelGahagan@ImmigrationLawNewOrleans.com

Paul O'Dwyer, New York, NY

Karen Tumlin, Los Angeles, CA
Karen Tumlin is the founder and director of Justice Action Center, a nonprofit dedicated to fighting for greater justice for immigrant communities by combining litigation and storytelling. Karen formerly served as the Director of Legal Strategy and Legal Director for the National Immigration Law Center. She has successfully litigated numerous cases of national importance, including challenging President Trump’s Muslim Ban and his effort to end the DACA program, as well as the constitutional challenge to Arizona’s notorious anti-immigrant SB 1070 law. Karen also served as the campaign manager for the HomeIsHere campaign and has testified before Congress.