Attorneys and Staff* Spanish * Russian * French * Arabic
ATTORNEYS AT LAW
SUZANNE BROWN, Attorney at Law
Licensed in Missouri and Illinois
Admitted to practice before the Eastern District of MO, Federal District Court
Martindale-Hubbell Rating of AV
Bilingual English/Spanish
Focus on Family
Suzanne Brown has been representing individuals in immigration matters since 1987 when she became Director of the pro bono Immigration Project of the Illinois Conference of Churches. Since that time, she has been awarded the Judge Myron D. Mills Award for Administrative Law (Washington University, 1996), the Jack Gardener Award for Humanitarianism (Washington University, 1996), and the Lawyers Trust Fund of Illinois' Special Recognition Award for her Dedication to the Principle of Equal Access to Justice (1997). She served as the Executive Director of the Immigration Project, and on the Boards of the Illinois Coalition for Refugee and Immigrants Rights, the Illinois Inter-Agency Committee for Migrant Affairs, and the Farm Workers' Advocacy Project. She is well experienced in all aspects of Family Petitions, Naturalization, Political Asylum, Temporary Protected Status, NACARA, VAWA, and Waivers.
Focus on Employment
Ms. Brown is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), and has served as an AILA liason for both Nebraska Service Center and the St. Louis office of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). She is a past president of the Missouri/Kansas Chapter of AILA. She is fully licensed to represent individuals and companies throughout the United States in front of the USCIS, the Board of Immigration Appeals, and in Federal District Court.
Focus on Court
Suzanne has experience in Deportation Defense through Adjustment of Status, Cancellation of Removal, Political Asylum and Withholding of Removal, and the Convention Against Torture, as well as in seeking other Relief that might be available at the time. She also represents individuals in Federal District Court on immigration-related matters.
RACHEL GRONECK, Attorney at Law
Licensed in Missouri and Minnesota
Admitted to practice before the U.S. 8th Circuit Court of Appeals
Bilingual English/Spanish
Upon graduation from the University of Minnesota School of Law, Ms. Groneck served for two years as an Attorney Advisor with the Executive Office for Immigration Review (Immigration Court) in the U.S. Department of Justice's Honors Program. Rachel has experience in refugee and asylee matters, traditional family and employment-based immigration, naturalization, representing individuals in removal and bond proceedings, appellate procedure and motions, and assisting battered women and children in immigration self-petition cases. Rachel is also knowledgeable in the mechanics and laws of the Immigration Court.
MONICA N. SMITH, Attorney at Law
Licensed in Missouri
Trilingual English/Spanish/French
Ms. Smith joined the firm in November 2005 after receiving her B.A. She received her B.A. Degrees in International Studies and French from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 2002, and her J.D. from the University of Iowa College of Law in 2005. While in law school, Ms. Smith was a student writer for the Journal of Transnational and Contemporary Problems and published a note on immigration issues in France. She also spent a semester working in the immigration section of the University of Iowa College of Law's Legal Clinic, working primarily on affirmative asylum cases. Ms. Smith has gained extensive experience in Federal District Court filings for Mandamus and Naturalization, and is knowledgeable in all aspects of family immigration.
PARALEGALS
OLGA TKHORJEVSKAIA OLDANI, Senior Paralegal
Bilingual English/Russian
Born in Moscow Russia, Ms. Oldani graduated from Moscow Linguistics University cum laude with a Master's Degree in linguistics in 1991. Olga immigrated to the United States in 1993 and worked as a translator while she completed an Associate Degree in Legal Studies. She started working at the Law Offices of Suzanne Brown in April, 1999, and has extensive experience working with family and employment based immigration, particularly labor certifications, H-1B's and L-1 nonimmigrant visas.
DANIEL JUAREZ, Paralegal
Bilingual English/Spanish
Before immigrating to the United States in 1981, Mr. Juarez earned a Master's Degree in Sociology from San Marcos University in Lima, Peru. In 1989 Mr. Juarez began working for the Immigration Project of the Illinois Conference of Churches and later for the Immigration Project in Granite City, IL, where he served as Executive Director for 2 years before joining the Law Offices of Suzanne Brown in January, 2003. Daniel has extensive experience in the field of naturalization and family petitions.
NORMAN MOLINA, Paralegal
Bilingual English/Spanish
Born in Honduras, Mr. Molina has lived and worked in the United States since 1998. During that time, he became a Board of Immigration Appeals Accredited Representative, assisting low-income clients with their immigration needs. Mr. Molina has extensive experience in the areas of family petitions, TPS, and H-2B's. He joined the firm in the Spring of 2004.
Ahed Ismail, Office Manager/Paralegal
Bilingual English/Arabic
Born in Yemen, raised in Kuwait, Ms. Ismail earned a Bachelor's Degree in Chemical Engineering from Kuwait University in 1990, and immigrated to the United States in 1997where she earned her Master's Degree in Business Administration from Maryville University in 2001. She began working at the Law Offices of Suzanne Brown in September 2005. Ms. Ismail has a seven years experience in office management and accounting, and is knowledgeable about both family and Business Immigration.
By submitting a question, you agree
to our terms and conditions.
