Jewell Stewart & Pratt lawyers selected for inclusion in Super Lawyers®

Jewell Stewart & Pratt is pleased to announce that four of its lawyers have been selected for inclusion in Northern California Super Lawyers® in 2018. Super Lawyers is a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas, including immigration, who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. The selection process includes independent research, peer nominations and peer evaluations.

Phyllis Jewell, a principal of the firm and its Managing Attorney, was named a Super Lawyer at the inception of the Northern California Super Lawyers list in 2004, and has been named to the list each year from 2004 to 2013, and 2015 to present (2018). Only 5 percent of lawyers in a state are selected for inclusion in Super Lawyers.

Principal Claire Pratt and Associate Attorney Chris Beckerson have been selected as Rising Stars from 2015 to 2018. In addition, Associate Attorney Jennifer Carr has been selected in Rising Stars from 2017 to 2018. To be eligible for inclusion in Rising Stars, a candidate must be either 40 years old or younger or in practice for 10 years or less. No more than 2.5 percent of lawyers in a state are named to Rising Stars.

Congratulations to Phyllis, Claire, Chris, and Jennifer!

© Jewell Stewart & Pratt PC 2018

JSP Principal Claire Pratt Elected Chapter Chair of AILA’s Northern California Chapter

On May 8, 2018, JSP Principal Claire Pratt was elected Chapter Chair of the American Immigration Lawyers Association’s Northern California Chapter (“AILA NorCal”) at the Chapter’s Annual Meeting. AILA is an association of immigration lawyers established to promote justice, advocate for fair and reasonable immigration law and policy, advance the quality of immigration and nationality law and practice, and enhance the professional development of its members. Member attorneys represent tens of thousands of families, U.S. businesses, foreign students, researchers, entertainers, entrepreneurs and asylum seekers.

AILA NorCal encompasses the majority of Northern California counties, has nearly 1,000 members, and is one of the largest and most active AILA Chapters. As an elected board member for the past three years, and now as Chapter Chair, Claire is responsible for coordinating educational programming and conferences, liaison relationships to government agencies, advocacy and lobbying efforts, media involvement, pro bono opportunities, member engagement, and coordination with the national organization. Congratulations to Claire!      

© Jewell Stewart & Pratt PC 2018

JSP congratulates its most recent Certified Specialist!

Jewell Stewart & Pratt is pleased to announce that attorney Chris Beckerson has been accorded the status of a “Certified Specialist, Immigration & Nationality Law” by the California State Bar Board of Legal Specialization. This is a rare distinction that only 38 immigration lawyers in San Francisco have achieved (including JSP's three principals, Phyllis Jewell, Wendy Stewart, and Claire Pratt). The legal specialization process is wholly voluntary. It is also arduous, requiring a written exam, professional references, and case experience that includes the full range of immigration matters, from deportation/removal proceedings to naturalization. Very hearty congratulations to Chris!

© Jewell Stewart & Pratt PC 2018

JSP Principal Wendy H. Stewart Recognized by Who’s Who Legal

Jewell Stewart & Pratt is happy to announce that firm principal Wendy H. Stewart was selected by Who’s Who Legal in Corporate Immigration for 2018. Nominees are selected based upon a comprehensive, independent survey of both general counsel and private practice lawyers worldwide.

Only specialists who have met stringent independent research criteria are listed. According to Who’s Who, this year’s research features leading corporate immigration attorneys who come highly regarded for their experience in assisting corporate entities navigate the increasingly complex regulatory environments in jurisdictions around the world through sophisticated immigration planning and counselling advice. 

Wendy is a Certified Specialist in Immigration & Nationality Law by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization, and she leads the firm’s employment-based permanent residency practice group. Congratulations to Wendy! 

© Jewell Stewart & Pratt PC 2018

Statement on the rescission of DACA

Dear Clients, Friends, and Community –

Like many of you, we are dismayed at President Trump’s rescission of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. DACA  enabled 800,000 of our neighbors to come out of the shadows and be an unafraid part of the nation to which they already belong. We stand with them today in calling on Congress to enact a humane solution.

We are following legal developments and will carefully consider strategies and implications for our clients as information becomes available.

For those of you in the San Francisco Bay Area, DACA supporters are gathering at the San Francisco Federal Building at 5:00PM today.

In solidarity,
Jewell Stewart & Pratt PC

© Jewell Stewart & Pratt PC 2017

USCIS reports 27.7% increase in applications for U.S. citizenship

News Release from Jewell Stewart & Pratt PC – June 4, 2017 On April 30, 2017, U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) released data related to the number of applications and petitions it processed in the first quarter of its 2017 fiscal year (October 1, 2016 to December 31, 2016). The number of N-400 applications for naturalization was 239,628, compared with 187,635 for the same period in the prior fiscal year – an increase of 27.7%.

Current and historical USCIS data on Form N-400 applications can be found at the USCIS website here. Further coverage of the spike in naturalization applications can be found in the May 30, 2017 edition of the Daily Journal legal newspaper, for which Jewell Stewart & Pratt PC principal Claire Pratt was interviewed and quoted.

© Jewell Stewart & Pratt PC 2017

Jewell Stewart & Pratt attorneys selected for inclusion in Super Lawyers ®

News Release from Jewell Stewart & Pratt PC Jewell Stewart & Pratt is pleased to announce that three of its lawyers have been selected for inclusion in Northern California Super Lawyers ® in 2016. Super Lawyers is a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. The selection process includes independent research, peer nominations and peer evaluations.

Phyllis Jewell, a principal of the firm and its Managing Attorney, has been selected in Super Lawyers from 2004 to 2013, 2015, and now again in 2016. Only 5 percent of lawyers in a state are selected for inclusion in Super Lawyers. Principal Claire Pratt and associate Chris Beckerson were selected as Rising Stars in 2015, and have been selected again in 2016. To be eligible for inclusion in Rising Stars, a candidate must be either 40 years old or younger or in practice for 10 years or less. No more than 2.5 percent of lawyers in a state are named to Rising Stars.

Congratulations to Phyllis, Claire, and Chris!

© Jewell Stewart & Pratt PC 2016

Jewell & Associates attorneys selected for inclusion in Super Lawyers ®

News Release from Jewell & Associates, PC Jewell & Associates is pleased to announce that three of its lawyers have been selected for selected for inclusion in Northern California Super Lawyers ® in 2015. Super Lawyers is a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high-degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. The selection process includes independent research, peer nominations and peer evaluations. Phyllis Jewell, the firm’s Principal and Managing Attorney, has been selected from 2004 to 2013, and now again for 2015. Only 5 percent of lawyers in a state are selected for inclusion in Super Lawyers. Lawyers Christopher Beckerson and Claire Pratt have been selected for the first time as Rising Stars in 2015. To be eligible for inclusion in Rising Stars, a candidate must be either 40 years old or younger or in practice for 10 years or less. No more than 2.5 percent of lawyers in a state are named to Rising Stars. Congratulations to Phyllis, Chris, and Claire!

© Jewell & Associates, PC 2015

J&A welcomes its most recent Certified Specialist

News Release from Jewell & Associates, PC Jewell & Associates is pleased to announce that Senior Attorney Wendy Stewart has been accorded the status of a “Certified Specialist, Immigration & Nationality Law” by the California State Bar Board of Legal Specialization. This is a rare distinction that only 35 immigration lawyers in San Francisco have achieved (including J&A Managing Attorney and Founder, Phyllis Jewell, and Senior Attorney Claire Pratt). The legal specialization process is wholly voluntary. It is also arduous, requiring a written exam, professional references, and case experience that includes the full range of immigration matters, from contested deportation/removal to naturalization. Very hearty congratulations to Wendy!

© Jewell & Associates, PC 2014