Meet Briana
Briana Carlson is a partner at CS Law. She focuses her practice on removal defense. Within that context, Briana handles a wide range of matters from humanitarian relief to waivers of inadmissibility. She has a passion for working with detained individuals, whether in the context of bond or relief before the court. She has appeared in immigration courts across the country representing both detained and non-detained individuals. Briana advises individuals of the immigration consequences of potential criminal convictions when they are facing criminal charges before state and federal courts. Briana also practices before the Board of Immigration Appeals and the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals. In addition to her removal defense practice, Briana represents individuals before state courts in Virginia for custody proceedings in the pursuit of special immigrant juvenile status and represents clients before U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services for their affirmative applications. Finally, she handles habeas petitions before the Eastern District of Virginia.
Briana has presented on the immigration consequences of criminal convictions at the Maryland Office of the Public Defender Conference. She has presented on varied topics before the American Immigration Lawyers Association Washington, D.C. Chapter’s Conferences and on overcoming notices to appear for ACACIA. She received her Juris Doctor degree from American University – Washington College of Law, where she participated in the Women and the Law Clinic.
Briana is admitted to practice in the Commonwealth of Virginia, the Eastern District of Virginia, and the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals. She is an active member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA). She is a liaison to the Annandale Immigration Court for the D.C. Chapter of AILA.
Practice Areas
- Removal (deportation) defense
- Humanitarian relief (e.g., asylum/related protections)
- Waivers of inadmissibility
- Criminal-immigration advisals (immigration consequences of criminal charges)
- Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (state-court custody proceedings)
- USCIS affirmative applications
Courts & Venues
- Immigration courts nationwide
- Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA)
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
- Virginia state courts (custody proceedings for SIJS)
- U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS)
Education
- J.D., American University Washington College of Law
- Focused coursework in immigration law
- Women & the Law Clinic
- Judicial internship: Hon. Michael L. Rankin, D.C. Superior Court
- Internships with immigration nonprofits and law firms in the D.C. metro area
Admissions
- Commonwealth of Virginia
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
Professional Memberships & Roles
- American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), active member
- AILA D.C. Chapter liaison to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
Experience & Activities
- Advises defendants (and their counsel) on immigration consequences in state and federal criminal cases
- Presented on crim-imm consequences at the Maryland Office of the Public Defender Conference
Clients & Case Context
- Represents both detained and non-detained individuals
- Significant focus on detained matters (bond and relief before the court)
