Meet Mara
Mara Weisman is a fierce advocate for the rights of migrants, firmly believing that every
individual deserves to be treated with dignity and compassion. She is dedicated to supporting
asylum seekers and individuals pursuing various forms of immigration relief, both defensively in
immigration courts and affirmatively with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
Most recently, Mara provided legal services to newly arrived migrants at Catholic Charities of
Boston in Massachusetts. Prior to her time in Boston, she served migrants from various
backgrounds at Catholic Charities of Long Island in New York.
Mara served as an Advocacy Fellow at Elon University School of Law, where she obtained her
Juris Doctorate, and worked as a student attorney in Elon’s Humanitarian Immigration Law
Clinic. While in law school, Mara completed a judicial residency with the Honorable Allegra
Collins of the North Carolina Court of Appeals. Her scholarly work includes a published article in
the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) Law Journal, where she highlighted a
significant gap in immigration law affecting thousands of international adoptees at risk of
deportation.
In addition to her Juris Doctorate, Mara holds an M.A. in International Law and Conflict
Resolution from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, an M.Ed. from the University of
Cincinnati, and a B.A. in Psychology from Miami University of Ohio.
She is admitted to practice law in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the State of New
York.
Practice Areas
- Family law
- Naturalization
- Business immigration
- Asylum
- Federal matters
- Removal (deportation) defense
Focus and Approach
- Concentrates on federal matters and removal cases
- Holistic advocate for immigrant communities; educates on non-citizens’ rights and criminal-immigration impacts
Education
- J.D., University of San Francisco School of Law, 2001
- B.A., Political Science, University of Maryland, 1995
Bar Admissions
- Maryland
- Commonwealth of Virginia
- District of Columbia
Speaking & Training
- Panelist/speaker at AILA National and Chapter Conferences, AILA National Web Seminars
- National Immigration Project Fall Conference (Portland, OR)
- Various state and local seminars; neighborhood associations and courts on non-citizen rights and sentencing impacts
Pro Bono & Community Work
- Board of Immigration Appeals Pro Bono Screening Project
- Collaborates with local non-profits to provide affordable legal advice
Court Admissions
- United States District Court of Maryland
- United States District of Virginia
- United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
Current Role
- Founding partner, CS Law
Professional Memberships & Leadership
- Advisory Council, Legal Aid Justice Center
- Member: American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA); National Immigration Project; CAIR Coalition; Virginia Women Attorneys Association
- Past President, Hispanic Bar Association of Virginia
- AILA DC Chapter: Chair, Liaison Committee to EOIR (Arlington) for 5+ years
Recognitions
- Most notably, Martindale-Hubbell AV® rated
- Described by clients as having utmost integrity, professionalism, responsiveness, and deep legal knowledge
