Experience

2005 to Present – Private Practice Attorney

Since leaving the government, Tom Tousley has expanded his substantive knowledge of immigration law and procedures by successfully representing clients before the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in obtaining lawful permanent residence and citizenship – before the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency regarding detention matters – and before the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency regarding the admission of individuals to the United States. He has used his extensive knowledge of deportation law to represent clients in removal proceedings in Immigration Courts located throughout the United States. He has filed numerous appeals of decisions of Immigration Judges to the Board of Immigration Appeals. He has also litigated appeals of the Board’s decisions in the federal courts of appeal, and litigated habeas corpus petitions, mandamus actions, and the denials of naturalization applications in federal district court. Testimonials by clients can be found at www.avvo.com.

1996 to 2005 – U.S. Department of Justice Attorney

While working as an attorney for the Board of Immigration Appeals, Tom Tousley wrote over 800 decisions often involving complex issues of immigration law and procedures pertaining to such matters as deportability, in absentia orders, adjustment of status, waivers, asylum and withholding of removal, protection under the United Nations Convention Against Torture, motions to reopen, bonds, and family-based visa petitions. He reviewed hundreds of asylum claims involving over 65 countries from Albania to Uzbekistan. He also was detailed to the Office of Immigration Litigation where he litigated cases before 9 different federal courts of appeals.

Education and Admissions

Tom Tousley is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), and a member of the AILA Federal Litigation Section. He is licensed in the State of Virginia, and is qualified to represent individuals throughout the United States and the world in immigration matters. He is admitted to litigate before the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia and before the United States Courts of Appeal for the Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Eighth, Ninth, Tenth, and Eleventh Circuits. He holds a law degree from the Indiana University School of Law and an LLM in international law from the Washington College of Law of the American University.