Look No Further....

AILA has it all! Look no further than the AILA Annual Conference for great workshops. In-depth, interactive, and offering time for Q&A, AILA Annual Conference workshops allow you the opportunity to work through issues on family-based immigrant visas, employment-based petitions, criminal grounds of inadmissibility and removability, I-601s, PERM and the new substitution regulations, and mandamus in federal court. Admission to the workshops is included in your registration fee. View workshop details.

Preview the entire AILA Annual Conference program.

And remember, today is the last day to register at the advance rate. Register today and save $100 off the on-site price!

Standing Room Only

No, the Annual Conference isn’t sold out. Yet. But you should know that in 1997, the last time the AILA Annual Conference came to Orlando, the conference sold out! A little birdie with a lot of institutional memory told me that attendance hit the 3,000 mark before the early-bird deadline. AILA made an announcement that no on-site registrations would be accepted. When the conference location was booked, five years prior, AILA didn’t anticipate its upcoming growth spurt. That year, the conference was limited to AILA members and members’ paralegals. Non-members were out of luck! As you can imagine, that ticked a lot of people off.

Speaking of “Sold Out,” I recently read that the Hong Kong Disney Theme Park was sold out for eight days straight. Angry families stormed the Disney gates and tossed their children over the fences. You don’t believe me? Check this out.

So what’s the moral of the story? Don’t let this happen to you. The early-bird registration deadline of May 3rd is fast approaching!

Okay, we probably do have enough room to accommodate more than 3,000 this year, but after hearing about our last blockbuster conference in Orlando, would you really contemplate throwing your paralegal over the AILA registration desk to secure a spot?

Where Can You Have Fun, Honor a Terrific Lawyer, and Raise Money for AILF?

At the Tony Cook Memorial Golf Tournament in Orlando!


Posted by AILA's Practice and Professionalism Center Director, Reid Trautz!

The Tony Cook Memorial Golf Tournament will be held on Friday, June 15 at 8:00 am at the Hawk’s Landing Golf Course, which is on the Orlando Marriott property. The cost will be $150 per person. Fee includes course access, cart rental, gift bags, and prizes for longest drive and closest to the hole (male and female). Any proceeds will be donated to the American Immigration Law Foundation (AILF). All inquiries and registrations should be sent to John Ovink at john@ovinkcalolaw.us or call 813-936-9313. You must register and submit payment no later than May 15, 2007.

About Hawk’s Landing: Hawk’s Landing Golf Club spans over 220 acres of lush grounds at Orlando's premier Resort, Orlando World Center Marriott Resort. The 18-hole championship golf course was designed by noted golf architect Robert Cupp III to create the perfect setting for challenging golf and a scenic blend of native Florida wildlife and tropical vegetation. Soaring queen palms, sand pines and southern magnolias combine with fresh beds of flowering azaleas and fragrant jasmine to provide the perfect respite from your busy schedule. Callaway Golf rental equipment is available for an additional charge.

Annual Conference Stats: When Numbers Happen to Right-Brain Thinkers

INTRODUCING.... this week's guest blogger, Becky Rice, AILA Director of Marketing!

Hello AILA members! I am your guest blogger this week, Becky Rice. I am the Director of Marketing at AILA.

Each year we survey members who attend the Annual Conference to find out what you liked, what you didn’t and what we need to improve upon. And boy, do you tell us! We also survey those members who did not attend to find out why, and to determine what their educational needs are and how AILA can help them satisfy those needs outside of AILA’s Annual Conference. Again, you are not a shy bunch about sharing your comments!

As a creative, right-brain thinker I know first-hand – dissecting, digesting and analyzing numbers can be a big drag. But undaunted we go, on to the numbers … and possibly some more things you might not have known about AILA’s Annual Conference.

**83.9% of those who registered for the 2006 Annual Conference did so online – either using our online registration system or going to InfoNet to download the form and mail or fax it in. Online registrations have averaged 77.8% for the past four years so we made it easy to register online by providing a direct link on all our promotions http://www.aila.org/acregistration.

**1,195 people registered for the 2006 Annual Conference during the week prior to the early- bird deadline. Yes, our fax machine gets a workout and begs for mercy. Our Accounting Department works tirelessly entering all those registrations. This year’s early-bird deadline is May 3 - just a few weeks away. Register now and give our beloved fax machine and carpal tunnel-susceptible accounting staff a break!

**The three top-rated networking events at Annual Conference are the Grand Opening Gala on Wednesday (39%), the Presidents Reception (34%) on Thursday and the Saturday Night Party (28%). No doubt about it – networking is a key ingredient in the Annual Conference mix. Oh yes… and AILA members love to party!

**Of the 2,511 members who attended in 2006, 56% indicated they planned to attend the 2007 Annual Conference in Orlando. 12.8% said no thanks, mostly due to the hot weather in June and because the destination has too many vacationers. Nonsense! All the hotels have air-conditioned rooms. And who doesn’t love seeing someone dressed in a striped shirt, plaid shorts, black socks, and loafers?

**Members always ask for 4-star, affordable hotels. Everyone’s definition of “affordable” is different, and service, security and comfort do have a price. For Orlando, we negotiated 6 years ago for the special rates AILA members can get by booking through our Housing Bureau through May 22, 2007. Compared to quotes on some internet travel sites, the rates are up to $100 less by booking through AILA. Come to Orlando and enjoy your stay at one of the three hotels – the Orlando World Center Marriott (for those looking to be close to the conference action), the Caribe Royale Orlando (all suites option for those who are bringing family – they have an awesome pool with waterslide and waterfall and a special kiddie pool with fountains!), or Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge (look, some people just love the mouse-ear thing!). Have no fear about not being at the Marriott. AILA will provide FREE shuttle transportation to/from the Marriott from the Caribe Royale Orlando and Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge Wednesday – Saturday during the conference.

**Which chapters can brag about highest attendance at the 2006 Annual Conference in San Antonio? Host chapter Texas led the way with 47.4%, followed by Arizona (41.5%), Missouri/Kansas (38.5%), Carolinas (38.1%), and Pittsburgh (36.7%). Big props to Missouri/Kansas which has been in the top five for the past three years! Will our Florida Chapters rise to the challenge in 2007? So far, we have only 8% registered.....hmmm….

**Of those members who do not attend the 2006 Annual Conference, 44% are solo practitioners and 34% are in small practices. With little to no staff back at the office to keep things running, they tell us they have a tough time getting away from work. However, over half (52%) of those that did not attend indicated they have participated in an AILA educational event – Chapter Conference, AILA National CLE or AILA Audio/Web Seminar – in the past year. AILA still is the best source around for practice information!

**The exhibit and sponsorship revenue AILA receives from the vendors in attendance allows us to keep the cost of the registration from increasing too dramatically each year. In 2007 alone, we would have to add another $33.51 to each registration fee if we didn’t have revenue from exhibits and sponsorships. Please visit the vendors in the Exhibit Hall and thank them for supporting AILA and taking some of the load off of you!

Any other numbers or stats about the AILA Conference you’d like to know about? Send me an email (brice@aila.org). I’ll see what we have in our survey results archives and post answers on the blog to any questions I receive.

And The Oscar Goes To.....

Send the tux to the cleaners, call your stylist and reserve the stretch Hummer. It's time for the AILA Annual Awards!

Okay, so maybe the carpet won’t be red and I’m betting Joan Rivers won’t be there (thank goodness), but this is an event you won’t want to miss.

We’re asking for your help in identifying nominees for the 2007 AILA Annual Awards. Each year, AILA recognizes individuals who have excelled in advancing the field of immigration law. AILA is soliciting nominations for awards in the following categories: Mentoring, Advocacy, Advancing the Practice, Excellence in Litigation, Young Lawyer Recognition, Pro Bono, Human Rights, Excellence in Teaching, The Founders Award (which recognizes those who have had the most impact on Immigration Law), Media, and Congressional Leadership.

This is your chance to recognize your peers and sincerely thank them for their service. It’s a heartwarming event, really. Not in the sugary sweet Sally Field, “You like me. You really like me” kind of way, but a rewarding opportunity to recognize those unsung heroes for what they have contributed to the practice. However, if the acceptance speeches should run too long, we have no qualms about cutting them off with the unceremonious “get off the stage music.”

There are free goodies, too. No, not the swag bags full of priceless jewels and luxury vacations (which, by the way, were cut from the Oscars because the feds finally awakened to the fact that these bags are actually TAXABLE INCOME), but you’ll have access to as many finger foods and nonalcoholic beverages as your little heart desires.

Take a few moments and send in a nomination for one of your most deserving colleagues. They just might win something. But if not, no worries.

It’s an honor just to be nominated.

Ode To The Post-It Note: 50 Things You Never Knew About The AILA Annual Conference

1. AILA Annual Conference planning starts out as one session written on a 3M Post-It Note.


2. Over time, the Post-It Note miraculously reproduces.


3. After a while, the Post-Its disappear and the Day-at-a-Glance is born.


4. AILA is working desperately to improve our sophisticated conference planning “software."


5. The AILA Annual Conference venue is chosen seven years in advance of the conference (so don’t blame me if you don’t like Orlando, Vancouver, Vegas, DC or San Diego). If you have a gripe, post-date your complaint for 2012 and send it on over.


6. Visiting a potential Anual Conference site is a grueling three-day event. More walking than you could possibly imagine.


7. AILA staff members maintain a secret office in the depths of the convention center where they have access to limitless junk food. If I publicly disclosed its location, I’d be tortured and killed.


8. You know those tote bags you receive at conference registration? Every year, samples are circulated among the education department and a fiery, hair-pulling debate ensues over the style, color and texture. It's not pretty.


9. Every educational session will be held at the Orlando World Marriott—and all on one floor.


10. There are approximately 300 faculty members speaking at the AILA Annual Conference.


11. The first 2008 Annual Conference planning meeting will take place on the last day of the 2007 Annual Conference.


12. We’re bringing back child care this year—unless your kids are old enough where you can dump them at Disney for the day and not worry that they’ll be assaulted by Tigger, you should check it out.


13. There will be no square dancers in Orlando this year. Those costumes will be missed.


14. Last year, there was at least one AILA member who attended both the AILA Annual Conference AND the National Square Dancers Conference.


15. At the 2006 Annual Conference, you ate 45 dozen bagels, donuts and breakfast pastries.


16. And washed it down with 365 gallons of coffee and tea.


17. Fill out those evaluation forms after each session. By doing so, you are automatically entered in a raffle to receive a free Annual Conference registration.


18. Some conference attendees start out their conference mornings dressed in yoga gear, led by one of our extremely fit and Gumby-like AILA staff members.


19. Last year’s Saturday Night Party featured a reflective dance floor. You may have seen one just like it….if you attended last year’s Oscar Party or George Foreman’s birthday bash.


20. We need Day Coordinators for the 2007 conference. What’s a Day Coordinator, you ask? Email me at mgergerian@aila.org.


21. Are you an AILA member who works for a nonprofit or does a significant amount of probono work? Apply for our full-tuition Berger Scholarship.


22. Are you a student or an AILA member’s paralegal with a cheapskate boss? Apply for a volunteer position at the conference.


23. The most popular session at the 2006 Annual Conference was Labor Certification-Based Immigration Pre-Filing with 1,068 in attendance.


24. New to the Annual Conference and need a road map? Come to the New Attendee Orientation on Wednesday night at 5:45pm.


25. This is harder than I thought. Only 25 to go….


26. Special discounts for theme parks are now on InfoNet.


27. Speaking of discounts, register before May 3, 2007 and save BIG money.


28. You will earn up to 30 CLE credit hours by attending the Annual Conference.


29. AILA will be the only meeting at the Orlando World Marriot during the conference – all 400,000 square feet to ourselves.


30. The Orlando World Marriott has six pools.


31. And 10 restaurants and lounges.


32. Staying at the Caribe or the Disney Animal Kingdom instead? Ride our free shuttle to the conference each day.


33. The Annual Conference is GREAT for social networking. Visit the Central Florida Chapter Booth in the exhibit hall for a list of social events.


34. AILA staff have fun, too. Note the comment in the previous post about the AILA staffer who “fell” in the Riverwalk last year. I wonder if he ever got that tetanus shot.


35. The first AILA Annual Conference Softball Tournament between Texas and New York was played in 1982, complete with cheerleaders and belly dancers in 110 degree heat.


36. AILA ships in 44,800 lbs. of freight to the Annual Conference.


37. It takes a LONG time to open and unpack all of those boxes.


38. The AILA conference staff has had to deal with some pretty bizarre onsite emergencies over the years, ranging from escalator accidents to emergency oral surgery.


39. No one on our staff is a medical doctor, but we have years of experience driving attendees to the hospital.


40. Ready for your close up? For the first time, the Annual Conference will present a hands-on Media Training on Wednesday evening.


41. Ilana Drummond is the 2007 AILA Annual Conference Chair and she is doing a fantastic job.


42. I communicate with her at least five times per day (and sometimes on weekends). I have her email address, cell phone, home phone, office direct dial, and fax numbers and I’m not afraid to use them.


43. For some reason, she keeps accepting my calls.


44. AILA will unveil its new logo at the 2007 Annual Conference.


45. There’s a great photo on page 3 of the Annual Conference brochure that was mailed a few weeks ago. That photogenic, smiling man is not an immigration lawyer.


46. He’s an architect.


47. And the brother of one of AILA’s past presidents.


48. We found out after the brochure was printed.


49. Stop by the exhibit hall for free food, drinks and prizes throughout the conference. I think I spotted a margarita machine last year.


50. Are you still reading this? Do you feel more enlightened about the inner workings of the Annual Conference? Me neither, but that was fun.

War Stories: Calling All AC Veterans

Do you have fond memories of a past AILA Annual Conference? Have any not-so-fond memories? Were you subjected to the Phoenix Melting Butter Incident of 1996 and lived to talk about it?

We want to hear from you.

Take a stroll down memory lane and send me your all-time favorite AILA Annual Conference moment (most enlightening panel, most rewarding networking opportunity, best/worst/most embarrassing speaking experience, etc). Help us remind the veterans why they want to come back and let the newbies know what they’ve been missing – the good, the bad and the ugly.

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to post your story, using the comment feature of this blog. You'll have the option of remaining nameless. Alternatively, feel free to post your full name if you really want the whole world knowing that YOU were the Day Coordinator who intolerantly stressed that attendees must shut their cell phones off as your own cell phone loudly rang mid-session.

Yes, it happened. You know who you are.