This seminar will cover the extent to which our immigration laws treat marriages that fall outside of traditional convention, including an overview of what is recognized as a valid marriage for immigration purposes and how nontraditional marriages do or do not fit into that box.

The discussion will cover:

- Different Strokes for Different Folks-How Living Apart, Separation, Affairs, Polyamorous Marriages, Separate Finances, and Other Factors Affect Marriage-Based Cases and Strategies for Proving the Validity of These Marriages

- Matchmakers and Marriage Brokers-Use and Limitations

- Uh Oh. This Is My Client's Fourth Marriage-Documenting Dissolution of All Prior Marriages

- Preparing Your Client for a Home Visit and a Stokes Interview

- BIA's Recognition of the Validity of Transsexual Marriage, Matter of Lovo-Lara

- Representing Same Sex Couples-Update on the Uniting American Families Act and IV Alternatives

The discussion will conclude with a Q&A session.

The "Representing Couples in Nontraditional Marriages" Audio Seminar takes place Tuesday, July 28, at the times noted below:

2:00 pm-3:30 pm eastern time
1:00 pm-2:30 pm central time
12:00 pm-1:30 pm mountain time
11:00 am-12:30 pm pacific time

Faculty:

Sharon Dulberg, San Francisco, CA
Sharon Dulberg is sole proprietor of the law firm McVey Mullery & Dulberg, in San Francisco. She is a certified specialist in immigration and nationality law by the California Board of Legal Specialization. Ms. Dulberg previously served as chair of the Northern California chapter of AILA.

Jonathan S. Greene, Columbia, MD
Jonathan S. Greene is owner of the Greene Law Firm, LLC in Columbia, Maryland where he practices immigration and family law. He is chair of the Maryland State Bar Association's immigration section and a former AILA Washington D.C. chapter chair. Mr. Greene is an adjunct professor at Stevenson University, has been a longtime speaker at AILA conferences and frequently writes articles on immigration law. He regularly testifies on immigration bills before the Maryland general assembly. In 2008, Mr. Greene was presented with the AILA Washington D.C. chapter's Advocate of the Year Award.

Ann E. Block, Davis, CA
Ann E. Block is a solo practitioner in Davis and Sacramento, California. She is a graduate of the University of California-Davis, King Hall and has focused on family and business immigration, deportation/removal defense, asylum and naturalization for over 22 years. A California State Bar certified specialist since 1992, she has served as chair of the Immigration and Nationality Law Advisory Commission of the California Board of Legal Specialization. Ms. Block was update editor for the national treatise Immigration Law & Crimes for two years and co-edited the VAWA 2000 AILA conference book update. She also is experienced in business immigration related to university professors and researchers, particularly O-1, EB-1 and EB-2 petitions. Ms. Block served as adjunct professor of immigration law and supervising attorney of the immigration clinic at McGeorge School of Law for four years.