Can Someone Represent You Before EOIR?

Only certain individuals can represent you before EOIR (including the immigration courts and Board of Immigration Appeals).   Those include validly licensed attorneys and accredited representatives.

Notarios, document preparers, immigration consultants, and travel agents are not allowed to practice law.  They cannot give you legal advice, tell you what immigration benefit to apply for, tell you if you are eligible for immigration relief, or represent you in immigration court. They are breaking the law if they do.

To file a complaint against someone who is not authorized to practice law, please click here.

Attorneys must be members “in good standing” of the bar of the highest court of any State, the District of Columbia (D.C.), a U.S. possession, U.S. territory, or U.S. commonwealth.  A list of all of the locations where an attorney can be validly licensed and practice before EOIR is below.

You can contact the entity that provides the attorney’s license to ask if the attorney is a member of their bar and if the attorney is in good standing, meaning the attorney has maintained an active license and has not been suspended or disbarred.  Most locations maintain databases on the internet where you can look up lawyers, but a few states require that you call. If you call, ask if the attorney is licensed in that location and is in good standing.

Below, you will find links to each U.S. state, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. possessions, territories, or Commonwealths that license attorneys. Please read all of the information provided by the licensing authority, as each one provides different information about their attorneys on their website. This information is provided as a courtesy, and the Department of Justice does not certify its accuracy.

Click on the picture or name of the U.S. state, territory, possession, or Commonwealth below for information about contacting the location’s licensing authority.