John
W. Lawit, Attorney at Law
jlawit@jlawit.com
John
W. Lawit was born in Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania and has been a New Mexico
resident since 1970.
He received his J.D. from Franklin Pierce Law Center
in Concord, New Hampshire in 1977 and he received
his B.A.
from the University of New Mexico, with honors in 1972.
John became a member of the Pennsylvania Bar Association
in 1978, the New Mexico Bar Association in 1980 and the
Texas Bar Association in 1992. John is a member of the
American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), the
Albuquerque Bar Association, the El Paso Association
of Immigration
and Nationality Lawyers, he has served on the board of
directors of the New Mexico Civil Liberties Union and
has been a member and served as a volunteer attorney
of the
American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee.
John has served as chairman of the New
Mexico Immigration and International Law Section of the New
Mexico State Bar
Association; he is the author of the New Mexico Immigration
and Nationality Law Practice Act, which was the first law
enacted within the United States to protect immigrants from
the unauthorized practice of immigration law. The law has
served as model legislation, which has been enacted in ten
States. John is regularly invited to speak at immigration
law conferences throughout the United States and internationally.
He appears before consulates on behalf of the firm’s
clients throughout the world.
John's accomplishments include serving
as an adjunct professor of immigration law at the University
of New Mexico's School
of Law (1983-1988). He was selected by the United States
Department of Justice to serve as United States Immigration
Judge; he was the youngest attorney to be selected. John
has received the AV rating, the highest possible rating from
the prestigious Martindale Hubble Law Directory. John has
been listed in Who's Who In American Law and Best
Lawyers in America for over fifteen years. John has been appointed
by two New Mexico Governors to the New Mexico Border Commission
(1982-1986); he serves as special immigration counsel to
the University of New Mexico (1987-Present) and New Mexico
State University; he has been appointed as special immigration
counsel to the Republic of Mexico by the Mexican Ministry
of Foreign Affairs (1983) and was appointed by the Governor
of the State of New Mexico to the New Mexico International
Trade/Investment Counsel (1984-1987).
John has served the local community as the founder of the
immigration project, Jewish Family Services of Albuquerque
(1988-Present); he has served as a member of the board of
directors and the president of Rainbow House International
Adoption Agency (1987-2000); he has performed the roll of
vice president of the New Mexico Refugee Association (1979-1984);
member of the board of directors for Healing of Children
(1989-1995); and member of the board of directors of the
Spanish Arts (1994-1996). John has received awards from Catholic
Social Services and Jewish Family Services for providing
immigration assistance to both organizations.
John's interests include scuba diving, biking, whitewater
rafting, hiking, as well as international and domestic travel.
John's international expeditions include travel to Mexico,
Switzerland, United Kingdom, Italy, Thailand, China, Costa
Rica, Canada and Myanmar (Burma).
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