Orlando, Miami Immigration Attorney Profile

Julie C. Ferguson

Practice Areas. Julie Ferguson devotes her practice to immigration and nationality matters. Her firm offers a wide range of services from employment and family-based immigration to representation of individuals in removal proceedings. Her clients include multinational corporations and business organizations that employ foreign nationals on a temporary and permanent basis in the United States. Representative clients include Antico Stone, Inc., Cliff Drysdale Management, Inc., Locatel USA, LLC, MK Contractors and employees from Discovery Networks-Latin America, Firestone Communications, Inc., Fortune Development Sales, Inc., HBO, Intercontinental Hotel Group, and Village Films. The firm also represent individuals, including professionals, entrepreneurs, artists, entertainers and athletes seeking either temporary or permanent residence. Ms. Ferguson also has been successful representing individuals seeking political asylum and defending non-citizens with criminal convictions.

Court Admissions. Ms. Ferguson is admitted to practice law in the states of Florida, New York, and the District of Columbia. She has been admitted to the United States District Court for the Southern and Northern Districts of Florida, the United States District Court for the District of Colombia, the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York and to the United States Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals.

Ratings and recognition. Ms. Ferguson is listed in Martindale Hubbell with an AV rating, the highest ratings for both legal ability and ethical standards. She has received recent recognition for her success in a suit filed in the Southern District of Florida against the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security to force decisions on residency applications that had been unreasonably delayed for years. The District Court held that "no agency responsible for resolving matters of public interest should be free to let those matters pend in perpetuity." The Court remanded the plaintiffs’ cases to the USCIS for prompt adjudication of their applications. Jones v. Gonzales, June 21, 2007.

Publications. Ms. Ferguson has also received substantial recognition for her forthcoming book AILA’s Focus on Waivers published in 2008 by the American Immigration Lawyers Association.

Education. Ms. Ferguson holds a Bachelor’s degree from De Pauw University, in Greencastle, Indiana, a Juris Doctor degree from The American University, The Washington College of Law in Washington, DC and a Master’s degree in International Affairs from The American University in Washington, DC.

Languages. Ms. Ferguson speaks French, Spanish and she has a working knowledge of Italian and Portuguese.

E-mail Julie Ferguson:julie@jcfimmigration.com

Rolando Casais

Rolando Casais, Jr. is the firms Junior Associate. Mr. Casais was born and raised in Miami, Florida. He is fluent in both English and Spanish. Mr. Casais has an Associate of Arts Degree from Miami Dade Community College and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting from Barry University in Miami Shores, Florida. He subsequently attended St. Thomas University School of Law, in Miami, Florida, where he earned a Juris Doctor Degree.

Prior to attending Law School, Mr. Casais worked as a Revenue Agent at the Internal Revenue Service where he audited and examined individual and corporate tax returns. His legal work experience includes an internship at the State Attorney's Office, 11th Judicial Circuit, in Miami Florida and a Legal Clerkship at a commercial litigation firm, also in Miami. In addition, Mr. Casais volunteered at the "Put Something Back" pro-bono project, a joint pro-bono effort of the 11th Judicial Circuit and the Dade County Bar Association. Mr. Casais received an "Outstanding Volunteer" award for his participation in the "Put Something Back" project.

E-mail Rolando Casais: rolando@jcfimmigration.com

Valerie Vanni–Godoy

Valerie Vanni-Godoy, the firm's manager and chief legal assistant, was born in Santa Fe, Argentina and raised in Miami, Florida. She has extensive experience in immigration, criminal and family law matters having worked for the law office of Wilfredo Allen in Miami, Florida for more than 7 years. Ms. Vanni-Godoy is fluent in English and Spanish.

E-mail Valerie Vanni-Godoy: valerie@jcfimmigration.com

Miami, Orlando Criminal and Immigration Attorney offers services and advice for defending in immigration court, foreigners with criminal convictions and representation of political asylum