These additions to Blessinger Legal will expand the expert legal services it provides to noncitizens in affirmative and defensive cases, and will broaden those services to handle all aspects of remove proceedings, affirmative filings, appeals, and related federal litigation, including the filings of writs of habeas corpus, mandamus petitions, and APA litigation, among others.
Former Appellate Immigration Judges Kathleen Reilly and Katharine Clark, former Assistant Chief Immigration Judges Megan Jackler and Noelle Sharp, former Immigration Judge Gabrielle Jones and DOJ/OIL Senior Litigation Counsel Jessica Dawgert have joined the Firm. Short biographies follow.
Gabrielle D. Jones
Managing Attorney, Affirmative Team
Gabrielle D. Jones is the Managing Attorney of Blessinger Legal’s Affirmative Team. She has practiced for 24 years and previously worked as an Immigration Judge at the New Orleans Immigration Court. Before that, she worked as the deputy directing attorney of the Family Justice Project at the Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada (LACSN) for nine years, as a domestic violence attorney, as the Managing Attorney for the Louisiana Civil Justice Center, and in real estate. She is a member of the following bars: the District of Columbia, Louisiana, and Nevada.
Katharine Clark
Senior Attorney
Katharine E. Clark is a Senior Attorney at Blessinger Legal on the Firm’s Removal Team. She has nearly 20 years of legal practice and most recently served as an Appellate Immigration Judge with the BIA. She also previously worked with the Justice Department’s Office of Immigration Litigation, the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, and Ayuda, an immigration legal services nonprofit. Ms. Clark is licensed to practice law in Maryland and Pennsylvania.
Kevin Hirst
Attorney at Law
Kevin Hirst joins Blessinger Legal from the Department of Justice (“DOJ”), where he handled a wide variety of immigration cases in federal district and circuit courts across the country, including nationwide class actions, civil rights claims, mandamus lawsuits, habeas corpus petitions, challenges to immigration policies and regulations, and naturalization. Mr. Hirst also provided training to other DOJ staff attorneys on habeas corpus and discovery issues. Mr. Hirst is a member of the Maryland bar.
These new additions join the amazing team already at Blessinger Legal, which includes the following attorneys:
Eileen Blessinger
Owner | Attorney at Law
Eileen P. Blessinger founded Blessinger Legal in 2012. She has 17 years of legal practice and has litigated thousands of cases before different government agencies, including USCIS, EOIR, the State Department, federal courts, and state courts. Ms. Blessinger is on the Board of Acacia Center for Justice and the Legal Advisory Committee for the Amica Center. She is also a member of the National EOIR Liaison Committee for the American Immigration Lawyers Association (“AILA”) and previously served on the Executive Committee for the Washington, DC Chapter of AILA. Ms. Blessinger is licensed to practice law in the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, and Virginia.
Joseph Moravec
Senior Attorney
Joseph Moravec has worked at Blessinger Legal as a Senior Attorney since August 2022 and has eight years of legal practice. Mr. Moravec is a member of both the Federal Litigation and Removal teams. Since working at Blessinger Legal, Mr. Moravec has handled complex litigation involved constitutional issues and criminal grounds of removability. He recently argued a case before the Fourth Circuit in Zelaya v. Bondi; that decision remains pending. Mr. Moravec is licensed to practice law in New Jersey and Maryland.
Maria J. Ruiz
Senior Attorney, Removal Team
Maria Jose Ruiz Del Rio is a Senior Attorney on the Removal Team at Blessinger Legal. During her time at Blessinger Legal, Ms. Ruiz has successfully argued numerous cases before the Immigration Court and the Asylum Office. She previously worked at the Consulate of Colombia in Washington, DC and at the Organization of American States. Ms. Ruiz is licensed to practice law in the country of Colombia and the state of New York.
Pardis D. Quatrano
Associate Attorney, Affirmative Team
Pardis Quatrano is an Associate Attorney on the Affirmative Team at Blessinger Legal with 10 years of legal practice. Ms. Quatrano works on employment-based applications, humanitarian relief before USCIS, family-based petitions, and consular processing. Ms. Quatrano is licensed in Michigan.
Patrycja D. Soboń
Associate Attorney, Affirmative Team
Patrycja D. Soboń is an Associate Attorney on the Firm’s Affirmative Team with five years of legal practice. Her experience spans adjustment of status, naturalization, asylum, T Visa, VAWA, and deportation defense. Ms. Soboń also dedicates pro bono time to the Legal Aid of Society of Cleveland. Ms. Soboń is licensed to practice law in Ohio.
For a consultation, please email consultations@blessingerlegal.com.