April 26, 2006
TJSL Welcomes Back Immigration Expert Peter Larrabee ('79)
With the debate raging over the nation’s immigration policies, the timing could not have been better as Thomas Jefferson School of Law welcomed back attorney Peter Larrabee (’79) on April 19, 2006. Larrabee offered valuable advice to students who want to practice immigration law.
Peter Larrabee ('79) addresses the audience.
Larrabee has become a nationally recognized expert in the field of U.S. immigration law. His law firm, Larrabee & Zimmerman LLP in Sorrento Valley, represents technology companies in their efforts to obtain the proper visas to hire qualified foreign workers. The firm also focuses on non-immigrant and immigrant visa petitions, labor certification, permanent residency, citizenship, family-based immigration, deportation defense, and employment-based immigration. Larrabee’s 12 years with the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) gave him a jumpstart on understanding the complexities of immigration matters. He worked for the prestigious firm of Gray Cary Ware & Freidenrich before resigning in 1995 to start his own firm.
“You make real differences in peoples’ lives,” Larrabee said when referring to his clients. In fact, a couple so appreciative of Larrabee’s work on their behalf named their son after him. Working in immigration, however, does have its challenges, according to Larrabee. He says the field is not as mainstream as other areas of practice, and it is difficult to become a partner and to practice in big corporate firms. Thus, immigration law firms are usually small, or what Larrabee calls a “boutique” firm. Most attorneys have their own practices or, as in Larrabee’s firm’s case, have just 10 attorneys. He noted, though, that the job market in these “boutique” firms has steadily been rewarding because immigration attorneys will always be in need.
For students looking for avenues to break into immigration law, Larrabee recommends pro bono work as well as joining the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), of which he is a member and served as chair of the San Diego chapter and on the National Board of Governors. AILA also has a mentoring program that Larrabee encourages students to join. He also recommends that students be familiar with estate planning, family law and tax law, all areas that are relevant to immigration law.
Mr. Larrabee answers questions from students following the talk.
From left: TJSL's Immigration Law Society member Marc Walsh,
Vice President Khanh Tran, Peter Larrabee, and
President Marc Adesso.