Meet the Immigration Team
Laura Elizabeth Paris is an associate attorney specializing in immigration law at Carlock, Copeland, Semler & Stair, LLP in Charleston, South Carolina. Laura's practice focuses on employment-based and family-based immigration as well as non-immigrant employment visas. Her practice also includes advising employers on I-9 verification policies, auditing I-9 files, and training management and human resources personnel on I-9 employment verification procedures. Further, Laura will be serving as adjunct Professor of Immigration Law at the Charleston School of Law during the Fall 2007 semester. She also enjoys collaborating with the CCSS Immigration Team on pro bono immigration cases. Laura is a graduate of Georgia State University and St. John's University School of Law, where she served as the Executive Articles Editor for the New York International Law Review from 2004-2005. She has written extensively on U.S. immigration policy and the rights of undocumented immigrant children to education. Laura is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), the South Carolina Bar, the South Carolina Women Lawyers Association Low Country Chapter, and the Charleston County Bar. Laura is fluent in Spanish and many Mondays can be heard providing commentary on immigration issues on 98.9 El Sol radio station's morning program. Laura may be contacted at lparis@carlockcopeland.com.
Lorri Shealy Unumb is an attorney specializing in immigration law. Lorri is one of very few attorneys in South Carolina whose practice focuses on deportation defense, cancellation of removal, asylum, voluntary departure and expedited deportation. Previously, she served as Senior Litigation Counsel with the Office of Immigration Litigation at the United States Department of Justice. An Honor Program attorney, she represented the Immigration and Naturalization Service and the Department of State in trial and appellate courts around the nation. During her tenure at Justice, Lorri handled more than one hundred petitions for review from the Executive Office for Immigration Review. Lorri is also a professor, having taught at the George Washington University Law School and the Charleston School of Law. Lorri has taught courses in immigration law, legal writing, and federal courts. She is also a frequent lecturer at seminars and firms, as well as the National Advocacy Center. Lorri has been a featured speaker at numerous national immigration seminars on topics such as Asset Forfeiture Under The Immigration and Naturalization Act, The Nicaraguan Adjustment and Central American Relief Act, Overview of the 1996 and 1997 Immigration Law Reforms, Cancellation of Removal under INA § 240A(b), Asylum Law, and many others. From 1993 to 1995, Lorri served as law clerk to United States District Judge David Norton in Charleston, South Carolina. The CCSS Immigration Team is very proud to work with such an accomplished attorney. Lorri may be contacted at Lunumb@carlockcopeland.com.
Amanda Newell joined the firm’s immigration law practice in spring of 2007. Amanda graduated with honors from The George Washington University Law School in Washington, DC in 2002. She practiced immigration law in Atlanta prior to moving to Charleston and joining the CCSS Immigration Team. Amanda's practice focuses on employment-based immigrant and non-immigrant visas. In addition, she advises employers on I-9 employment verification procedures, I-9 auditing, and training human resources and management personnel on I-9 employment verification procedures. Amanda also includes advising families on immigration options and preparing family-based immigration petitions. She has represented clients before the Immigration Court in Atlanta, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service local offices, and before the Asylum Office. Amanda spends a significant amount of time assisting victims of domestic violence file immigrant petitions. She enjoys spending time in Central America and in 2002 she worked at an orphanage in Guatemala. Amanda also enjoys visiting ESL classes in the Charleston area to talk with students regarding their immigration options and protecting their human rights. Amanda may be contacted at Anewell@carlockcopeland.com.
