United States Seventh Circuit

Petition for review of a denial of a motion to reopen removal proceedings based on a provision of the Violence Against Women Act is granted where petitioner's original counsel rendered ineffective assistance by abandoning the VAWA theory for no reason, which meant that the BIA's exercise of its discretion was based upon an incomplete record.

Appellate Information

• Argued 04/02/2007
• Decided 10/04/2007
• Published 10/04/2007

Judges

• WOOD, Circuit Judge., Before RIPPLE, ROVNER, and WOOD, Circuit Judges.

Court

• United States Seventh Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellant:
  
• Maria T. Baldini-Potermin (argued), Gostynska Frakt, Chicago, IL, for Petitioner., David R. Fine, Kirkpatrick & Lockhart Nicholson Graham, Harrisburg, PA, for Amicus Curiae.


• For Appellees:
  
• James A. Hunolt, Andrew B. Insenga (argued), Department of Justice Civil Division, Immigration Litigation, Washington, DC, for Respondent.