A Member of the Murthy Law Firm, Jessica first joined our legal team in November 2010, working in all legal departments of the firm. She now serves as Coordinator of the Green Card Department. Jessica represents companies and individuals before the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Department of Labor (DOL), and the Department of State (DOS). Jessica’s focus currently is on PERM labor certifications, immigrant petitions (I-140s), applications to adjust status (I-485s), Immigrant Visas at the consulate, citizenship, and other family-based cases. Prior to joining the Murthy Law Firm, Jessica represented clients in asylum hearings and other matters before the Immigration Court and clerked for the Baltimore Immigration Court while in law school.
Education and Admissions
- Juris Doctorate (cum laude), The University of Baltimore School of Law
- Bachelor of Arts, Psychology and Sociology, The College of William and Mary
- Admitted to the State Bar of Maryland
Representative Experience
- Obtained Labor Certification approvals for small businesses and large multinational corporations for both professional and non-professional positions (including for nannies and ATM machine repairmen)
- Received I-140 petition approvals based on Labor Certifications, including for Schedule A cases for physical therapists and professional nurses
- Guided companies through mergers, acquisitions, and other successor-in-interest business transactions to successfully take over the employment-based green card process at the Labor Certification stage and I-140 Immigrant Petition stage
- Secured permanent residency approvals for individuals with employment-based I-140s, including those with criminal issues and arguing eligibility under INA 245(k)
- Secured permanent residency under Liberian Refugee Immigration Fairness (LRIF)
- Secured permanent residency for an abused child of a diplomat
- Secured employment-based permanent residency for widowed spouses under INA 204(l)
- Secured permanent residency based on family-based I-130 petitions
- Obtained naturalization for clients, including under 319(b) expedited naturalization
- Obtained Immigrant Visas (IVs) for clients based on employment and family-based petitions, including arguing the applicability of the Child Status Protection Act (CSPA) for dependent children
- Obtaining permanent residency for clients based on taking over representation of the I-485 Application and filing a change of employer notification to the government under the American Competitiveness in the 21st Century Act (AC21) and requesting to transfer the basis of the underlying petition (i.e. interfiling)
- Removed conditions on the green card for married and divorced individuals (I-751)
- Assisted clients filing for renewal of their green card (I-90)
- Responded to and received approvals to Requests for Evidence, N-14s, and other government queries
- Filed and received approvals for N-336
- Filed and received approvals for Advance Parole documents, Employment Authorization documents, and reentry permits
- Filed and received documentation from various agencies under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)
Presentations
- Panelist at Immigration Rights Information Session, University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC); Catonsville, MD (16.Mar.17)
Memberships & Professional Accomplishments
- Maryland Super Lawyer, Rising Star, 2019
- Maryland State Bar Association
- Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC) Foundation Board Member
Volunteerism
- President, Red Shoe Crew of Ronald McDonald House Charities of Maryland
- Immediate Past Chair, Women United of the United Way of Central Maryland