About
Catherine Reilly is a highly experienced and uniquely qualified attorney with a strong commitment to the practice of immigration law. For over 15 years, she has demonstrated cultural fluency, compassion, and advocacy in her work. After a decade with the Department of Homeland Security at U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) as an adjudicator and supervisor, and as a trial attorney at the Office of the Principal Legal Advisor at Immigration & Customs Enforcement, Catherine brings her considerable knowledge and experience to help her clients navigate the complex and nuanced world of U.S. Immigration & Nationality Law.
As an Immigration Officer & Asylum Officer at USCIS, Catherine adjudicated a variety of immigration petitions, including adjustment of status, naturalization, and asylum. As a Supervisory Asylum Officer, she led specialized teams showcasing her dynamic leadership skills. She served on details on the upper management team as a Section Chief, to the southwest border for APSO/credible fear processing, on overseas refugee processing details to Kenya, Burundi and Jordan, with the Department of Health and Human Services, and with the Asylum Headquarters Management Branch. She has served as a subject matter expert and point of contact for requests for reconsideration of negative credible fear determinations, the asylum untimely filing project, human trafficking, and fraud detection and national security issues, and has led trainings for DHS personnel on human trafficking, LGBTQ/Transgender asylum claims, untimely filings, APSO/credible fear and other topics.
As Assistant Chief Counsel at the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration & Customs Enforcement, Office of the Principal Legal Advisor-NYC, Catherine represented the U.S. Government in complex immigration cases before the Executive Office of Immigration Review (EOIR), providing expert legal counsel in the interpretation of highly complex immigration and customs laws. In this role, she was successful in preparing witnesses for trial and conducting direct and cross-examinations, and she distinguished herself through masterful courtroom advocacy and in offering invaluable strategic legal guidance to senior leadership.
Academically, Catherine is a double Rutgers alumnus, holding both a Juris Doctor and a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology & English. She is a licensed attorney in the states of New York and New Jersey and is an active member of the New York and New Jersey State Bar Associations and the American Immigration Lawyers Association. While in law school she was a Research Assistant focusing on international human rights issues, the President of Law Students for Reproductive Justice, the Vice President of the Womens’ Law Caucus, and on the Executive Board of the Association for Public Interest Law. She was recognized for excellence in the study of domestic violence law and for her contributions to Pro Bono Projects. She was a Peace Corps volunteer in the southern African country eSwatini, working on health and human rights issues. Prior to entering law school, she worked in various capacities in publishing, finance and non-profit in the New York Metro area.
In addition to her professional accomplishments, Catherine has been an active community servant. She has mentored at the Newark Youth Legal Education Mentorship Program NJ LEEP, and has volunteered at various legal and educational institutions. Her unwavering dedication has been recognized through a series of accolades, including the prestigious USCIS Director’s Beacon Award and the Rutgers Law Dean’s Pro Bono Publico Award.
Catherine is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) and the New York and New Jersey state bar associations.