Meet Ana Claudia Zigel, Esq.
Baltimore Immigration Attorney Ana Claudia Zigel was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She and her family moved to the Baltimore area in 1964. Ana chose to maintain her Argentine nationality and decided not to naturalize with her family in 1973. During law school, however, Ana learned about how families can be ripped apart through the deportation process. To prevent her family from ever experiencing this trauma, Ana prepared her own successful naturalization application and naturalized in 1981. Ana earned her J.D. (law degree) from the University of Baltimore School of Law in 1983 and was admitted to the Maryland Bar in 1984. Ana has been practicing immigration law since 1984 when she served as the Legal Aid attorney responsible for immigration cases. She opened the Law Office of Ana C. Zigel in October 1986 dedicated exclusively to the practice of immigration law.
Admitted
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
- United States District Court for the District of Maryland
- Court of Appeals of Maryland
Professional Memberships
American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA)
AILA Member attorneys represent tens of thousands of U.S. families who have applied for permanent residence for their spouses, children, and other close relatives to lawfully enter and reside in the United States.
Maryland State Bar Association, Immigration Section
Maryland Hispanic Bar Association
Publications and Presentations
- Immigration Law in a Nutshell, co-taught by Ana C. Zigel, Esq. (Maryland Judicial Institute, September 23, 2009)
- Crimes Involving Moral Turpitude (CIMTs): Representing Foreign Nationals in Criminal Proceedings After Matter of Silva-Trevino (MICPEL January 21, 2009)
- Basics and Beyond: Introduction to Family Immigration Law, co-presented by Ana C. Zigel, Esq. (AILA DC Chapter, November 21, 2008)
- Immigration Consequences of Criminal Convictions: Crimes Involving Moral Turpitude, co-presented by Ana C. Zigel, Esq. (MICPEL October 24, 2008)
- What Every Maryland Lawyer Needs to Know About U.S. Immigration Law, co-presented by Ana C. Zigel, Esq. (MSBA, June 14, 2008)
- Ana C. Zigel, INS Should Temper Justice With Mercy (Baltimore Sun, May 21, 2000)
- Quoted in: Jill Jesko, America’s Least Wanted: Inside the World of Maryland’s Undocumented Aliens, (Baltimore City Paper, September 30, 1998)
Professional Activities
- AILA DC Chapter Liaison to Baltimore Office of Chief Counsel, ICE, form 2013 - 2015
- AILA DC Chapter Liaison to Baltimore District Office, 2005 – 2013 and 1996 – 2003
- AILA National, Liaison to Vermont Service Center Committee, 2003 - 2004
- President, D.C. Chapter of American Immigration Lawyers Association, 1995 - 1996
- AILA National Board of Governors 1995 - 1996
- DC AILA Executive Committee, 1992 - 1996
- AILA Liaison to the Baltimore Immigration Court, 1992 - 1994
Awards/Recognition
- Selected by her peers as Immigration Lawyer of the Year, Best Lawyers, 2013
- Selected by her peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015
- AV Rated --- Highest Rating in Legal Ability & Ethical Standards, Martindale-Hubbell 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015
- Outstanding Service as the Baltimore CIS Committee Chair, AILA D.C. Chapter, 2007 - 2008
- Agency Liaison of the Year, AILA D.C. Chapter, 2006 - 2007
- Named as a Top Lawyer in the Field of Immigration Law by Baltimore Magazine, March 1995
- ISLN: 902522822
Languages
- Spanish
- English
Education
- Law School: University of Baltimore, J.D., 1983
- College: University of Maryland Baltimore County, B.A., 1978