Think Immigration: Making Connections through AILA’s Interest Groups

This blog post is part of our series from the Member Experience Committee highlighting the ways AILA members can join in, build community, access resources, advocate, and enhance the overall AILA member experience.

“We don’t accomplish anything in this world alone… and whatever happens is the result of the whole tapestry of one’s life and all the weavings of individual threads from one to another that creates something.” ~ Justice Sandra Day O’Connor

Given the recent national election results and what they foreshadow for immigration law and policy, Justice O’Connor’s words are even more poignant and timely. Connecting with people who share common interests, backgrounds, and practice areas is critical for our personal health and for our professional success.

With more than 16,000 members, AILA offers a unique opportunity for us to connect with each other through their Interest Groups. Specifically, AILA’s Interest Groups provide a way to exchange ideas and share information, expand your network of diverse immigration law professionals, and enhance your personal and professional leadership skills. AILA currently has 27 Interest Groups that focus on various identities, backgrounds, and practice areas of interest, including the Asian Interest Group (ASIG), Hispanic/Latin American Interest Group (HLIG), Crimmigration Interest Group, Nonprofit Interest Group (NPIG), Political Engagement interest Group (PEIG), as well as the lighter side “With Justice and BRAVO for All,” among others.

AILA’s Interest Groups provide an informal environment to learn from and network with peers via that Group’s listserv. Many of AILA’s Interest Groups also offer in-person meetings at AILA events, including at the Annual Conference held each June, and virtual meetings throughout the year.

Joining an Interest Group is fast, easy, and included as a benefit of your AILA membership. You simply update your Interest Groups in your My AILA profile on the website to join a Group’s listserv.

Don’t see an Interest Group that ‘interests’ you? There is a straightforward process for petitioning AILA to create and approve an Interest Group.

Making connections through these Groups can lead to friendships, mentorships, successful lawyering and business-building, and opportunities to get more involved in AILA.

It certainly did for me. I had the pleasure of serving as a Co-Leader of the Women in Immigration Law Interest Group (WMIG) for the past two years. During that time, we endeavored to build a community to educate, encourage and support one another by starting a Member of Month spotlight, hosting in-person meetings at the Annual Conference, and offering Roundtables on relevant topics throughout the year. Although I no longer lead this Interest Group, the relationships I built with my fellow AILA members continue through emails, texts, and in-person meet-ups. Moreover, these connections provided me the opportunity to serve on AILA’s National Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Committee and Member Experience Committee, as well as on committees within my local AILA Chapter (Philadelphia).

Engaging with AILA members through the Interest Groups, National Committees, and Local Chapters has helped me feel connected, included, valued, and respected professionally and personally. Given the immense challenges we are facing, now is the time to forge meaningful connections with each other, and AILA’s Interest Groups provide an opportunity to do just that.

We hope you enjoyed this post on Think Immigration! We’re always looking for fresh perspectives and voices to join our community of contributors. If you’re an AILA member passionate about immigration and have insights, stories, or expertise to share, we invite you to write for us. Visit our FAQs to learn more about how you can contribute to the conversation and make sure you bookmark our Think Immigration page so you don’t miss any blog posts.