Administrative law governs nearly every aspect of modern immigration and international trade practice. Long before cases reach federal courts, they are shaped by agency investigations, regulatory interpretation, discretionary decision-making, administrative records, internal appeals, enforcement priorities, and procedural rules that often determine the ultimate outcome. Mastering these administrative processes is essential for attorneys seeking to successfully represent individuals, businesses, importers, exporters, multinational corporations, and government contractors.
This advanced course provides a comprehensive, practice-oriented examination of administrative litigation involving immigration agencies, customs authorities, and international trade regulators. Students learn how to challenge agency actions, build persuasive administrative records, preserve issues for judicial review, navigate overlapping federal agencies, manage compliance investigations, litigate procedural defects, and strategically position clients throughout the administrative lifecycle.
Rather than emphasizing abstract administrative law theory, the course focuses on how experienced practitioners actually analyze agency decisions, anticipate enforcement actions, negotiate with regulators, and construct successful administrative challenges in complex immigration and trade matters.
Course Objectives
By the conclusion of this course, students will be able to:
• Master administrative procedures governing immigration and international trade agencies.
• Analyze agency jurisdiction and regulatory authority.
• Build effective administrative records for future litigation.
• Challenge unlawful agency actions using procedural and substantive legal arguments.
• Navigate internal administrative appeals and reconsideration procedures.
• Develop litigation strategies that integrate administrative and judicial remedies.
• Handle agency investigations involving immigration and customs enforcement.
• Understand agency discretion and methods of challenging arbitrary decision-making.
• Coordinate representation before multiple federal agencies simultaneously.
• Design comprehensive administrative litigation strategies for complex cross-border matters.
