Ashley Dennis
About
Overview
Ashley specializes in general, family and employment-based immigration, including non-immigrant and immigrant visas. Ashley’s experience includes a variety of immigration matters, including naturalization, adjustment of status, petitions to remove conditions on residence, fiancé visas (K-1), provisional unlawful presence waivers (I-601A), applications for permission to reapply for admission (I-212), waivers of grounds of inadmissibility (I-601), and U nonimmigrant status (U visa). She represents victims of domestic violence; surviving family members, including widows and widowers; special immigrant juveniles; and Dreamers. She also represents employers seeking temporary workers, individuals of extraordinary ability, artists, and entertainers.
Ashley is a Dallas native and graduate of Duke University. Before earning her law degree from Vanderbilt University Law School, Ashley worked as a project manager in the financial services industry. While in law school, Ashley participated in the Vanderbilt Intellectual Property & the Arts Clinic. She also interned with a Nashville-based immigration firm, clerked at the American Civil Liberties Union, and was a research assistant. She partnered with Nashville organizations to carry out emergency response plans in immigrant communities and participated in the Equal Justice Works AmeriCorps JD program. As a result of her community involvement, Ashley received the Damali K. Booker Award for legal activism and the Pro Bono Service Award.
After earning her law degree, Ashley worked for a Hawaii state agency where her responsibilities included monitoring federal fair housing and regulatory compliance, researching amendments to state administrative rules, and drafting agency policies. During her time there, she received an Award for High Standards of Excellence for her part in managing a complex legal action plan.
Prior to joining Akula & Associates, Ashley represented clients in matters before the family court, including divorces and child custody matters. She also represented individuals in removal proceedings before the Executive Office for Immigration Review and the Board of Immigration Appeals. Ashley has extensive experience representing clients pursuing immigration options following criminal convictions, negative encounters with Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and removal orders. Ashley is passionate about helping businesses and individuals find the immigration solutions that best fit their needs.
Education
- Vanderbilt University Law School, Nashville, Tennessee
- Bachelor of Arts, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
Professional Affiliations
- State Bar of Texas
- American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA)
Community Involvement
- Justice for Our Neighbors
- Kids in Need of Defense
Languages
- English
- Spanish