Tonkon Torp business immigration attorney Turid L. Owren is being honored for excellence in advocacy in her advancement of the practice of immigration law. The Oregon Chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) will present Owren with the 2011 Gerald H. Robinson Excellence in Advocacy Award at its Oregon Immigrant Achievement Awards event on October 14.
Owren heads Tonkon Torp’s Immigration Practice Group, which advises domestic and international companies and individuals on employment-related immigration issues. The group was established by Owren in 1999 and works with some of the region’s largest manufacturing, healthcare and technology organizations to help them successfully hire and retain foreign workers for U.S. assignments.
A graduate of Lewis & Clark Law School and Reed College, Owren has practiced immigration law since 1988 and has been named to The Best Lawyers in America, Oregon Super Lawyers, and Chambers and Partners USA. For many years, she has served as liaison between AILA and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS), chairing or participating on various committees that monitor USCIS activities and adjudication. She recently was reappointed to the AILA USCIS Headquarters Benefits and Policy Committee for 2011-12. In 2007, Owren received an AILA presidential commendation for outstanding leadership in liaison.
Commenting on Owren’s upcoming advocacy award, Jesse Maanao, a Portland immigration attorney who previously served as an immigration officer with USCIS, said, “When I worked with USCIS, I adjudicated many cases filed by Turid. I saw firsthand the commitment to quality she brings to every case. She is not just filing forms to get people documents. She is also counseling her clients in a way that empowers them to confidently navigate through the complex maze of our immigration system.”
