Kathryn Russell Photo
  • Bio
  • Credentials
  • Memberships
  • Notable Work

Kathryn P. Russell

Attorney Kathryn (Katie) P. Russell is a Partner at Brown Immigration Law and is an experienced practitioner in U.S. immigration matters, including employment-based immigration, removal defense, family-based immigration, and complex naturalization.

Katie is licensed to practice in the state of Ohio and received her Juris Doctorate cum laude from Cleveland State University College of Law. After graduating magna cum laude from John Carroll University with a B.A. in History (Latin American Studies Concentration) and Spanish, Katie joined the Jesuit Volunteer Corps. As a Jesuit Volunteer, Katie served as a Refugee Case Manager at YMCA International Services and provided legal advocacy and resettlement services to refugees and victims of human trafficking through the YMCA’s legal department. Katie is fluent in Spanish and has studied internationally at the Universidad Centroamericana with the Casa de la Solidaridad Program service-learning program in El Salvador and at the Universidad del Pacífico in Lima, Peru.

Katie joined Brown Immigration Law in 2009 and has deepened her understanding of immigration law while growing along with the firm. Her international experience and early humanitarian work provided an invaluable perspective that continues to shape her practice, as she incorporates her clients’ unique stories and experiences when developing creative and effective legal strategies. In recognition of her work, Katie has been named to Super Lawyer’s Ohio Rising Stars® list in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024 and has been recognized by Best Lawyers® since 2019.

Languages

  • English
  • Spanish
  • French
Licenses
  • Supreme Court of Ohio
  • U.S. District Court Northern District of Ohio

Past Employment Positions

  • Brown Immigration Law, Partner
  • United States Federal District Court, Northern District of Ohio, Judicial Extern for the Honorable Judge Donald C. Nugent
  • United States Attorney's Office, Northern District of Ohio, Law Clerk
  • YMCA International Services, Case Manager for Refugee and Human Trafficking Resettlement Cases
Education

  • J.D. Cum Laude Honors: CALI Award for Excellence in Contracts, Juvenile Law, Computers and Law: Criminal, and Employment Law Cleveland Marshall College of Law
    Cleveland, OH
  • B.A. History: Latin American Studies Concentration, Spanish; Magna Cum Laude Honors: Alpha Sigma Nu, Jesuit Honors Society; John Carroll University
    University Heights, OH
  • Universidad Centroamericana José Simeón Cañas, San Salvador, El Salvador, Casa de la Solidaridad Program – Spring 2006 College
  • Universidad del Pacífico, Lima, Perú, Spanish Language Certification – Summer 2007 College
Memberships

  • American Immigration Lawyers Association
    American Immigration Lawyers Association
  • Federal Bar Association
    Federal Bar Association
  • Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association
    Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association
  • Irish American Law Society of Cleveland
    Irish American Law Society of Cleveland
  • Cleveland Marshall Law Alumni Association
  • Westshore Bar Association
    Westshore Bar Association
  • Executive Committee, The Lawyers Guild of the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland
  • Associate, William K. Thomas American Inn of Court
  • Former Board of Trustees Member, Inter-Religious Task Force on Central America
    Former Board of Trustees Member, Inter-Religious Task Force on Central America
  • JCU WMN: Women’s Mentoring Program

Honors

  • Ohio Super Lawyers Rising Star (2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024)
  • AVVO Top Rated Lawyer
  • Best Lawyers® in America
  • ABA-BNA Award for Excellence in Labor & Employment Law
  • Frank L. Bartak Memorial Fund Award for Outstanding Student in Contracts
  • CALI Award for Excellence in Contracts
  • CALI Award for Excellence in Juvenile Law
  • CALI Award for Excellence in Computers and Law: Criminal
  • CALI Award for Excellence in Employment Law

Notable Media & Thought Leadership

Interviews

Recent Speaking Engagements

  • Case Western Reserve University, CWRU “H-1B Workshop: Immigration Information and Options” in cooperation with Global Cleveland. February 27, 2024.
  • Magnificat High School, “U.S. Immigration Law and Border Policies.” February 13, 2024.
  • Case Western Reserve University, CWRU “H-1B Workshop: Immigration Information and Options” in cooperation with Global Cleveland. February 22, 2023.
  • Blue Streak Barristers, Magnificat High School, “Immigration 101: The Basics on Family, Employment, and Removal Defense.” October 22, 2022.
  • Lawyer Monthly “U.S. Immigration Law: Tackling Controversy.”
  • Ignatian Solidarity Network, “U.S. Immigration Law and Policy.”
Publications
  • Federal Court Strikes Down Trump Administration Proclamation Restricting Asylum Seekers
  • USCIS Policy Changes Will Expose Applicants to New Risks
  • Immigration Options for Victims of Domestic Violence
  • Performance Metrics for Immigration Judges: A Matter of Judicial Efficiency or an Erosion of Independent Juiciary?
  • Attorney at Law: The Trump Administration's Immigration Enforcement Policies
  • The End of DACA as an Opportunity for Comprehensive Immigration Reform
  • Terminating TPS for Salvadorans: The Urgent Need for U.S. Immigration Reform

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