Thomas Esparza, Jr., Attorney at Law, A Professional Corporation

Board Certified Specialist in Immigration and Nationality Law

 La Madrid Building , 1811 So. 1st., Austin, Texas 78704

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EDUCATION

 •      McAllen High School-1970.

•      Texas A & M University-1974, Worked part time

•       University of Texas, School of Law-1977.  Edited the Law school paper, Worked part time

LEGAL AND PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

•      Licensed to practice November, 1977.

•      Member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association since 1980

•      Board Certified Specialist - Immigration and Nationality Law, October 1985 to present

•      Waco-McLennan County Legal Aid-1977-1978.

•      Private Practice in Austin, Texas, 1978-present.

•      Capital Area Mexican-American Lawyers, President, 1988-1989.

•      State Bar Committee-Laws Relating to Immigration, 1985-1988 & 1998 to 2001.

•      Member, State Bar College-1997 to present.

•      Member, University of Texas Immigration and Nationality Law Conference Planning Committee, 1996 to 2010.

•     Chairperson, Texas Oklahoma & New Mexico chapter of the American Immigration Lawyer’s Association, 2005-2005

Chairman - Austin Commission on Immigrant Affairs  2008 to present.

Executive Committee - Immigrant Services Network of Austin 2008 to present.

PUBLIC OFFICE

•      Justice of the Peace, Precinct Four, Travis County, Texas 1981-1982.

LEGAL & CIVIC CONTRIBUTIONS

•      Becker Community School Advisory Council, 1982-Present.

•      Austin Community Education Volunteer of the Year 1995.

•      Center for Battered Women, Founding Member, Board Member 1988.

•      Austin Mardi Gras, President, 1982, Founding Member 1981.

•      Austin Police Department-Task Force on Crimes Against Foreign Nationals.

•      "Citizenship, the 100 Questions" video for Political Asylum Project and ACTV.

•      Travis County Bar Association Conference; Immigrant Crimes and Criminal Law, 1999.

•      Host "Ask an Attorney" and "Dialogue" Sponsored by Travis County Television

 •      Manager Oak Hill Youth Sports Association 12U Bronco Girls All Stars

PUBLICATIONS

• Family Based Immigration and Criminal Activity 2011 prepared for the State Bar of Texas Advanced Criminal Law Seminar 

• Immigration Law and Crimes, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001 & 2002 for the Advanced Criminal Defense Lawyer Conference

• Nueva Vida Con Inglés, Co-written with his mother, Esther La Madrid Esparza, this book teaches English as a Second Languages, ©1987, 1990, 1992 and 1997.

• El Camino: A Guide to Amnesty or Legalization Benefits (English and Spanish)©1986.

• Humpty Dumpty & Friends in the Southwest, A bilingual three book series with cassettes.

• Rocking Horse Rhymes, A two book bilingual series with matching cassettes.

• Esther’s Playhouse, Interactive preschool learning software.

• Citizenship, The 100 Questions, Book & Cassette, bilingual citizenship self study guide ©1998, 2002. 2010, and 2011

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