Session
International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS)
Delores Blough, JD (she/her/hers)
Director, Office of International Services
University of Pittsburgh Office of International Services
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
.jpg "Caitlin L. Dawson, Master of French Studies (she/her/hers) photo")
Caitlin L. Dawson, Master of French Studies (she/her/hers)
Immigration Specialist, DSO/ARO
University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Andrew A. Fuller, JD (he/him/his)
Senior Associate Attorney
Landau, Hess, Simon, Choi & Doebley
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
DSOs are mandated by their institution and the US government to advise international students how to maintain their student visa status. But we typically are not immigration attorneys, meaning that we cannot provide legal advice. Sometimes students need complex advising, and other times they just want to be told what to do. So, what are the rules? What is crossing the line? If you make a mistake, what is at risk?
This session aims to define “unauthorized practice of law” so that advisors can perform their duties confidently by minimizing risk to themselves, the student, or the institution.