Shannon M. Shepherd
Partner Chicago, IL
Shannon M. Shepherd practices in the firm’s Chicago office and handles all types of immigration matters. Shannon has extensive experience with a broad range of immigration issues including Deportation and Removal proceedings, Employment-based petitions for immigrant visas and for non-immigrant E-2, L-1 and H-1B applicants, family-based immigrant petitions, and Naturalization and Derivative Citizenship claims. Shannon has also argued numerous immigration cases before the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Seventh, Eighth, and Eleventh Circuits, and she has experience in appellate practice at the State, Board of Immigration Appeals, and Federal level. She is a frequent speaker at continuing legal education programs for the ISBA and AILA. She also has published several articles in the ISBA’s International and Immigration Law Section Newsletter, The Globe, and has been featured on local TV and radio outlets.
Education and Certifications
- The John Marshall Law School, JD, 2003
- The University of Georgia, BA, Political Science, 1998
Professional Memberships & Positions
- American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA)
- Media Committee chair 2017-2018, member 2018-present
- Vice Chair, Chicago Chapter’s Continuing Legal Education (CLE) Committee, 2011-2012
- Chicago Chapter CLE Committee member, 2010-2011
- Advocacy Committee member, 2015-present
- Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA)
- Diversity Leadership Council Vice Chair, 2018-present, member 2016-present
- Member, Human Rights Section Council, 2011-present
- CLE Coordinator, International and Immigration Law Section Council, June 2008-2011
- Past Chair, International and Immigration Law Section Council, 2006-2007
Professional Publications
- Chicago Tribune, Letter to the Editor: “The Trump Administration must stop vilifying immigrant workers,” Jan. 11, 2018
- “Immigration update: Can civil unions partners in Illinois apply for immigration benefits?,” Human Rights, Nov. 2012
- “Seventh Circuit speaks on time limits for filing motions to reopen in Sarmiento v. Holder,” The Globe, Nov. 2012
- “Former Attorney General overturns 20 years of Board precedent in last days of office,” The Globe, April 2009
- “Diversity visas for 2009: Top Five questions asked by clients,” The Globe, January 2008
- “An excellent program on international commercial arbitration (program review),” The Globe, December 2005
- “When the client’s testimony goes beyond what the asylum application described: adverse credibility, or consistent support?” The Globe, Nov. 2005
- “Seventh Circuit Issues Advice to Immigration Judges: Do your homework!” The Globe, July 2005
- “Asylumlaw.org: a must-see for any asylum attorney,” The Globe, March 2005
- “PAIR with a great web site equals less time at the computer,” The Globe, March 2004
- “Read for yourself: French and German cases translated on the Web,” The Globe, May 2003
- “Authentication of documents for use abroad: some helpful web sites,” The Globe, Dec. 2002
- “Three web sites keep you up to date on Immigration law,” The Globe, June 2002
- “Hot Topics in Immigration Law”, The Globe, June 2002
TV/Radio Appearances
- WGN Radio/Podcast, “Legal Face-Off”, June 29, 2018
- “The 21st,” June 21, 2018 (Illinois public radio)
- Chicago Tonight, June 20, 2018
- CBS 2 Local News- “Five Chicago Area 7-Eleven Stores Part of National Immigration Investigation,” Jan. 10, 2018
- Illinois Lawyer Now, ISBA Cable TV Show, August 2006
- Illinois Radio Network, “Eye on Illinois-Immigration,” interview by Jim Anderson, May 19, 2010
Presentations
- “Cross-Cultural Communication: How Respect for Culture Returns Referrals—Chinese-American communication issues,” CLE program sponsored by ISBA, June 2010 (Co-presented with Peter Qiu) (Also program coordinator)
- “Bringing Foreign Workers to the United States,” power point presentation given to the Philippine-American Chamber of Commerce of Illinois
- “Naturalization Workshop- Derivative Citizenship,” CLE program sponsored by AILA on November 18, 2009
- “Maneuvering U.S. Immigration laws and Regulations: Is it Possible?” Podcast prepared for the University of Wisconsin, OshKosh, August 25, 2009 (Co-presented with Stephen Berman and Marcos Gemoets)
- “Immigration Consequences of Criminal Convictions- An Immigration Practitioner’s Perspective,” CLE Program sponsored by ISBA, May 1, 2009
- “Agricultural Workers and Related Immigration Issues,” CLE presentation sponsored by ISBA, presented with Stanley J. Horn, January 26, 2007
Admitted to Practice
- Illinois, 2003
- United States District Court of the Northern District of Illinois
- United States Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit
- United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
- United States Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit
Favorite Quotation
“…Intelligence and effort are evenly distributed throughout the world, but opportunity is not.” –Fmr. President William Clinton