Shannon M. Shepherd
Partner Chicago, IL
Shannon M. Shepherd practices in the firm’s Chicago office. Shannon has over twenty years’ experience with a broad range of immigration issues including: Deportation and Removal proceedings, Board of Immigration Appeals cases, employment-based petitions for EB1, EB2, and EB3 immigrant visas, National Interest Waivers, and Religious Workers; Employment-based petitions for non-immigrant E-2, L-1 and H-1B non-immigrant visas; family-based immigrant petitions, and naturalization and derivative citizenship claims. She has also filed numerous petitions for review before the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Fifth, Seventh, Eighth, and Eleventh Circuits. Shannon also represents clients in mandamus and APA actions before Federal district courts. Currently, Shannon serves on the Executive Board for the AILA Chicago Chapter. She speaks frequently 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)
- Second Vice Chair, AILA Chicago Chapter, present
- Media Committee Chair 2025-2026, member 2018-present
- Advocacy Committee member, 2015-present
- Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA)
- International and Immigration Law Section Council, Past Chair, , member, 2003-present
- Human Rights Section Council, Past Chair, member, 2011-present
- Diversity Leadership Council Past Chair, member 2016-2021
Professional Publications
- “Broad Changes to the Naturalization Test proposed by DHS,” The Globe, September 2023
- Chicago Tribune, Letter to the Editor: “The Trump Administration must stop vilifying immigrant workers,” Jan. 11, 2018
- “Immigration Enforcement in the Workplace Likely to Increase,” Employee Benefits Newsletter, June 2017, reprinted in The Globe, August 2017
- “Illinois Appellate Court takes position on Special Immigrant Juvenile petitions,” Human and Civil Rights, October 2015
- “Class Action lawsuits should cause Illinois immigration practitioners to re-think advice to client under the Immigration and Nationality Act’s “Mandatory Detention” provision,” Human and Civil Rights, June 2014
- “What a difference a year makes for same-sex couples in Illinois, Human and Civil Rights, Dec. 2013
- “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
- “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
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
- AILA Chicago Chapter Litigation Roundtable, presented on Britkovyy v. Mayorkas (7th Cir. 2023) and other Federal Court cases, February 2023
- AILA Chicago Chapter CLE Panel, “Beyond the BIA,” October 2021
- AILA Chicago Chapter Litigation Roundtable, presented on “Formulating a Particular Social Group in the wake of Matter of A-B,” February 2019
- AILA Chicago Fall CLE Conference, presented on Petitions for Naturalization and Petitions for Review, December 2017
- CBA CLE, Presented on “The Ins and Outs of E-2 Visas,” January 2017
- AILA Chicago Fall CLE Conference, presented on “Seeking Waivers before the Immigration Judge,” November 2013
- AILA Chicago Chapter Litigation Roundtable, presented on “Sarmiento v. Holder (7th Cir. 2012), 2012
- “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,” powerpoint 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
- United States District Court for the District of Columbia
- United States Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit
- 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
“There are those who look at things that are, and ask why. I look at things that are not, and ask, why not?” -the late Robert F. Kennedy, Senior
“Fight ignorance, not immigrants.”