Attorney Jennifer Varughese is the lead immigration attorney at Livesay & Myers, P.C. She is experienced in handling every type of immigration law matter, including Citizenship, Deportation, Green Cards, Temporary Protected Status and Temporary Visas, with a special emphasis on cases involving the immigration consequences of criminal convictions. She works out of the firm's offices in Fairfax and Manassas, Virginia, and handles cases throughout Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia.

Jennifer Varughese is one of the leading attorneys in a raging legal battle involving the immigration consequences of criminal convictions in Virginia. As detailed by an article by The Washington Post, Ms. Varughese represents a lawful permanent resident who pled guilty in 1997 to petty larceny, after being told by a public defender that the guilty plea would not affect his immigration status, only to find himself facing deportation for that guilty plea in 2008. In 2009, Ms. Varughese convinced a Circuit Court Judge to modify her client's sentence to allow him to avoid deportation. Following the government's successful appeal of that decision before the Virginia Supreme Court in early 2011, the case was appealed to the Supreme Court of the United States. This high profile case could set legal precedent for decades to come regarding the immigration consequences of criminal convictions in Virginia.

In another high profile case, Ms. Varughese successfully petitioned for an O-1 visa for an artistic gymnastics coach to return to Lake Ridge, Virginia from his native Chile. O-1 visas are only given to those top individuals in the fields of science, arts, education, business and athletics.

Ms. Varughese has argued twice before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, resulting in two published opinions: Hussain v. Gonzales, 477 F.3d 153 (4th Cir. 2007) and Markovski v. Gonzales, 486 F.3d 108 (4th Cir. 2007). She has also argued before the Supreme Court of Virginia, resulting in a published opinion, Commonwealth v. Morris, 281 Va. 70 (Va. 2011).

Ms. Varughese writes about Immigration Law for The Virginia Lawyers Blog.

Ms. Varughese was recently named the Pro Bono Lawyer of the Year (2010) in Fairfax County by the Fairfax Bar Association.

Bar Admissions: Virginia State Bar District of Columbia Bar U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Virginia U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit U.S. Supreme Court

Professional Memberships, Associations and Awards: American Immigration Lawyers Association Fairfax Bar Association (Family Law Assistance Program and Neighborhood Outreach Program) Capitol Area Immigrants' Rights (CAIR) Coalition

Professional Experience:

• Livesay & Myers, P.C., Associate Attorney, 2008 - Present
• Law Offices of J.W. Nesari, L.L.C., Herndon, Virginia, Associate Attorney, 2005 - 2008

Speaking Engagements:

On July 8, 2011, Ms. Varughese spoke at a Virginia Continuing Legal Education seminar hosted by George Mason School of Law, entitled "Immigration Consequences of Criminal Convictions." She discussed her case, Commonwealth v. Morris, 281 Va. 70 (Va. 2011), and how it relates to the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Padilla v. Kentucky.

Law School: Regent University School of Law, J.D., 2005

Honors and Activities: First place in the school-wide Trial Advocacy Competition; Quarterfinalist in the 1L Moot Court Competition; Merit Scholarship Recipient.

College: Vanderbilt University, B.A., cum laude, 2001

Honors and Activities: First place in the Santa Rosa Junior College Novice Debate Competition; Finalist in the Frank K. Houston Public Speaking Competition; Quarterfinalist in the Middle Tennessee State University Debate Competition; Dean's List.

Born: Bloomington, Illinois

Attorneys     Home