Class Notes

“It’s simply luck that I was born in a country and at a time when I had greater opportunities to pursue dreams that others never get to realize,” says Ira Kurzban.

An American Immigration Lawyers Association past president and former general counsel, Kurzban chairs the immigration department at Kurzban Tetzeli & Pratt in Miami. He has litigated over 100 federal immigration cases, three before the U.S. Supreme Court, and obtained a $500 million judgment against Haiti’s former dictator Jean-Claude Duvalier.

Kurzban’s Immigration Law Sourcebook — the nation’s most-used immigration guide — is in its 19th edition, having expanded from 400 pages to over 3,000.

“Immigration work is increasingly complex,” he says. “There are statutes, regulations, opinions, manuals, and forms that have the force of law, an incomprehensible numbers system, and a field that touches upon most other areas of law.”

While visiting Kurzban last year, former law school roommate Bill Sokol ’76 saw him update the sourcebook nightly after work.

“Every immigration law judge and lawyer has that book on their desk,” Sokol says. “In most legal fields, there are a few seminal publications that people refer to. But in immigration law it’s Kurzban, period.”

Kurzban co-founded the Berkeley Journal of Employment & Labor Law in law school and planned to practice in the field, but found a tepid labor movement in Miami after graduating. After doing some civil rights work, Haiti’s National Council of Churches asked him to help on immigration issues related to Haitians who had fled the country’s rising political violence and were detained in harsh conditions.

“Ira quickly became known as someone who would represent immigrants fully and forcefully and do anything legally necessary on their behalf,” Sokol says.

While in law school, Kurzban, Sokol, and other classmates created the nonprofit Berkeley Law Foundation to provide legal services to underserved communities through grants and fellowships. America’s first organization of its kind, it still funds public interest projects and law careers.

“I’m pleasantly surprised it has lasted all these years,” Kurzban says. “It continues the idea that our responsibility is to encourage young lawyers to make their careers in public service.”

Repeatedly named to global and national top immigration lawyer lists, Kurzban co-founded the nation’s first pro-immigrant political action committee (Immigrants List PAC) and strives to improve the treatment of refugees, make sure federal agencies follow the rule of law, and reform immigration statutes to adhere to constitutional norms.

That includes challenging the federal government’s push to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitian refugees six months earlier than the date the Biden administration established. Kurzban’s team persuaded a federal court to restore the original date of Feb. 3, 2026, and is now suing to challenge the termination of Haitian TPS.

“There’s nothing in the practice of law more rewarding than helping individuals and families change their lives,” he says. “In most fields, lawyers are fighting over money. In immigration, you’re fighting for future generations.” — Andrew Cohen

“When one of my kids was becoming a challenge for us when he started high school, my husband and I got parent counseling,” she says. “That counseling helped me manage and lead because, like many other organizations, law firms are in the people business. Communicating with people — motivating them to be their best selves in the workplace — is a big part of what we try to achieve.”

Named vice chair of her firm’s U.S. management committee last year, Shishima has a tip for other lawyers looking to make a similar move: Considering a situation from various points of view can help you be part of the solution rather than the problem.

Her stratospheric trajectory has dovetailed with the booming biotech sector over the past quarter century. While having a Ph.D. didn’t make law school any easier, Shishima says, it did allow her to target very specific job opportunities in IP and the life sciences as early as her 1L summer.

“When I first started, advances in commercialized aspects of biotechnology were mostly limited to the research tool space. The average person might be using something like a pregnancy test as the biotechnological invention most relevant to them,” she says. “Now, 25-plus years later, I am gratified that the areas that I worked on back then — gene therapy, genetic diagnostics, RNA-based technology, antibody therapeutics — have become a clinical reality positively affecting almost everyone.

“And I love that I have been part of the system that makes this happen.”

Shishima has also made it a priority to encourage women to follow her lead.

“We have made strides in some sectors of the legal profession, but less than a quarter of equity partners are women at the largest and most powerful firms in this country,” she says. “If we are ever to reach any sort of parity in the legal profession overall, having more women stay is an imperative.”

She’s acutely aware of the many reasons women leave Big Law for in-house jobs or other types of lawyering. What gets less attention, Shishima emphasizes, are the reasons to remain.

“While I never begrudge people who choose different directions for their careers, I hate it when a woman leaves her law firm for the wrong reasons,” she says. “I encourage those who do stay to talk about the good things and not just the less good things. For those thinking of making a change, ask others why they continue in a law firm. My plea is for women to try, with patience when necessary, to stay at big firms, taking advantage of all they eventually have to offer.

“I am just one woman that stayed at an especially excellent large law firm; but for me, that has made all the difference.” — Gwyneth K. Shaw

“I watched her work tirelessly and navigate a world that wasn’t built for her, all while endeavoring to give me opportunities she never had,” Iliadis says. “I became her advocate and, through that experience, became committed to using my voice to advocate for others.”

Purpose met profession when Iliadis joined the mock trial team in high school and college, reveling in the teamwork, strategy, and storytelling. She says law school was the natural next step — and that deciding where to go was easy.

“Berkeley has a longstanding commitment to challenging ideas, opening minds, pushing boundaries, and making space for all people,” she says. “I knew I’d be surrounded by colleagues who weren’t afraid to speak their minds, ask hard questions, and put empathy first.”

Now a partner at Hogan Lovells in Los Angeles, Iliadis litigates complex disputes at the intersection of data, privacy, cybersecurity, and emerging technology, representing global leaders in tech, media, healthcare, and consumer products. She defends against high-stakes multidistrict litigations, class actions, mass arbitrations, and regulatory investigations, and helps clients navigate data breach and internet privacy disputes, avoid litigation, and assess risk.

Last fall, Iliadis was named to Bloomberg Law’s annual They’ve Got Next: 40 Under 40 list, which honors legal profession rising stars excelling in client work, leadership, and community service. It happened soon after she helped steer major mass arbitration victories involving Video Privacy and Protection Act claims against her client.

“The recognition is deeply meaningful because it’s a reflection of the people who shaped my career and believed in me,” she says. “It also reminded me that recognition carries responsibility. The spotlight is a chance to elevate others — first-generation professionals, women, mothers, minorities — who are doing incredible work but may not yet have that platform.”

There’s no resting on laurels, not when consumer privacy, data security, and technology are constantly changing. Weaving continuous learning into her routine, Iliadis reads industry, litigation, and regulatory updates every morning; stays active in professional networks and working groups focused on privacy, digitalization, and emerging technologies; and collaborates with colleagues across practice areas and disciplines to spot emerging issues.

“It’s definitely a challenge, but it is also what I love about my practice,” she says. “The constant evolution is energizing and it forces me to stay curious and disciplined.”

While humbled by her Bloomberg Law recognition, Iliadis calls collaboration the most rewarding part of her professional life.

“Litigation is a team sport.” she says. “Cases can stretch on for years, and during that time you’re in the trenches with your colleagues and clients. You get to know people not only as professionals, but as humans. It’s incredibly gratifying to work closely and build trust with smart, creative, interesting people and to share the successes.” — Andrew Cohen