About Peri B. Edelman

Immigration Law permeates through me. My late father, a widely respected Immigration Attorney, was responsible for many published decisions that changed Immigration Law. As a child, I watched him work many late nights and weekends, pouring over cases that seemed impossible to win. Since he knew peoples’ liberty was on the line, he worked vigorously to obtain justice on their behalf.

These memories of my father brought me to where I am today. After I obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance from Binghamton University, I began a career in finance where I leveraged my deep attention to detail and analytical skills. However, I soon realized how unfulfilled finance made me feel and decided to pursue my Juris Doctorate at Brooklyn Law School.

In 1994, during my second year of law school, I survived a horrible violent crime while walking home from the gym. The perpetrator was never caught. That event propelled me to not only be a survivor but a warrior for injustice. Knowing that my role as an attorney had to be more than a job – I needed to help individuals who did not have a strong voice, seek justice - I followed in my father’s footsteps and became an Immigration Attorney.

The Peri Edelman Law Firm opened in 1996. Shortly thereafter I was asked to defend a foreign-born woman who was under threat of removal. Her parents, who were United States citizens, adopted her in Canada but never filed for her to become “legal” in the United States. They erroneously thought she would automatically become a United States citizen by virtue of her adoption. As an adult, she was convicted of a larceny charge and was facing deportation. The case against her was the result of an unjust loophole in the immigration system and it became my personal crusade to leverage the legal system to protect her from deportation. Not only did the Court rule that my client could stay in the United States, but the decision eventually led to the Child Citizenship Act of 2000. This Act allows children of U.S. citizens who did not acquire U.S. citizenship at birth to acquire citizenship if they satisfy certain requirements before age 18. It has since prevented countless foreign-born children adopted by U.S. citizens from being torn away from their families, and the only country they have ever known.

The passion that I bring to my work has grown over the years. In my over 25 years practicing Immigration Law, I have worked tirelessly for my clients, obtained thousands of green cards and visas, countless foreign work visas, and prevented hundreds of immigrants from being deported. I have seen almost every type of immigration case imaginable and have traveled throughout the United States to help clients pursue legal permanent residency and remain in the United States.

My work also includes consulting for immigration law reform. When I was a young lawyer, an acquaintance, who had a significant rank in the Republican party, asked if I would provide Immigration Reform suggestions for the George W. Bush 2000 Presidential platform. A couple of my recommendations were used in that campaign.

My dedication to the plight of immigrants extends to my staff, who are bilingual in Spanish to assist with client needs and anxieties with immigration procedures. Their skills help clients feel at ease, and they are compassionate and dedicated advocates.