Practice Areas: Immigration, Professional Liability; view more
Licensed in Washington since: 1992
Education: Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law
Languages Spoken: English, Spanish
Selected to Super Lawyers: 2019 - 2022 Call today:
206-224-0909
Virtual Appointments Carney & Marchi
1809 7th AveSuite 1110
Seattle, WA 98101 Visit website
Details
As partner at Carney & Marchi, P.S., Michele Carney is an immigration and ethics attorney who represents clients primarily in Washington state. With over 30 years of experience, Ms. Carney is passionate about helping those navigate the immigration system. She also offers ethics consults to attorneys facing disciplinary issues. Her immigration practice is focused on cases of removal defense and family based cases. Her ethics practice is focused on discipline defense and preventative practice management.
Ms. Carney has staff that are fluent in Spanish and English, and is known for being a creative lawyer who is not afraid to take on tough cases and apply innovative legal strategies to help her clients. Admitted to practice in the state of Washington, she is a member of the Washington State Bar Association, the American Immigration Lawyers Association and the State Bar of Texas along with a long list of committees within these organizations.
In 1984, Ms. Carney graduated from McGill University with a political theory degree and then obtained her Juris Doctor in 1991 from the Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law. She provides community service and pro bono work for the CARA Project, and serves as a volunteer immigration attorney for the American Immigration Lawyers Association and with One America Citizenship Day as a volunteer.
As a prominent lecturer and speaker at national, regional and local conferences in immigration law, Ms. Carney also has many published writings. She was contributing author as part of the Ethics Compendium on Immigration Law for the American Immigration Lawyers Association.
Practice areas
Immigration: Consumer, Professional Liability: DefenseFocus areas
Asylum, Ethics & Professional Responsibility, Naturalization & Citizenship
- 80% Immigration: Consumer
- 20% Professional Liability: Defense
First Admitted: 1991, Texas
Professional Webpage: https://www.carmarlaw.com/about/our-team/michele.php
- Chair, American Immigration Lawyers Association Innovation and Technology Committee. , 2023
- Member WSBA Legal Technology Task Force , 2024
- Chair, AILA Innovation and Technology Committee, 2024
- Member of Committee on Professional Ethics, WSBA, 2022
- Member of Innovation and Technology Committee, American Immigration Lawyers Assocation, 2022
- Member of Character and Fitness Board, WSBA, 2022
- Chair of Ethics Committee, American Immigration Lawyers Association, 2022
- Tombolo Institute, Bellevue College - Advisory Board, 2020
- American Immigration Lawyers Association AILA Innovation Technology Committee, 2020
- American Immigration Lawyers Association, National Technology Summit Committee, 2020
- American Immigration Lawyers Association, Vice Chair (Compendium), National Ethics Committee , 2020
- Washington State Supreme Court Committee, Vice-Chair Disciplinary Board, 2016
- Washington State Supreme Court Committee - Practice of Law Board Member, 2020
- Washington Women Lawyers, Board of Directors, Membership and State Liaison Committee Chair, 1994 - 1997, 1997
- Washington State Bar Association, Committee of Law Examiners, 2000 - 2001 & 1994 - 1996, 2001
- Washington State Bar Association, Special District Counsel, 1994 - 2000, 2000
- Washington State Supreme Court Committee, Chair Disciplinary Board, 2017, 2017
- American Immigration Lawyers Association, Treasurer and Membership Chair, 1997 - 1999, 1999
- American Immigration Lawyers Association, Washington State, Ethics Liaison, 2000 - 2001, 2001
- American Immigration Lawyers Association, Washington State, Consumer Protection/Professional Responsibility Co-Chair, 2010 - 2011, 2011
- American Immigration Lawyers Association, Washington State EOIR liaison committee, Chair, 2007 - 2008, 2008
- American Immigration Lawyers Association, Washington State Treasurer, 2012 - 2013, 2012
- American Immigration Lawyers Association, Washington State, Programs Chair, 2011 - 2012, 2011
- American Immigration Lawyers Association, Washington State Chapter Chair, 2013 - 2014, 2014
- American Immigration Lawyers Association, Regional Annual Conference Committee, 2015
- American Immigration Lawyers Association, Board of Directors, Executive Board, Washington state, Past Chair, 2014 - 2016, 2015
- American Immigration Lawyers Association, Pacific NW Regional Immigration Conference, 2015 and 2016, 2016
- American Immigration Lawyers Association, National Annual Conference Committee, 2016
- Washington State Bar, 1992
- Chair, WSBA Disciplinary Board, 2016 - 2017
- American Immigration Lawyers Association - National Ethics Committee. In 2018, in charge of the Compendium subcommittee, which publishes chapters on the ABA model rules as they pertain to immigration. , 2018
- American Immigration Lawyers Association National Fall Conference Committee , 2014
- Co-Chair, Professional Responsibility and Consumer Protection Committee, AILA, Washington State Chapter. In charge of organizing committee and major project is the annual ethics CLE in December 2018. , 2018
- Washington State Bar Association, Adjunct Disciplinary Counsel, 2018
- Washington State Bar, Disciplinary Board Member, 2014
- Disciplinary Board Chair (October 2016-September 30, 2017), 2015
- Texas State Bar, 1991
- Washington State Supreme Court Work Group on Practice of Law Board, 2015
- American Immigration Lawyers Association, Rapid Response Committee, Washington State, 2020
- Rapid Response Committee, American Immigration Lawyers Association, Washington state, 2022
- City of Seattle Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs/KCBA/AILA Immigration Clinic. Helped organize innovative clinic for attorney consultation to immigrants. , 2020
- AILA and One America Citizenship Day Volunteer at multiple clinics throughout Washington state. , 2013
- American Immigration Lawyers Association, Volunteer Immigration Attorney for Detained Cases in Tacoma, Washington. , 2015
- CARA Project, Dilley Texas - pro bono attorney for Family Residential Detention Center in Dilley Texas. Travelled to Dilley, TX in February 2016 to assist detained women and children from Central America., 2016
- McGill University, Montreal PQ, Degree in Political Theory, 1984
- Article regarding possible changes to the Trump administration and tips to immigration lawyers to avoid prosecution. , Author, Immigration Attorney Tips for Avoiding Prosecution under Trump, Law360, Immigration Lawyers, 2024
- Article discussing how lawyers should charge legal fees in immigration cases that are unpredictable due to long government delays or other unexpected events., Author, How to Navigate Legal Fees in Unpredictable Removal Cases, American Immigration Lawyers Association, Lawyers, Immigration, 2024
- The compendium is a comprehensive resource book that covers several ABA Model Rules of Ethics as they apply to immigration lawyers, ethics and discipline. This book is the result of several years of research and work and is now in print form. , Author/Contributor, American Immigration Lawyers Association Ethics Compendium Handbook, American Immigration Lawyers Association, Immigration Lawyers And Ethics, 2024
- Article regarding chatbots in legal practice and the future of AI. , Co-Author, The Last Lawyer: The Evolution and Ethics of Legal AI Tools, Law360, Lawyers, Immigration, 2024
- Article discussing technology and fee increases at USCIS. , Co-Author, Getting Real about USCIS Technology and Us, American Immigration Lawyers Association, Lawyers, Immigration, 2024
- Ethics guide to immigration lawyers with new practice and professionalism rules published by EOIR. , Co-Author, EOIR’s New Limited Practice Professional Conduct Rule: Ethical and Practical Implications, American Immigration Lawyers Association, Lawyers, Immigration, 2023
- Article focused on how legal ethics has evolved over the years in immigration practice. , Co-Author, How Legal Ethics has Evolved in Immigration Practice, American Immigration Lawyers Association, Lawyers, Immigration, 2022
- Article for immigration lawyers seeking prosecutorial discretion requests for their clients in removal proceedings. , Author, Ethical Duties for Prosecutorial Discretion Requests, American Immigration Lawyers Association, Lawyers Immigration, 2021
- Article on the Matter of Lozada case, which discusses ineffective assistance of counsel and state bar complaints. , Author, Taking the Measure of Lozada, American Immigration Lawyers Association, Immigration Lawyers, 2021
- Article discussing ethics issues that arise when hiring remote or virtual paralegals. , Author, Ethics of Engaging Freelance Paralegals in the Practice of Immigration Law, American Immigration Lawyers Association, Immigration Lawyers, 2021
- Cutting edge topics in technology, immigration and regulatory changes, Faculty, Bleeding Edge Ethics, AILA, Santa Clara Chapter, California, Immigration Lawyers, 2021
- Faculty at the AILA Annual Conference on Immigration Law. Presentation on Diligence and Ethics rules on difficult cases. , Faculty, Due Diligence in Immigration Cases, American Immigration Lawyers Assocation Annual Conference, Immigration Lawyers, 2020
- Ethics considerations in Immigration Court. , Co-Author, Mastering the Myriad Challenges of Immigration Court, American Immigration Lawyers Association, Immigration Lawyers, 2020
- Practice tips and warnings to immigration lawyers who try to file affirmative asylum applications to get their clients into removal proceedings. , Co-Author, Ethical Considerations Ethical Considerations Related to Affirmatively filing an application for Asylum for the Purpose of Applying for Cancellation of Removal and Adjustment of Status for a Nonpermanent Resident,, AILA, Immigration Lawyers And The Community, 2020
- Ethics presentation for complying with the Rules of Professional conduct during a pandemic or other crisis. , Faculty, Practicing Immigration Law during a Pandemic or other Shutdown, Washington State Bar Association, Immigration And Other Lawyers, 2020
- Panelist on topic of delivering legal services online and staying competitive with technology companies. , Panelist, Online Immigration Law Firms - Friend or Foe, AILA University, Immigration Lawyers, 2020
- Article on delivering online legal services with evolving technology. , Co-Author, Immigration Lawyer's Guide to Delivering Online Legal Services, AILA, Immigration Lawyers, Technology Companies, 2020
- Speaker at national annual immigration lawyers association meeting on Ethics. (June 2020 - San Diego) , Faculty, American Immigration Lawyers Association Annual Conference, Immigration Lawyers, 2020
- Ethics speaker at annual December immigration ethics CLE in Seattle, WA. , Faculty, American Immigration Lawyers Association, Washington State December Ethics CLE, Immigration Lawyers, 2019
- Faculty, Fee Agreements In Removal Proceedings, AILA Annual Conference on Immigration Law (held in Las Vegas, NV), 2016
- Removal Defense basics 2016 Northwest Regional Immigration Law Conference, Immigration Lawyers, Faculty, Removal Defense basics, AILA Washington, Immigration Lawyers, 2016
- Faculty at national AILA immigraiton conference speaking on USCIS Fraud Investigations. Written materials published in Handbook. , Faculty, USCIS Fraud Investigations, AILA - Annual Conference 2015, 2015
- Faculty on Ethics panel for Removal proceedings at annual AILA NW conference. , Faculty, AILA-NW Regional Conference, 2015
- Faculty, Removal proceedings panel, AILA, 2014
- Immigration Lawyers, Faculty, 2016 Northwest Regional Immigration Law Conference, 2016
- Contributing author (part of AILA National Ethics Committee) on ABA Model Rules 1.16 (Declining and Terminating Representation) and 1.5 (Fees)., Contributing Author, Ethics Compendium on Immigration law, American Immigration Lawyers Association, 2014
- Faculty for Ethics panel, Faculty, AILA Waivers Conference, 2016
- Ethics faculty on national conference on immigration waivers. Focused on Model Rules 3.3 and 4.1. , Faculty, Ethics in Waiver Cases, Immigration Lawyers, 2016
- Wrote Opinion editorial article - "Dirty Immigration Lawyers, No Sir We Stand for Justice." See https://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/dirty-immigration-lawyers-no-sir-we-stand-for-justice/ , https://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/dirty-immigration-lawyers-no-sir-we-stand-for-justice/, Seattle Times, Newspaper, 2018
- Contributing author (part of AILA National Ethics Committee) on ABA Model Rules 1.16 (Declining and Terminating Representation) and 1.5 (Fees)., Contributing Author, Ethics Compendium on Immigration law, American Immigration Lawyers Association, 2014, 2014
- Contributing author (part of AILA National Ethics Committee) on ABA Model Rules 1.16 (Declining and Terminating Representation) and 1.5 (Fees)., Contributing Author, Ethics Compendium on Immigration law, American Immigration Lawyers Association, 2014, 2014
- Faculty for AILA CLE on USCIS and Notices to Appear, Faculty, USCIS and Notices to Appear: What You Need to Know, Legal Immigration Attorneys, 2017
- Legal
These comments were made by fellow attorneys during the annual nomination process.
“Michele Carney's dedication to the ethical, aggressive, effective practice of the law is exceptional. That she practices immigration law and advocacy makes Michele's qualification as a Super Lawyer even more well-founded. Michele has a proven track record of outstanding results for her clients in one of the toughest areas of our profession. Michele embraces her clients' legal issues pragmatically and their humanity holistically. Combining superior scholarship with tough, ethical advocacy makes Michele an outstanding advocate, indeed a Super Lawyer by definition.”
“I have known Michele Carney for several years through our activities with the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA). We have served on many committees together and we served on the Executive Committee of AILA Washington for several years together. I was the Chair of the AILAWA committee from 2010-2012, and Michele served as chair in 2012-2013. She is extremely smart, very diligent, extremely ethical and diplomatic. She is very knowledgeable about a wide range of subareas of immigration law. Although we are not opposing counsel in this area of law, I have had a chance to see her association related work product, as well as her contributions to CLEs, discussions in substantive practice listservs and working on a variety of association and immigration law related advocacy documents. I highly recommend her for inclusion in Super Lawyers.”
“This is an outstanding attorney.”
Selections
- Super Lawyers: 2019 - 2022
