Bo Cooper

Bo Cooper "is Of Counsel in Paul Hastings' national immigration practice, specializing in business immigration law. Before joining Paul Hastings, he served as General Counsel of the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) from 1999 until February 2003, when he became responsible for the transition of immigration services to the Department of Homeland Security.  He was responsible, as the Federal Government’s top immigration law specialist, for advising the Commissioner of the INS, the Attorney General of the United States, the White House, other Executive Branch agencies, and the Congress on all aspects of U.S. immigration law.  He was principal legal advisor to the INS during two Administrations, at a time when immigration ranked among the most sensitive issues on the national public policy agenda.

"As General Counsel, Mr. Cooper directed a legal program of 700 attorneys in 56 offices around the nation who provided legal and policy advice to the agency and litigated on behalf of the U.S. Government. He was twice the recipient of the Commissioner’s Exceptional Service Award, the agency’s most prestigious award.  He has testified frequently before Congress and has made numerous television, radio, and print media appearances, including the Newshour with Jim Lehrer, Sixty Minutes, Nightline, the Today Show, Good Morning America, CNN, BBC Radio, CBC Radio, and National Public Radio’s All Things Considered.  On behalf of the U.S., Mr. Cooper was involved in negotiating immigration-related agreements with other governments and was frequently a U.S. delegate to international organizations.

"Mr. Cooper teaches immigration law at the University of Michigan Law School. He has also taught at the Georgetown Law Center and was a Fellow in Law and Government at the Washington College of Law at American University.  Mr. Cooper is the Washington representative of the Global Personnel Alliance.  He serves on the Board of Directors of the Tahirih Justice Center, and on the Refugee Law Commission of the International Institute for Humanitarian Law."