Deborah Smith
Partner
deb@rmslaw.net

Debbie joined Reynolds, Motl & Sherwood in 1994, and became a partner in 2000.  Over the years, her practice has grown to focus almost entirely on immigration law.  Debbie represents individuals and businesses in immigration matters.  She is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, and its Washington State Chapter.  Debbie has served on the Chapter’s Advocacy, Congressional Liaison, and Customs and Border Protection Committees.  She is currently chair of the Advocacy Committee.  Debbie is also an Adjunct Professor of Law at the University of Montana Law School, where she teaches immigration law.  She is devoted to achieving justice for immigrants.

Debbie also has substantial experience in energy, environmental, and related areas of administrative law.  Prior to moving to Helena in 1993, Debbie worked as an Associate Attorney in the Washington, D.C. office of the Sierra Club (now Earthjustice) Legal Defense Fund, and then as a Staff Attorney at the Conservation Law Foundation in Boston.  As an attorney, she has lobbied in the state legislature, appeared before many state and federal agencies, and litigated in court on behalf of numerous environmental, low-income, consumer, and other not-for-profit organizations.  Debbie remains committed to a clean and healthy environment for the benefit of all people.

Practice Areas
Immigration Law, including
    Representation of individuals in removal proceedings and in court
    Family-based immigration
    Non-immigrant admissions
    Employment-based immigration
    Naturalization
    Asylum
Administrative Law
Appellate Practice
Civil Rights
Nonprofit Representation
Education
University of Cincinnati, B.B.A. (summa cum laude) 1984
University of Michigan Law School, J.D. 1989
Admitted

State of Montana
     U.S. District Court, District of Montana
     U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit

Member:

State Bar of Montana
American Immigration Lawyers Association
National Immigration Project of the National Lawyers Guild

Selected Cases:

Fang v. Ashcroft, 2004 U.S. App. LEXIS 22204; 111 Fed. Appx. 912     (9th Cir. 2004)(crime of violence/removal)
Favi v. Gonzales, 2005 U.S. App. LEXIS 5456; 131 Fed. Appx. 84
    (9th Cir. 2005)(asylum)
Matter of Noyola-Montalvo,
    (BIA unpublished)(12/05/2005)(reason to believe/removal)
Common Cause of Montana v. Argenbright, 276 Mont. 382 (1996)
    (agency rulemaking challenge)
Boards of Directors and Honorary Appointments

NW Energy Coalition (1995 – 2005, past Chair, Vice Chair and Secretary)
Montana River Action Network (1994–98, founding Board Member &
     President),
Plan Helena (1996 – 1997, founding Board Member)
Governor’s Advisory Council on Electricity Prices (2001)
Montana Secretary of State’s Election Advisory Council (1997 – 2000)