Silvia R. Graves

Silvia Graves has been practicing immigration law exclusively in Houston, Texas for 27 years. Mrs. Graves has received an AV Peer Rating from Martindale & Hubbell, the highest possible rating in both Legal Ability and Ethical Standards, for the last 10 years. She is a frequent speaker at a number of AILA, NAFSA, Rice University, and Houston Bar Association conferences on consular practice and other immigration issues.

Professional Associations:

During her professional practice, she has held the following positions with the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) at the National level and at the local State level, which includes Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico, and with other organizations:

Trustee for the American Immigration Council, formerly the American Law Foundation (AILF) from 2001 to 2011.
Chair of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), Texas Chapter (2001-2002).
Liaison between the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) and the Department of Homeland Security, USCIS in Houston, Texas, (1995 to 1998; and 2007 to 2009).
Member of the AILA National Committee with the Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection (2008).
Member of the AILA Houston Liaison Committee with the Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) (2005 to 2010).
Member of the AILA Houston Liaison Committee with the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) (2008 to 2010).
Member of the AILA National Committee with the U.S. Department of State (2006-2008).
Member of the Texas State Bar Committee on Immigration Laws (2002-2005)
Program Planning Co-Chair for the AILA National Spring Conference in Aruba (January 2009).
Co-Chair of AILA National Spring Conference, Washington, D.C. 1998.
Member of the AILA National Program Planning Committee for the 1999 and 2003 AILA Annual Conference in Seattle, Washington and New Orleans, LA.
Program Chair for the AILA Texas Chapter 2000 Spring Conference in Santa Fe, N.M.
AILA Texas Chapter Secretary, Treasurer and Vice Chair (1998-2000).
Chair of the Awards Committee and Chair of the Nominating Committee for Officers of the AILA Texas Chapter (2003)
Consular Liaison for AILA Texas Chapter (2003-2007)
Chair for the 2006 AILA Texas Chapter Fall Conference in Puerto Vallarta
AILA Mentor on Consular Issues (15+ years)
Besides being a member in good standing of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, Mrs. Graves is a member or Board member of the following associations:

State Bar of Texas; Advisory Board Member of the Mexican Institute of Culture, Houston, TX; Mexican-American Bar Association; American Immigration Council (AIC) Alumni Taskforce; Member of the Houston Coalition for Immigration Reform; Board Member of Amigos Por Vida Charter School (2002 to present); Board Member for the University of Houston, Legal Clinic, in Houston, TX (2011).