Individualized, Innovative

David L. Wilson

 

Biography

David L. Wilson is the Managing Attorney of Wilson Law Group. David is licensed to practice in the State of Minnesota, U.S. District Court of Minnesota, U.S. District of Colorado, the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the US Supreme Court. David attended the University of St. Thomas and graduated cum laude in 1993. He then graduated from the William Mitchell College of Law with cum laude honors in 1997.

David is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) and the Federal Bar Association. He is a Past Chair of the Minnesota / Dakotas Chapter of AILA. David has also served as the AILA Liasion for the Executive Office for Immigration Review. David has also served as an adjunct professor at Hamline University School of Law where he co-taught immigration law. He also served an adjunct law professor for the William Mitchell College of Law, teaching Writing Research Advocacy and Presentation, Appellate Advocacy, and the William Mitchell College of Law’s Immigration Law Clinic.

David is a frequent guest speaker on many legal topics in Minnesota and nationally, and provides pro bono services to victims of domestic abuse and children in need. The Children's Law Center of Minnesota recognized David for his pro bono work on behalf of immigrant children in foster care in 2012. David was also awarded the 360 Communities Caring Award for his pro bono work with the Lewis House Domestic Abuse Shelters in February 2013. In 2016, Minnesota Lawyer awarded David for one of its Minnesota Attorneys of the Year. David also won the Minnesota Justice Foundation private attorney public service attorney in 2016.

David litigates cases before the federal government, federal court system, Minnesota courts, and Minnesota agencies. He is the attorney of record in multiple published decisions as well as several unpublished federal and Minnesota Court of Appeal decisions.


Practice Areas

  • Immigration

Education

  • William Mitchell College of Law, St. Paul, Minnesota
    • Honors: cum laude
    • Law Review, William Mitchell Law Review, Executive Editor
  • University of St. Thomas, Saint Paul, Minnesota
    • B.A., Bachelor of Arts - 12/1993
    • Honors: cum laude
    • Major: Criminal Justice
    • Minor: Legal Studies

Bar Admissions

  • Minnesota, 1997
  • U.S. District Court District of Minnesota, 1998
  • U.S. Court of Appeals 8th Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals 9th Circuit
  • U.S. District Court District of Colorado
  • Supreme Court of the United States of America, 2016
  • U.S. Court of Appeals 2nd Circuit, 2018
  • U.S. Court of Appeals 4th Circuit, 2020

Professional Associations

  • American Immigration Lawyers Association, Member, 1998 to Present
  • American Immigration Lawyers Association, Board of Governors Member, 06/2007 to 05/2009
  • American Immigration Lawyers Association, Chair, 05/2007 to 05/2008
  • American Immigration Lawyers Association, Minnesota / Dakotas Chapter, Vice Chair, 05/2006 to 05/2007
  • American Bar Association, Member
  • Minnesota State Bar Association, Member
  • Federal Bar Association, Present
  • Hennepin County Bar Association, Member, Present
  • Minnesota/Dakotas Chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, Past Chair
  • American Immigration Lawyers Association, Minnesota / Dakotas Chapter, 2014 to Present
  • Hamline University School of Law, Immigration Law, Adjunct Professor
  • William Mitchell College of Law, Writing Research Advocacy and Presentation, Appellate Advocacy, and Immigration Law Clinic, Adjunct Professor

Published Works

  • Immigration Practice Deskbook, 1st Edition, Minnesota CLE, 2015
  • The Attack on TPS, Mitchell Hamline Law Review, 2020
  • Immigration Practice Deskbook, 3rd Edition, Minneosota CLE, 2020

Representative Cases

  • Alvarado–Riera v. State, 2017 WL 74377, 2017
  • Bonilla v. Johnson, 149 F.Supp.3d 1135 , 2016
  • Escoto-Castillo v. Napolitano, 658 F.3d 864, 2011, 8th Cir.
  • Flores-Calderon v. Gonzales, 472 F.3d 1040, 2007, 8th Cir.
  • Gaitan v. Holder, 683 F.3d 951, 2012, 8th Cir.
  • Kanyi v. Gonzales, 406 F.3d 1087, 2005, 8th Cir.
  • Khilan v. Holder, 557 F.3d 583, 2009, 8th Cir.
  • Llapa-Sinchi v. Mukasey, 520 F.3d 897, 2008, 8th. Cir.
  • Nguyen v. Mukasey, 522 F.3d 853, 2008, 8th Cir.
  • Nyari v. Napolitano, 562 F.3d 916, 2009, 8th Cir.
  • Odunlade v. City of Minneapolis, 823 N.W.2d 638 (Minn. 2012)
  • Ortiz v. Lynch, 796 F.3d 932, 2015
  • Pavlovich v. Gonzales, 476 F.3d 613, 2007, 8th Cir.
  • Salheen v. Holder, 618 F.3d 957, 2010, 8th Cir.
  • Zabra A. Mohamed, et al. v. Ashcroft, 396 F.3d 999, 2005, 8th Cir.
  • Velasquez v. Barr, 979 F.3d 572, 2020, 8th Cir.
  • Ortiz v. Barr, 962 F.3d 1045, 2020, 8th Cir.
  • Chernosky v. Sessions, 897 F.3d 923, 2018, Eighth Circuit
  • Fofana v. Wolf, 437 F.Supp.3d 673, 2019
  • Ortiz v. Barr, 962 F.3d 1045 (8th Cir. 2020)
  • Onduso v. Sessions, 877 F.3d 1073 (8th Cir. 2017)
  • Ortiz v. State, 2015 WL 46367 (Minn. Ct. App. 2015)
  • Mauti v. State, 2015 WL 303682 (Minn. Ct. App. 2015)
  • Khilan v. Holder, 557 F.3d 583 (8th Cir. 2009)
  • Gonzales v. Garland, 29 F.4th 989 (8th Cir. 2022)
  • Quecheluno v. Garland, 9 F.4th 585 (8th Cir. 2021)
  • Fofana v. Mayorkas, 4 F.4th 668 (8th Cir. 2021)
  • Artola v. Garland, 996 F.3d 840 (8th Cir. 2021)
  • Velasquez v. Barr, 979 F.3d 572 (8th Cir. 2020)
  • Ramirez-Barajas v. Sessions, 877 F.3d 808 (8th Cir. 2017)

Honors

  • 2014 Leadership Award present by Minnesota Women Lawyers
  • 2014 Small Business Excellence Award presented by the Small Business Administration
  • 360 Communities Caring Award 2013 for pro bono work
  • Children's Law Center of Minnesota for pro bono work
  • 2016 Minnesota Lawyer Attorneys of the Year
  • 2016 Minnesota Justice Foundation Private Attorney Public Service Award
  • 2015 Minnesota Lawyer Attorneys of the Year
  • Super Lawyer
  • Minnesota Justice Foundation Private Attorney Pro Bono Lawyer, 2016

Classes & Seminars

  • Presenter for numerous continuing legal education panels and webinars
  • Co-presenter: Minnesota District Judges Association 2014 Fall Conference, 2014
  • Presenter: Client Management from Day One: Intake and Beyond, 2014 Upper Midwest AILA Immigration Law Conference
  • Presenter: Advocacy in the REAL (ID) World: I-9s and Other Common Pitfalls, 2014
  • Unraveling the Knot of Criminal and Immigration Law, Ramsey County Attorney's Office, 02/25/2012
  • Presenter: Senate Immigration Bill S.744: Analysis of RPI, DREAM Act, Blue Card and Ag Visa (webinar)
  • Presenter: Intersection of Criminal and Immigration Law, Criminal Justice 2012: Legal, Forensics and Ethics - Part II
  • Presenter: Intersection of Criminal and Immigration Law, Criminal Justice 2012: Legal, Forensics and Ethics - Part I
  • Presenter: The Transformation of the Practice of Immigration Law Since 9/11, Federal Bar Association luncheon
  • Presenter: Best practices before the immigration court, AILA Upper Midwest Immigration Law Conference, 2010
  • Removal Defense, AILA Web Seminars, 12/18/2007 to 12/18/2007
  • Adjunct Law Professor, Appellate Advocacy, William Mitchell College of Law, 01/01/2007 to 05/30/2007
  • Adjunct Law Professor, Immigration Law Clinic, William Mitchell College of Law, 2006 to 2006
  • Adjunct Law Professor, Writing Research Advocacy and Presentation, William Mitchell College of Law, 2003 to 2006
  • Adjunct Professor, Immigration Law, Hamline University School of Law, 2005 to 2005
  • Removal for Experts - Bonds, Detention, and Habeas, ILW.com, 06/04/2015
  • Removal for Experts - Crimmigration Update, ILW.com, 08/20/2015
  • 2016 AILA Upper Midwest Immigration Law Conference, AILA MN Dakota Chapter
  • 2015 MN Falls Supervisors Conference Association Presentation, Minnesota Supervisors Association
  • Removal for Experts - I-751s in Removal Proceedings, ILW.com, 2015
  • Removal for Experts - Bond / Detention / Habeas, ILW.com, 2015
  • Executive Orders! Now What?, AILA MN / Dakotas Chapter, 2017
  • Presenter: The State of TPS: A Look at the Litigation Landscape, 2019
  • CLE Panelist: Forcing U Visas through Litigation AILA National Conference, 2019
  • Moderator: Post-Pereira and Other Recent Court Cases, AILA, 2019
  • Presenter: 2016 AILA Upper Midwest Immigration Law Conference
  • Author, Immigration Practice Deskbook, 2015
  • Removal for Experts - I-751s in Removal Proceedings, 2015
  • Understanding Immigrant Youth in the Minnesota Courts, 2015
  • 2014 MN Falls Supervisors Conference Association Presentation
  • Co-presenter: Charting the Court into the Unfriendly Waters of Immigration Law at the 2014 MN Fall Supervisors Conference Association, 2014
  • CLE Panelist: Federal Circuit Court Litigation: The Latest in 8th Circuit Jurisprudence, 2018
  • 360 Communities - Innovative Partnerships: The New American Services Collaborative
  • CityPages - Update on Chris LaRiche, the Lothario Notario
  • CityPages - Chris LaRiche Seduces Immigrants with Lies
  • Star Tribune - Immigration attorneys says there were no jobs
  • CityPages - Shopping While Black?
  • Pioneer Press - Green-card Fight Brewing
  • KMSP Fox 9 - Traveling fair workers allege & conditions
  • TPS Adjustment of Status Victory: Bonilla v. Johnson
  • KMSP Fox 9 - Trump presidency draws growing concerns from Minnesota immigrant community
  • KMSP Fox 9 - Fox 9 checks the numbers in Trump immigration plan
  • Star Tribune - Immigration Court backlog puts lives on endless hold
  • Star Tribune - Beset by backlogs, Minnesota immigration court due to add judges
  • Contributor, This American Life, Episode 679, “Save the Girl: My Very Unhappy Birthday” (July 2019)

Pro-Bono Activities

  • Children's Law Center of Minnesota
  • 360 Communities Domestic Services, 2008 to Present
  • Civil Society Staff Attorney, 12/2007 to 2008
  • MN Advocates for Human Rights Volunteer Attorney, 2002 to 2002
  • CLE Panelist: Introduction to the 8th Circuit, 2018

Past Positions

  • Hon. Roland J. Faricy (Ret.) in Saint Paul, Minnesota, Judicial Law Clerk

Languages

  • Spanish
  • English