Meet the Keynote Speaker and Honorees
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Lecturer, community activist, and real-life immigration lawyer. With offices in Chicago and the suburbs of Elgin and Waukegan, Illinois, Richard received his B.S. from Northwestern University and J.D. from the University of Illinois College of Law. In 1991, Richard established the Law Offices of Richard Hanus, representing clientele across The U.S. and globally in family and employment-based immigration matters, as well as in defense of removal/deportation proceedings. Richard practices before the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s immigration agencies including Citizenship and Immigration Services, Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Department of Justice/Executive Office of Immigration Review’s Immigration Courts and Board of Immigration Appeals, as well as U.S. District Courts and Circuit Courts of Appeal. Richard is a frequent lecturer on immigration law topics for the immigration law, criminal defense, corporate/employment and family law bars. He provides pro bono counsel through various social services agencies, including the ARK Chicago and Chicago Volunteer Legal Services and chaired numerously government liaison and pro bono committees for the American Immigration Lawyers Association. For the past 3 years, Richard has been Co-Chair of AILA Chicago’s liaison committees with DHS’ Citizenship and Immigration Services Chicago Field Office, as well as the State of Illinois – Secretary of State’s Department of Motor Vehicles. Richard has appeared on Frontline, NBC Nightly News, and Fox 32’s Good Day Chicago and his writings have been published in the Wall Street Journal and bi-weekly. Richard’s federal litigation activity of note includes the deportation defense cases of Fitzpatrick v. Sessions, 847 F.3d 913 (7th Cir. 2017), cert denied; Keathley v. Holder, 696 F.3d 644 (7th Cir. 2012) – the latter of which became the subject of the acclaimed Off-Broadway play, The Courtroom.
Activist, author, award-winning lawyer, and immigrant. Fiona is an award-winning, nationally recognized immigration attorney. She is the Founder and Managing Attorney of McEntee Law Group in Chicago. Fiona and her team of passionate advocates represent individuals and families, as well as the world’s leading musicians, artists, athletes, innovative entrepreneurs/startups, and multinational and U.S. companies. Fiona is also the Chair of the Media & Advocacy Committee for AILA National, the bar association with over 15,000 immigration lawyer members. She regularly appears on national/international media including MSNBC, CNN, The New York Times, BBC, and RTÉ. She also counsels other immigration attorneys about leveraging the media to fiercely advocate for clients. Fiona has particular expertise with the “extraordinary ability” O-1 visa and immigration options for startups. Fiona was recently asked to submit a statement to Congress – the House Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on immigration and Citizenship – on the need for a startup visa and how the outdated U.S. immigration policies push entrepreneurs and startups to other countries. Fiona has won many awards including the ISBA Elmer Gertz Award and the Chicago-Kent College of Law Outstanding Pro Bono Service Award (O’Hare Airport Attorneys – Muslim Travel Ban). In 2019, Fiona was inducted into the Irish American Hall of Fame in the Irish American Heritage Center in Chicago. Last year, Fiona wrote and published her first book –Our American Dream– a children’s book on immigration. As a mom of two young children, an immigrant, and an immigration lawyer who fights for justice every day, she wrote Our American Dream to explain the importance of a diverse and welcoming America.
Artist, activist and immigrant. Yulia left Russia because she was being repressed as a woman and artist and marginalized by the rigid art community who did not accept her vision of art. Yulia now works as a Studio Manager for the artist Tony Fitzpatrick and The Dime Gallery in Chicago. She is a recipient of a merit scholarship and has a Bachelor’s Degree of Fine Arts in Studio from the Art institute of Chicago (SAIC). She has had numerous art exhibitions in Chicago, IL., in Seattle, WA., and in Austin, TX. Her art has been featured in the Chicago Tribune, the Chicago Sun-Times, the Chicago Ambassador and others. Yulia has also presented on various radio shows, namely, WGN Radio and iHeart Radio. Finally, Yulia supports HOAB (Homeless Online Art Bazaar) by annually donating her artwork.
