Kripa Upadhyay, Attorney
PROFILE
Kripa’s practice focuses on all areas of Immigration and Nationality law. She handles matters related to Removal/Deportation defense before the Immigration Court, Board of Immigration Appeals, and the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. Kripa has a diverse practice representing individuals and companies in various stages of the immigrant and non-immigrant process. Her practice includes employment based petitions, family based petitions, removal defense, naturalization and non-immigrant visas.
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
- American Immigration Lawyers Association (Member)
- Chair: Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) committee (Present)
- Chair: Citizenship day committee (2009 – 2010)
- Vice Chair: Citizenship day Committee (2008-09)
- Washington State Bar Association (Member)
- South Asian Bar Association of Washington (Board Member)
EDUCATION
- Seattle University School of Law, Juris Doctor, 2007
- Access to Justice Institute (Student Leader, Immigration Court Project, 2006-2007)
- California State University at Long Beach, Bachelor of Arts, 2002
BAR & COURT ADMISSIONS
- Washington State Supreme Court
- U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington
- United States Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit
PERSONAL
Kripa graduated from Seattle University School of Law in 2007. She is an active member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), where she currently serves as the chair of the Executive Office for Immigration Review(EOIR) committee. She previously served as the Chair of the Citizenship Day Committee for 2009-2010, and served as the Vice Chair for the Citizenship Day Committee for 2008-2009.
A first-generation immigrant, who came to the United States from Nepal in 1998, she is actively involved with the local Nepali community as well as the larger Immigrant communities for whom she regularly organizes free legal/education seminars on various issues of concern to the community. She also serves as a volunteer Pro-Bono attorney with various non-profit organizations in the greater Seattle area, and also serves as a member of the Board for Nepalese Children’s Education Fund (www.nepalchildren.org) a non-profit organization that raises money to educate children from socially- and economically-disadvantaged families in Nepal.
Having previously worked as a community organizer in Los Angeles, CA, Kripa also has experience in mediating disputes in a culturally- and linguistically-appropriate manner. She developed and conducted “Cultural Awareness” trainings for various service providers, including the L.A County Fire Department; the Orange County Sheriff’s Department and the L.A County Police Department to help them better interact with and serve various immigrant communities in the greater Los Angeles area.
Kripa is fluent in Nepali and Hindi, conversant in Urdu and is now learning Spanish.
