Biography
Kathleen Campbell Walker is chair of the Immigration Practice Group of Dickinson Wright PLLC and is based in its El Paso office. She is a national past president and general counsel of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), and an emeritus member of its Board of Governors. She began practicing immigration law in 1985 after graduation from the University of Texas School of Law. She is board certified in Immigration and Nationality Law by Texas Board of Legal Specialization (TBLS) and previously served on the examination and nomination committees of TBLS as to immigration and nationality law.
She is recognized in Chambers USA (Band One), Chambers Global (Band One), International Who's Who of Business Lawyers, Super Lawyers, Best Lawyers in America, Lawdragon’s 500 Leading Corporate Employment Lawyers. She is rated AV® Preeminent™ and Judicial AV® Preeminent™ in Martindale-Hubbell®. She has chaired several of the AILA national liaison committees including those for the Department of State, Customs and Border Protection, Interagency, and the Verification and Documentation Liaison Committee for Worksite Enforcement. She currently serves on the AILA national Verification and Documentation Liaison Committee. She is also the Secretary of the International Law Section Council of the State Bar of Texas. She is a frequent speaker at international, national, and regional conferences on immigration and nationality law.
She previously served as Chair of the Greater El Paso Chamber of Commerce and was President of the El Paso Foreign Trade Association when one of the focal projects was the creation of the first dedicated commuter lane in the State of Texas. In 2022, she co-authored a chapter in AILA’s USMCA Toolbox and is a faculty member for the 2024 AILA Waivers Online Course regarding J Visa Waivers. She is also a member of the International Medical Graduate Taskforce.
In 2014, Ms. Walker received the AILA Founder’s Award, given from time to time to the person or entity having the most substantial impact on the field of immigration law or policy. She has also received AILA’s Service Excellence Award now named after Susan D. Quarles. In addition, she served on the Council of Foreign Relations Independent Task Force on U.S. Immigration Policy, and has provided testimony on a variety of immigration subjects at the federal and state legislative level. (rev. 01/2024)