Elizabeth L. Young

Founding Partner

Founding Partner - San Francisco

Elizabeth L. Young is one of the few immigration attorneys in the country who has served as both a law professor and a Immigration Judge. She founded the first immigration law clinic in the University of Arkansas system, supervised more than 100 personnel as Assistant Chief Immigration Judge in San Francisco, and was appointed Regional Deputy Chief Immigration Judge for the entire Western Region before retiring in June 2025.

At Emeriti Law

Elizabeth leads the firm's consulting work with health care organizations and academic institutions on immigration compliance and workforce concerns. She has worked on worksite enforcement matters and provides guidance to clinics and legal aid organizations on complex removal proceedings and clinic operations.

Elizabeth works as part of the full team on every BIA appeal the firm handles, providing strategic guidance and expert counsel before briefs are filed. Her perspective — from Attorney Advisor to Regional Deputy Chief Immigration Judge for the entire Western Region — gives the firm an unmatched depth of appellate insight.

Emeriti Law PLLC

Founding Partner, June 2025

Regional Deputy Chief Immigration Judge, Western Region

EOIR | Jan 2024–Jan 2025. SES appointment.

Assistant Chief Immigration Judge, San Francisco

EOIR | July 2021–Jan 2024. Supervised 100+ personnel. EOIR Director's Award 2023.

Immigration Judge

San Francisco Immigration Court | Sep 2016–July 2021

Associate Professor of Law (tenured)

University of Arkansas School of Law | 2008–2016. Founded first Immigration Law Clinic in the UA system.

Visiting Professor & Interim Director, Immigration Clinic

George Washington University Law School | 2007–2008

Attorney Advisor

San Francisco Immigration Court, EOIR | early career

Education
  • J.D. with honors, The George Washington University Law School — Richard C. Lewis, Jr. Memorial Award for Clinical Excellence; International Human Rights Law Programme, Oxford University
  • B.A. Sociology and Anthropology, Hendrix College 1999
Bar Admissions
  • Virginia, 2004
  • California, 2005
  • Arkansas, 2009
Honors
  • EOIR Director's Award, 2023
  • Arkansas Times Visionary Arkansan, 2013
  • NWA Business Journal Fast 15 Award, 2009

Your case deserves to be heard.

Emeriti Law was built on the premise that every client — whether a hospital system managing enforcement risk or an individual who never had the chance to present their case — deserves counsel that understands the system well enough to make sure their position is heard.

Our attorneys spent decades deciding cases from the bench. They know what it takes to build a record that holds up, frame an argument that reaches the decision-maker, and present a case with the precision the forum requires. That is the standard we bring to every matter.

Attorney & Institutional Inquiry

For General Counsels & Referring Firms
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Co-counsel engagements, organizational counsel, appellate representation, worksite enforcement defense, and expert consultation on immigration consequences.

Individual Consultations

For Individuals & Families
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Appellate representation for individuals in removal proceedings, BIA appeals, motions to reopen, and direct representation in complex removal matters.