ANNABELLE (BELLE) GRANHOLM

Email Annabelle Call Annabelle

Attorney Annabelle (Belle) Granholm joined HNK in 2026 and represents clients at adjustment, I-751, and naturalization interviews before USCIS offices, as well as appearances before EOIR. A skilled legal writer, she also works closely with senior attorneys at the firm preparing supporting legal memoranda for complex benefits cases with USCIS.

Prior to joining the firm, Belle worked as an attorney advisor at the Sterling Immigration Court through the Attorney General’s Honors Program. She conducted extensive legal research and drafted written decisions for immigration judges on applications for asylum, withholding of removal, protection under the Convention Against Torture, and cancellation of removal. In this behind-the-scenes role, Belle discussed cases with immigration judges and gained valuable insight into the thought processes of immigration adjudicators.

While in law school, Belle volunteered with her school’s Immigration Detention Defense Board and a local immigrant-rights group. She also worked as a supervised student attorney in the Children’s Rights Clinic, where she represented children with disabilities. She worked with her clients, their caregivers, and school staff to procure better outcomes for her clients in the education and juvenile justice systems. Belle gained further experience in both civil and criminal law while working for the North Carolina Court of Appeals, the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office, and Legal Services Alabama.

As Belle has several family members and close friends who have navigated the U.S. immigration system, she understands the toll that immigration processes can take on applicants. She is dedicated to helping clients navigate the immigration system with confidence and clarity.

Bar Admissions

  • North Carolina 2024

Education

  • 2024 – The University of Alabama School of Law, J.D., summa cum laude
  • 2021 – The University of Florida, B.A. in Criminology, B.A. in Business Administration, cum laude

Honors and Awards

  • CALI and Best Paper Awards (Legal Research/Writing; Perspectives on Citizenship; Civil Rights & Liberties Journal; Juvenile Justice Jurisprudence; Legal Profession; Consumer Protection)
  • Dean’s Scholar; Hugo Black Scholar
  • Order of the Coif
  • Law360 Distinguished Legal Writing Award, the Burton Awards, 2025, awarded for student note

Publications

  • Note, Earning by Performing: Placing a Performative Citizenship Lens on the Earned Citizenship Regime, 15.1 ALA. C.R. & C.L. L. REV. 155 (2024)