David J. Rothwell (Retired)

David J. Rothwell

David J. Rothwell’s practice is devoted exclusively to Immigration Law. He has over 35 years of experience in immigration matters, and has built a substantial immigration law practice including immigrant and non-immigrant visa applications, representation of U.S. and overseas businesses wishing to bring workers to the U.S., family visa applications, deportation defense, political asylum, naturalization and other immigration matters.

David was the lead attorney in Perez v. Vargas, a case in which the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals interpreted a section of the Immigration & Nationality Act to successfully support certain applicants for immigration who must change employers during the process. He has gained relief for persons who have suffered political persecution due to their political or religious beliefs including persons who have suffered female genital mutilation before arriving in the United States and have the same fear for their daughters. Among the hundreds of cases he has handled over the years are many that include families that are facing separation of a family member from the family unit.

David has appeared on behalf of clients in Immigration Court and at agency hearings in over a dozen cities in the United States as well as consulates outside the U.S. He has been the invited speaker on the topic of immigration law at employment law and other legal seminars and classes. In addition to his practice David provides assistance to young non-citizens in need of legal advice through his position on the Board of Directors of The Dream Project.

Bar Admissions

District of Columbia
Maryland
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia
U.S. District Court for Maryland

Education

Juris Doctor, Antioch School of Law
M.A. in Education, Georgia State University
B.A. in Government, Cornell University

Professional Affiliations

American Immigration Lawyers Association
District of Columbia Bar

Select Publications

Author, Immigration Handbook for Paralegals (MICPEL), 1987

Past Positions

Founding Partner – Rothwell Immigration Group, Washington, D.C.

Evan Price

June 23, 2023.

My partner and I had an amazing experience. Our lawyer Zachary Kohn and his team were amazing help and did quite a bit to ease our nerves about the whole process. The whole team went above and beyond and did a great job, I would highly recommend them to anybody!

Daryn Koo

June 18, 2023.

Seamless experience working with Haynes Novick Immigration on our immigration case. Joy was responsive, knowledgeable, and made the process very easy for us. We are super grateful!

Zee N khan

June 15, 2023.

Great Professionalism, helpful and friendly. I highly recommend them. Thanks to the great job of Zachary Abraham kohn and his team I just got my u viza approved and immigration court case dismissed, I used to have 2 lawyers before for the same case also i consult lot more but no one giving me any hope than i found Zachary Abraham kohn thanks to God highly recommend him! If anyone is looking for one of the best immigration lawyer he’s the one. Once again thank you so much

Jared Vincenti

June 9, 2023.

We were represented by Zachary Kohn for a green card by marriage case. Attorney Kohn is an expert in immigration law and was able to quickly and explain our paths forward and represented us in the proceeding. Very easy and informative, highly reccommend!

Jong Shin

June 8, 2023.

We have been working with a different law firm for over 5 years on a rather complicated immigration issue. The situation ended up become very serious over time and left my parents no choice but to be deported from the country after 20 years of their residence as permanent residents. Our case was then delegated to Mr. Yusuf Ahmad from Haynes Novick Immigration for his expertise in these matters. It was pretty much impossible to turn the table at this point as we had lost all the vital evidences over the course of 2 decades, so as we all thought. Mr. Ahmad found some external factors to the case that could legally protect my parents, and we worked from there while chased by limited time we only had. After a month-long preparation with Mr. Ahmad, we were actually able to win the case, and my parents are now in the process of getting the US citizenship. Mr. Ahmad is very articulate, professional, and most importantly caring. We are very fortunate to have met Mr. Ahmad who protected my family from injustice. I feel deeply indebted to Mr. Ahmad who showed us his relentless effort to work for his clients' interest. I give my highest recommendation for Mr. Ahmad to anyone who are looking for serious legal advice.

Rekency Rigby

June 3, 2023.

Mr. Kohn is a Great Attorney in Washington DC, he is very quick on working with cases and solve problems with great ideas and he do is best to save clients from spending a lot of money. Very honest guy when it comes to immigration, I would recommend Kohn in both immigration court and with USCIS.

Steven Howard

June 2, 2023.

Very grateful to Haynes Novick for handling our immigration case. Thanks to their great work, I was able to sponsor my wife for a green card. They work fast, are responsive, and have many resources. The whole team definitely has a heart for people and for families. I would recommend them to anyone. We as so appreciative of their work in helping our family here in Maryland!

Leslie Villegas

Review of Haynes and Novick Immigration: Case Type: Conversion from G4 Visa to Permanent Resident Status to Naturalization Application • Empathy – Ms. Amy Novick is straightforward, authentic and supportive during all parts of the legal immigration process. She cares about the outcome of the application process and accepts the client’s views on a matter, regardless of whether she agrees. Most importantly, she follows through and genuinely cares about what happens to the client. • Experience – Ms. Novick has experience in handling various types of immigration matters. Her experience is pivotal in ensuring that my application is approved efficiently and beneficially. Her experience is very important as immigration law is a complicated field, and the processes associated with different types of immigration affairs can be complex. • A Sharp Eye for Detail – USCIS require all the t’s to be crossed and the i’s to be dotted. Any missteps or sloppiness can cause significant delays of months or more. In my case, Ms. Novick and her team have a sharp eye for detail and this has proven to be in my best interests. They notice all the necessary irregularities or potential problems on the required forms; they spot them before the forms were submitted. They are very thorough and meticulous. • Strong Communication Skills – Ms. Novick and her team are proactive about reaching out to me and when they do, they are forthright about the status of my case. Ms. Novick has the ability to take the complicated language of immigration laws and express it in plain language that one can easily understand. She is persuasive in her arguments, and she has the keen ability to persuade the US Immigration authorities. o Accessibility and Listening Skills – Ms. Novick and her team are easy to get a hold of when I have questions, need advice and/or simply need reassurance about my application. Ms. Novick listens well which is crucial, then analyzes and forms a plan of action appropriate to my application. • Risk Management – Ms. Novick and her team think of various scenarios where the application could possibly go wrong and creates a contingency plan for dealing with every single one of them.

Rachel Rivas

May 31, 2023.

I cannot express my gratitude enough to Joy Haynes and her team of incredible people who helped my husband adjust status and obtain his green card. I called Haynes Novick after speaking to a few other immigration law firms. I was immediately put on with Jim Tom who spent 30 minutes answering my initial questions and calming my fears. I’d never hired a lawyer, much less done anything within the realm of immigration. Once I discussed with my husband (fiancé at the time) and we decided to go with Haynes Novick - Joy contacted me within a couple days. From there she laid everything out that we’d need to do in excruciating detail - which was much appreciated. I think the most unexpected thing about working with Joy was how prompt she was at responding to our questions. It often felt like we were her only clients. Her email replies were often with 10 minutes, and faster than that many times. We couldn’t believe it. I’ve never worked with someone who was as professional and organized - in any capacity. I realize that it is possible to do all of the paperwork without a lawyer, but the peace of mind and assurance we got from Joy and her team was worth every penny. In fact, we feel like we got a bargain - which is certainly not what you expect when hiring a lawyer. My husband received his green card 13 months after filing. I don’t think this would’ve been possible without Joy. We are truly and eternally grateful to Joy and everyone behind the scenes who helped make this possible. I cannot recommend her enough.

Lorenza Giovanelli

May 30, 2023.

Amy and her team are simply the best. I couldn’t be luckier to be assisted by such experienced, responsive and attentive professionals. They just care. I never felt alone once throughout the whole immigration process. I'd recommend Haynes Novick Immigration to anyone who's planning to apply for visas, green card or citizenship. You'll be in the best hands.

David J. Rothwell (Retired)

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