Curran & Berger

Joseph P. Curran, Esq.

Joseph Curran has been exclusively involved in the practice of immigration and nationality law since 1985, with experience representing clients in all aspects of this area of law. He has served as counsel to numerous individuals, major corporations, universities, and research institutions, specializing in immigration issues impacting on business and family-based sponsorship in the New England area. Mr. Curran is a member in good standing of the Massachusetts Bar Association, and he currently serves on the Bar's Committee for Immigration and the Bar's Committee for High Technology.

He has been an active member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association since 1985, and frequently lectures on immigration law to business groups and academic institutions in the New England area. As a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association Congressional Liaison Committee, Attorney Curran works closely with U.S. Congressmen and US Senators regarding legislative and regulatory policy. Mr. Curran is also a member of the American Health Lawyers Association and the Labor and Employment Substantive law Committee.

In addition, Mr. Curran regularly volunteers his time to support the immigration assistance programs of charitable organizations in the community. He has been featured in major newspapers in the Western Massachusetts area for his efforts in the field of immigration law.

After graduating from the State University of New York, Mr. Curran completed his Juris Doctor at Western New England School of Law. Prior to entering the field of immigration, he worked on the United States Senate Judiciary Committee, writing speeches, drafting legislation and conducting research on the Equal Rights Amendment and Civil Rights legislation.

Dan H. Berger, Esq.

Dan Berger, a graduate of Harvard College and Cornell Law School, has written numerous articles on immigration law, and is a frequent speaker at colleges and universities around the northeast. He won the 1995 American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) annual writing competition for an article on INS policies toward international adoptions. Mr. Berger has also been a Senior Editor of the Immigration and Nationality Law Handbook since 2000, was an Author/Editor of the revised National Association of Foreign Student Advisers' Manual (2000), and Editor-in-Chief of Immigration Options for Academics and Researcher (2005). He is currently the Chair of the AILA Publications Committee, and serves on the AILA-Vermont Service Center Liaison Committee. Mr. Berger developed his interest in immigration in college, where he studied immigration history and taught English as a Second Language for adult refugees. He now specializes in serving academic and corporate clients.

Erin D. Farrell, Esq.

Erin D. Farrell, a graduate of Smith College and Notre Dame Law School, has been involved in immigration since 1999. Ms. Farrell specializes in employment-based immigration matters for corporate clients in the United States and abroad. Prior to joining our firm, she was an Associate at the world's largest immigration law firm, Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy, practicing exclusively in corporate immigration law.

Ms. Farrell is a recognized expert in the new PERM Labor Certification program. She publishes regularly on immigration issues, including most recently a review article on the Outstanding Researcher category of permanent residence for the American Immigration Lawyer's Association (AILA) Immigration & Nationality Handbook (2005-2006) and on the State Department's National Visa Center for the Visa Processing Guide.

Ms. Farrell developed her interest in immigration law while serving as an intern to the US Embassy in Dublin, Ireland and Irish Parliament. During law school, Ms. Farrell specialized in Asylum law and represented clients in front of the immigration court. She is a member of the bar in New York and New Jersey.

Thao Pho, Senior Paralegal

Thao Pho graduated from Smith College with a B.A. in American Studies and a specialization in Race Relations and Immigration. She received several scholarships to attend Smith including the NYNEX Diversity Scholarship based on her desire to utilize her liberal arts degree to assist with family reunification. Thao herself has experienced the challenges of resettlement, language and culture acquisition first-hand, having entered the U.S. at the age of two as a refugee from Vietnam after living in Hong Kong. She brings her unique perspective to her work helping others navigate through the complex immigration system. She has helped hundreds of immigrants obtain permanent residence and become citizens of the U.S.  She now specializes in PERM labor certification, Conrad waivers and National Interest Waiver applications for physicians.

Mariah Rutherford-Olds, Paralegal

Mariah Rutherford-Olds joined our staff after graduating from Smith College with a B.A. in English Literature and Women’s History. She has a strong background in fictional and historical writing and specializes in assisting artists with their visa goals. Mariah has prior experience in public relations, archiving and antiquarian book collection, and has worked as a creative consultant for local fiction writers.

Becky Schapiro, Paralegal

Becky Schapiro graduated from the University of Chicago with a B.A. in Political Science and a focus in Constitutional Law. While she was a student she worked as a tutor teaching English as a second language at a local elementary school. A native of New England, (and thus an avid Red Sox fan), she relocated to Western Massachusetts to join our law office and eventually plans on pursuing a degree in law.

Eliza Camire, Office Manager

Eliza Camire graduated with a B.A. in English from Saint Michael's College in Winooski, VT. She spent her junior year of college in South Africa, traveling, studying South African poetry, and volunteering at a local township. After graduation, she served as an AmeriCorp volunteer in NH, promoting literacy in the town where she was born. Although she has visited almost every national park in the United States, she still prefers the tranquility of the many hidden walking trails in the area.

Nic Kuchyt, Paralegal 

Nic Kuchyt is currently pursuing a B.A. in Biochemistry from Smith College.  She enjoys volunteering at a local elementary school to help introduce science to students at an early age.  Nic specializes in visa applications for scientists and researchers.  She eventually plans on pursuing a graduate degree in nursing.

Ivan Grail, Paralegal

Ivan Grail received a Master’s degree in East Asian Languages and Civilizations from Harvard University, where he studied poetry, literature, and historical documents. He currently instructs undergraduates in Japanese at the University of Massachusetts – Amherst on the side. Ivan specializes in permanent residence applications for all types of workers.

Jennie Riley, Immigration Specialist

Jennie graduated from Smith College with a B.S. in Biology, and is currently pursuing a Master's degree in Law & Diplomacy at The Fletcher School.  She specializes in permanent residence applications for scientists and scholars.  Jennie has published in the fields of molecular/microbial evolution and immigration law, including co-authoring the recent article "Business Visas for Nonprofits" in the journal Immigration Law Today.       

Emily Hindle, Paralegal

Bio coming soon.