Ilana Snyder is a federal litigator with over a decade of experience who focuses on immigration and administrative law. She represents individuals and businesses challenging unlawful agency action, including delayed or denied immigration petitions, improper agency procedures, and other matters arising under the Administrative Procedure Act and the Immigration and Nationality Act. Her practice centers on complex federal court litigation involving immigration benefits adjudications, agency delay, and constitutional and statutory challenges to government decision-making.
Ilana brings nearly a decade of experience litigating immigration matters at the highest levels of the federal judiciary to Klasko Immigration Law Partners. Prior to entering private practice, she served as Senior Litigation Counsel with the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Immigration Litigation (“OIL”). In that role, she drafted merits briefs, dispositive motions, and emergency filings addressing a wide range of issues. Her work required intensive review of administrative records, development of complex legal arguments, and strategic analysis of how federal courts review agency decisions. Prior to joining OIL, Ilana spent five years with the Executive Office for Immigration Review, joining the Department of Justice as part of the Attorney General Honors program. There, she obtained an extensive familiarity with immigration court procedure and agency decision-making.
Ilana developed an early interest in immigration law stemming from her desire to help individuals and businesses realize their aspirations in the United States. She is particularly and continuously drawn to the practice because it requires both a deep respect for the historical foundations of the field and a constant willingness to adapt as laws, policies, and global needs evolve. Having litigated from inside the government, she understands both how immigration agencies build records and how federal courts evaluate challenges to agency action. Colleagues and clients alike value her subject matter expertise, careful legal analysis, clear writing, and strong strategic judgment in high stakes matters. Ilana is particularly passionate about ensuring that immigration laws are applied fairly and that administrative agencies act within the bounds of the law. She is committed to mentoring junior attorneys and engaging in professional dialogue, to both share knowledge and continue learning about immigration litigation and federal court practice.
Ilana earned her law degree from New York Law School, cum laude, where she devoted her free time to public service, helping unaccompanied non-citizen children obtain lawful permanent resident status (green cards) and working for the Mayor’s Office of Immigration Affairs in New York City. Outside of the practice of law, Ilana is a mosaic artist and is actively engaged in community volunteer work. She has long been involved with a local dog rescue and has helped rescue thousands of abused, abandoned, and neglected dogs. Ilana is also involved with a Maryland-based charitable organization that provides food and comfort to the sick and poor when they are in need.
