Learning PACER

Speakers: Aaron Aisen, Senior Staff Attorney

Speaker Qualifications:

AARON AISEN handles a variety of immigration litigation in federal court including Petitions for Writs of Mandamus in immigration application delay cases, Petitions for Writs of Habeas Corpus in detention matters, and Petitions for Review in the United States Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit. He also has other considerable experience in federal court, which includes clerking for two federal judges and litigating various commercial and civil rights claims. He has also teamed with an Assistant U.S. Attorney from the WDNY to provide updates and training on immigration law to the federal court law clerks in the WDNY.

Aaron also brings to his immigration practice a decade of experience in handling other sophisticated legal work that helps him represent his clients before the government and in court. He has represented financial and insurance entities before state and federal regulators, advised on cybersecurity and data privacy and corporate governance issues.

Aaron works full-time for the ECBA Volunteer Lawyers Project, Inc. as a senior staff attorney and leads the appellate and federal court practice group where he works with individuals detained at the Buffalo Federal Detention Facility. He also represents private immigration clients as the principal attorney at Aisen Law, PLLC in Buffalo, New York where he primarily handles mandamus and habeas petitions. He graduated from The George Washington University with a BA in International Affairs, from Brigham Young University with a Master of Public Administration (with honors), and from the University at Buffalo Law School with a Juris Doctor (with honors). Aaron is active in his church and community.

During this time:

This CLE program provides immigration practitioners with practical, procedure-oriented training on how to use PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records) effectively. Topics include navigating federal court dockets, monitoring immigration-related litigation, retrieving case documents, understanding docket entries, and leveraging PACER for research and strategic planning.

(NC Tech CLE – 60 minutes)

I. PACER Basics

1. What PACER/CM-ECF are
2. Where immigration attorneys encounter them

II. Getting Access

1. Creating an account
2. Basic cost and security practices

III. Using PACER

1. Simple case searches
2. Reading a basic docket

IV. Immigration Context

1. Common federal filings: habeas, mandamus/APA, PFRs

V. Required Tech Competence (NC)

1. Password hygiene & secure logins
2. Redaction and privacy basics
3. Safe handling of downloaded filings

VI. Practical Tips

1. Reducing fees
2. Setting up simple docket alerts

For this event, it’s okay for lawyers and their paralegals to attend.

Rules on recording:

• This will not be recorded so please join us for the live virtual

• All participants must honor these rules as the discussion topics are sensitive and involve law enforcement issues.

• Third-party recordings or participant recordings are strictly forbidden.

North Carolina CLE will be requested by Helen Tarokic Law PLLC

• NC CLE credit will be requested since the organizer is based in North Carolina

• Attorneys licensed outside of NC can attend. A certificate of attendance will be provided upon request for those who need proof of attendance.

• Attorney-supervised paralegals may attend for educational purposes.

• Attorney-supervised means the paralegal must be employed by a licensed attorney and under regular supervision to prevent the unauthorized practice of law.

• Attorneys signing up paralegals take responsibility for their employee’s registration fees and participation in the program and agree to pay full and fair wages for time the paralegal trains in the seminar as part of work hours/on-the-job training.

This is an interdisciplinary seminar, so please be mindful that we will have individuals of various levels of knowledge attending and have law enforcement, therapists, and other anti-trafficking professionals in attendance. It will be an excellent opportunity for all.