Approach
Attorney Carstarphen utilizes her broad experiences and skills to advocate sound approaches to the challenges of immigrating – working – and sustaining family unification through U. S. Immigration laws.
Academic Background
Attorney Mary L. Carstarphen developed cultural sensitivity as a “military brat”. She was born in France and raised in Alabama. She holds a Bachelors of Science cum laude from Alabama State University and Juris Doctorate cum laude from Howard University School of Law, Washington, D.C. She is a former law clerk to the Honorable Damon J. Keith, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Judicial Circuit. She is a member of the District of Columbia Bar and the American Immigration Lawyers Association.
Career Background
Attorney Mary L. Carstarphen practiced as a municipal finance bond attorney in nationally recognized bond counsel law firms. She is a former Executive Director of The District of Columbia Housing Finance Agency.
For ten years she was partner in the South Florida based firm of Edwards & Carstarphen. She served as bond and underwriter’s counsel to Wall Street and regional investment banking firms, governmental entities, private and non-profit organizations. As a consultant she advised municipalities, academia, and religious and community based organizations that served the culturally diverse Urban– Hispanic – Haitian French/ and Creole speaking communities of South Florida.
Attorney Mary L. Carstarphen joined the community based efforts to repeal the nation’s strictest anti- immigration law -Alabama HB 56, titled the Beason-Hammon Alabama Taxpayer and Citizen Protection Act. As a consequence, she returned to a federal practice with an emphasis on U.S Immigration laws.
