Ms. Hoballah is a leading expert on U.S. Lebanese Comparative laws including religious laws as applied by the Lebanese courts. Her domestic practice focuses on assisting Lebanese Nationals with family, probate and estate matters particularly as it relates to religious and civil laws and its compatibility with local United State laws.
Ms. Hoballah is at the forefront of US Immigration and Nationality Law. Combining her personal and legal experience with her cultural background, she provides legal services sensitive to the ethnic, business and cultural needs of the community including, U.S Permanent Residency based on business and investments specifically EB-5, Political Asylum and Violence against Women Act petitions (VAWA).
Wafa Hoballah has a strong commitment to giving back and has been a go to keynote speaker and featured panelist on a broad range of topics at conferences, organizational meetings and special delegations. She has given presentations and is an educator of communities, not only in business, but also on topics such Human Rights Political Asylum, VAWA, and the dangers and aftermath of Human Trafficking. Some featured appearances include The NGO Committee on the Status of Women, U.N., Human Trafficking, Kazakhstan Delegation, Comparative Law at the Ministry of Justice, Oman, Developing Marketing and Business Plans, Pskov, Russia, A Platform for Business and Investment, and the 2nd Annual Africa Growth Conference at UCLA Anderson. For all of her years of community contributions, Ms. Hoballah is a proud past recipient of the Arab American Lawyers Association Southern California, The Judge James Kaddo Award.
Ms. Hoballah is admitted to practice law in New York, District of Columbia and Lebanon. She received her LL.M. from the University of The Pacific’s McGeorge School of Law of California, a diploma in International Private Law from the University of Salzburg, School of Law, a License en Droit (JD) from the Lebanese University Faculty of Law, and her B.A. from the American University of Beirut, Lebanon.
Education
- University of The Pacific’s McGeorge, School of Law of California, L.L.M.
- University of Salzburg, School of Law, Diploma, International Private Law
- Lebanese University, Faculty of Law, J.D.
- American University of Beirut, Lebanon, B.A.
Bar Admissions
- New York, Appellate Divisions of the Supreme Courts, Attorney at Law Admitted January 1998
- District of Columbia Bar, Admitted 2012
- Beirut Bar, Lebanon, Attorney at Law Admitted February 1982
Professional Bar Associations
- New York State Bar Association
- Los Angeles County Bar Association, International & Immigration sections
- American Immigration Lawyers Association
- Arab American Lawyers Association of Southern California
Organizations / Affiliations / Awards
- Chair, Member, Board of Directors, Los Angeles Beirut Sister Cities Committee
- Member, Board of Directors, International Visitors Council of Los Angeles, Past President & Chair
- Corporate Financial Officer, Board of Directors, Lebanese American Foundation, Los Angeles, California, Charter member
- Recipient, AALASC The Judge James Kaddo Award
- Member, Community Based Organizations Committee, a program sponsored by DHS/USCIS to promote better relations between local communities and the District Offices
- Former Advisory Board, von Grunebaum Center for Near Center Eastern Studies, University of California, Los Angeles