About Hans

Hans Meyer, Esq., Lead Attorney

hans@themeyerlawoffice.com

Hans Meyer is the founder of the Meyer Law Office, P.C. His practice specializes in immigration law and removal defense, criminal defense and postconviction relief, the immigration consequences of crimes, and the civil rights of immigrants. Hans advocates for the statutory and constitutional rights of immigrants before various immigration agencies and state and federal courts, often against governmental and institutional abuses of power. He is a former trial attorney with the Colorado State Public Defender, where he became an expert in the field of crimmigration law and developed a statewide immigration advisement system for indigent noncitizen defendants. Hans also served as the former Director of Public Policy for the Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition, where he focused on local, state, and national immigration policy.

As a nationally recognized expert, Hans frequently lectures, publishes, and appears in the press on issues related to immigration law and the criminal justice system. He also serves as an expert on immigration consequences for the Alternate Defense Counsel throughout Colorado. Hans has been honored for his public interest litigation and advocacy by the Colorado Criminal Defense Bar (CCDB), the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), and the Colorado Hispanic Bar, among other organizations. He is an active member of AILA, CCDB, National Immigration Project, National Lawyers Guild, the ACLU of Colorado, and the Colorado Hispanic Bar Association, and serves on the board of directors for several nonprofit organizations, including the CCDB and the Colorado Criminal Justice Reform Coalition.

Hans grew up in Aurora, Colorado, and is a 2006 graduate of the evening program at the University of Denver Sturm College of Law. Prior to his career as an attorney, Hans was a forest firefighter, construction worker, and Outward Bound instructor. He also spent several years living, working and traveling in Latin America, focusing primarily on human rights issues in Guatemala and Chiapas, Mexico.

Bar Admissions and Practice Areas

Hans is admitted to practice by the Colorado Supreme Court, the United States District Court for the District of Colorado, and the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals. He regularly appears on behalf of immigrants before agencies including United States Citizenship and Immigration Service, as well as in immigration cases before the Denver Immigration Court, Board of Immigration Appeals, the United States District Court for the District of Colorado, and the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals. Hans also represents noncitizen defendants in criminal cases and petitioners in postconviction matters in state district courts, the Colorado Court of Appeals, and the Colorado Supreme Court.

Writing and Publications

Immigration Consequences of Criminal Convictions, IMMIGRATION LAW FOR THE COLORADO PRACTITIONER, a publication of The Colorado Bar Association (Nov. 2011-17)
Resisting Empire: ICE Detainer Reform, COLORADO CRIMINAL DEFENSE BAR RAP SHEET (2014)
Padilla v. Kentucky: The Duty of Defense Counsel Representing Noncitizen Clients, THE COLORADO LAWYER (March 2011, vol. 40, no.3)
Criminal Procedure 101 and Other Issues for the Immigration Attorney, IMMIGRATION AND NATIONALITY LAW HANDBOOK 2010, American Immigration Lawyers Association (co-authored)
Immigration Detainers: Q&A, COLORADO CRIMINAL DEFENSE BAR RAP SHEET (Summer 2010)
A Brave New World: Immigration Consequences of Criminal Convictions, Recent Changes to the Analysis of Crimes Involving Moral Turpitude and Aggravated Felony Offenses, and New Fronts in the War of Attrition Against Immigrants, COLORADO CRIMINAL DEFENSE BAR RAP SHEET (Spring 2009)
A Problem Worth Looking For: Immigration Related Employer-Investigations, Sanctions and Protection Plans, THE ADVOCATE, Idaho State Bar, vol. 51, issue (6/7), (June/July 2008)

Academic Lectures, Presentations, and Continuing Legal Education

“Wicked: Crimes Involving Moral Turpitude—What Does It Mean to Be Inherently Vile, Base, and Depraved?”, American Immigration Lawyers National Conference on Immigration Law (June 2022).
Testimony in Support of S.B. 22-103, “Relief from Improperly Entered Guilty Pleas”, 73nd Gen. Assem. (Colo. March 3, 2022).
“Ethical, Effective, and Holistic Representation for Noncitizen Clients and Immigration Issues in Representation”, Colorado Criminal Defense Bar Winter Conference (December 2021).
“Ethical, Effective, and Holistic Representation for Noncitizen Clients”, Office of the State Public Defender Colorado Statewide Conference (Fall 2021).
“ICE Infiltration of the Criminal Justice System,” (Panelist), “Immigration Issues and State Legislation for the Bench,” (Panelist), Colorado Judicial Conference (Fall 2021, Fall 2017).
Testimony in Support of S.B. 20-083, “Prohibit Courthouse Civil Arrest,” 72nd Gen. Assem. (Colo. Jan. 29, 2020).
“Removal Defense with No Relief in Sight,” (Panelist), “Immigration Issues in Marijuana Decriminalization,” (Panelist), American Immigration Lawyers Association Annual Rocky Mountain Fall Conference, Denver, CO (October 2019).
“When Kafka is the Rage: Immigration Consequences of the Criminal Justice System,” (Lecturer), Colorado Criminal Defense Bar annual CLE program on immigration issues (2016-2020).
“Deconstructing the Panopticon: Immigration Consequences and Effective Representation of Noncitizens,” Colorado State Public Defender Annual Conference (2012-14, 2017, 2019).
“Motions to Suppress and Terminate in Immigration Court,” (Panelist), American Immigration Lawyers Association Annual Rocky Mountain Fall Conference, Denver, CO (October 2018).
“Representing Noncitizen Defendants,” (Lecturer), University of Denver Criminal Defense Clinic (2014-19).
“Criminal Defense and Immigration Consequences of Crimes,” (Lecturer), University of Colorado Criminal Defense Clinic (2013-16, 2018).
“Analyzing Criminal Convictions for Immigration Clients,” (Panelist), American Immigration Lawyers Association National Convention (2013, 2017, 2018).
“Immigration Issues in Criminal Cases for the Bar and Bench,” (Lecturer), Adams County Judicial Training (2017, 2019).
“Resisting Empire: How to Avoid Immigration Consequences of Criminal Convictions,” (Panelist), Colorado Bar Association (2011, 2015, 2017).
“Immigration Consequences of Crimes and Padilla Duties of Advisement,” (Panelist), Defending Immigrant Partnership (January 2011 and May 2012).
“Criminal Issues in Immigration Court,” (Panelist), American Immigration Lawyers Association National Convention (June 2011).
“Expanding the Use of Immigration Detainers by Immigration and Customs Enforcement,” (Panelist), Colorado Bar Association Immigration Law Committee (November 2010).
“Representing Noncitizens after Padilla v. Kentucky,” (Lecturer), Colorado Criminal Defense Bar (October 2010).
“Criminal Law and Procedure for Immigration Attorneys,” (Panelist), American Immigration Lawyers Association National Convention (June 2010).
“Immigration Consequences of Crimes,” (Lecturer), National Legal Aid and Defender Association (2009).
“Immigration Law and Procedure: Grounds of Inadmissibility and Removability,” (Lecturer), Colorado Bar Association (Spring 2008).

Awards and Recognitions

ACLU of Colorado Edward Sherman Award (2021)
Anti-Defamation League (ADL) Civil Rights Award (2019)
NEWSED Civil Rights Leader Award (2018)
Top Immigrant Lawyers in Colorado, 5280 Magazine (2014-18)
Super Lawyer in Immigration Law, Colorado Super Lawyers (2014-18)
Best Immigration Lawyers in Colorado, Colorado Law Weekly (2014-18)
Fred Ross Community Achievement Award, Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (2014)
The Colorado Hispanic Bar Association Outstanding Community Service Award (2010)
The Colorado Criminal Defense Bar Gideon Award (2009)
American Immigration Lawyers Association Colorado Pro Bono Attorney of the Year (2007-08)