Derek A. DeCosmo

Biography

Derek A. DeCosmo is the founding and managing Partner of DeCosmo Law. Since 2005, Derek has guided clients through the maze of immigration law. Derek is experienced, responsive and driven by results. Derek has successfully represented thousands of immigrant clients, whether they’ve been in deportation proceedings or in their applications for immigration benefits. Derek has handled every type of immigration case. Derek has extensive experience advising clients on the immigration consequences of criminal convictions and in defending immigrant clients charged with crimes.

Derek created and developed a course on the interplay between criminal and immigration law, which he has been teaching at Rutgers School of Law since 2016. Derek is the lead author of the Guide to Immigration Consequences for Criminal Defendants in New Jersey. Derek previously served as Chair of the New Jersey Chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association and he currently serves as Co-Chair of the Immigration Section of the Camden County Bar Association. Derek has offices in Camden, Haddonfield and Mount Holly, New Jersey.

When not in a courtroom or teaching other lawyers and law students, Derek is passionate about donating his time to charitable causes and giving back to the community. He hosts lectures at various churches and organizations to inform the community of their legal rights. As a native of Burlington County, Derek knew from the start that serving the communities of South Jersey would be central to his practice.

Education

• Rutgers School of Law - Camden, Camden, New Jersey
  • J.D. - 2005
• Albright College
  • B.A. - 2001
  • Major: Communications, History

Practice Areas

• Immigration Law
• Criminal Defense

Professional Associations

• American Immigration Lawyers Association (“AILA”) - New Jersey Chapter, Chairman
• NJ Chapter of AILA, Chairman
• PA Chapter of AILA
• Camden County Bar Association

Bar Admission

• New Jersey
• Pennsylvania
• U.S. District Court District of New Jersey
• U.S. Court of Appeals 3rd Circuit
• U.S. Court of Appeals 9th Circuit

Seminars & Published Works

• Author, Guide to Immigration Consequences for Criminal Defendants in New Jersey, Published by Rutgers School of Law October 2021
• Co-Author, Impact of Marijuana Legalization in Criminal and Immigration Law, The Barrister, March 2021
• Presented CLE course to the Camden County Bar Association on—“Everything a criminal defense attorney needs to know when representing a noncitizen client.”, 2018-Present
• Author, New Hope in Deportation Defense During a Time of Otherwise Great Uncertainty, The Barrister 2016
• Presented CLE course to the NJ Chapter of the Federal Bar Association on - “Immigration Executive Orders and Deferred Action.”, 2015 - Present
• Presented CLE course during the Camden County Bar Association’s Black Letter Blast on Criminal Law on – “Immigration Consequences of Criminal Activity.”, 2015 - Present
• Presented CLE for the Camden County Bar on – “Avoiding Ineffective Assistance of Counsel Claims, a New Jersey Defense Attorney’s Guide to Representing Non-Citizen Clients.”, 2014 - Present
• Presented CLE for the Mercer County Bar Association on “Immigration Issues in Family Law.”, 2012 - Present
• Co-Author, Understanding the Immigration Impact of Your Clients Case Before You Resolve It, The Barrister, March 2011
• Presented to the Rutgers School of Law on “Impact of SB 1070, Arizona’s Anti-Immigration Law”, 2011 - Present
• Presented to the Rutgers School of Law on “Immigration Law and Politics”, 2010 - Present
• Presented, Immigration Law: What Every Attorney Should Know, New Jersey State Bar Association, 2017-Present

Honors

• Named to the New Jersey Super Lawyers list, 2021 - 2024
• Selected to New Jersey Super Lawyers Rising Stars
• Selected to New Jersey Super Lawyers Honoree
• Selected to New Jersey Monthly’s Top Attorneys
• Selected to South Jersey Magazine’s Top Attorneys
• AV-Preeminent Rated by Martindale Hubbell
• Top Attorney Rated by AVVO

Languages

• Spanish