We have not found any cost information for this lawyer
Jan M Pederson
About Jan
Biography
Recognized by The Washington Post as one of "seven leading lawyers" in Washington, D.C., Ms. Pederson has been dedicated to the practice of immigration and nationality law for over thirty years. Ms.Pederson has successfully represented thousands of clients - including renowned physicians, Fortune 500 companies, television networks, entertainers, and healthcare providers of all sizes - and is masterful at resolving complex immigration issues. Ms. Pederson is a leading advocate for the rights of J-1 Physicians in the United States and has been key to the passage of legislation to their benefit. She is also the publisher of J-1 Physician News and lectures nationally and internationally to foreign physicians. She seeks solutions for her clients beyond the immigration laws and does not hesitate to seek assistance from the White House and Congress if necessary. She has been a key advocate on the restoration of the National Interest Waivers for J-1 Physicians and in increasing the Conrad State 20 J-1 Waiver Program within the Conrad State 30 Program. Ms. Pederson served as president of the Washington, D.C. Chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), and as an elected director of the national Board of Governors of AILA for 18 years. She has served as a chairperson of the Physicians Task Force of AILA for many years and has also served as chairperson of the AILA Visa Office Liaison Committee and Refugee Committee. In 1997, she received the Edith Lowenstein Award for excellence in the advancement of the practice of immigration law. The national media has recognized Ms. Pederson's expertise in immigration law and called upon her to comment on important issues and legislation. Ms. Pederson has been interviewed by CNN, ABC News, The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Washington Times and The Legal Times of Washington, D.C., to name a few.
Practice Areas
1
Practice Area
Immigration
100%
46 years | 15,000 cases
Fees and Rates
Looking for an attorney? Avvo can help.
Search our directory
Quickly connect with top attorneys through our legal directory to get help with your legal issue.
Avvo's live chat agents can help coordinate a consultation with a local attorney.
Chat with a live agent who can match you with the right attorney for your legal needs.
Chat withLicenses
Licensed in Virginia for 13 years
State: Virginia
Acquired: 2012
No misconduct found
Licensed in District of Columbia for 51 years
State: District of Columbia
Acquired: 1975
No misconduct found
Location
Wright, Constable & Skeen, LLP
6931 Arlington Road, Suite 450, Bethesda, MD, 20814
Ad
Transform legal challenges into solutions.
Connect now to review your situation.
Jan M Pederson's Reviews
Avvo Review Score
80 Client Reviews
Filter Avvo Reviews (80)
Refine reviews to match your needs. Use the filters to quickly surface reviews that align with your case or priorities.
Practice Areas
What Clients Mention
Showing 1 - 5 of 80 reviews
Posted by Tanya | March 13, 2026 | Hired Attorney
Outstanding legal support
Working with my immigration lawyer, Jan Pederson, has been an exceptional experience. She is incredibly professional, dedicated, knowledgeable, and highly experienced. I truly appreciate everything she and her entire team have done to support me. I’m deeply grateful for their hard work and commitment...
Posted by anonymous | September 11, 2025 | Hired Attorney | Immigration
The best immigration lawyer
Hello I have been a client of Ms. Jan Pederson for immigration matters, and I cannot recommend her highly enough. She is not only extremely knowledgeable and experienced in immigration law, but also compassionate and attentive to her clients’ concerns. Throughout the process, she explained every ste...
Posted by David | January 12, 2025 | Hired Attorney | Immigration
Leader in the Feild
Jan is a leader in the field. She has expertise and offered us solutions that other lawyers didn't. She is dedicated, passionate, and creative. She knows immense amounts about immigration law and has additional expertise with the immigration of physicians.
Posted by Pantea salehi | November 04, 2024 | Hired Attorney | Immigration
My case is F21
I am deeply grateful to Jan Pederson for her exceptional support in my F21 immigration case. Thanks to her knowledge, skill, and dedication, I am now reunited with my husband, a dream come true that she helped make possible. Jan’s deep understanding of immigration law, along with her ability to navig...
Posted by Ahmadreza | October 06, 2024 | Hired Attorney | Immigration
Business consultant
I cannot express enough how grateful I am to Jan Pederson for her incredible work in helping my wife join me here. We were going through a very difficult time, and she was there for us every step of the way. Jan is, without a doubt, the best lawyer I have ever worked with. Her knowledge and expertis...
Jan M Pederson's Lawyer Endorsements
"I endorse this lawyer. She has a great reputation and takes her client's needs very seriously."
"Thank you Ms. Pederson for being who you are - I'm sure you're not aware of this, but you inspired me to become an immigration attorney. Many years ago you helped my father secure asylum. You also helped my family members and I (I was 4 years old at the time) follow to join from Iran. Well fast forward 25 years and here I am practicing law in MD and helping others just like you helped me. Thank you for inspiring me. Your influence has spanned generations."
"I endorse this lawyer. A brilliant attorney and a highly respected one in the legal community."
"Jan and I have worked together on several matters over the years. I have been highly impressed with her work ethic; she is tireless in serving her clients. Jan is particularly worth hiring if you need assistance with consular processing issues; she is the only attorney in the US who has a comprehensive and encyclopedic knowledge of all US consulates. Jan is also known for her devotion to the complexities of non-immigrant and immigrant visas for health care professionals."
"I endorse this lawyer. Jan has been my mentor (and immigration law goddess) since 1999. She has impeccable ethics and her knowledge of immigration law is unmatched. Most importantly, Jan has a keen ability to see through to the core of a case, and decipher not only the importance of hidden facts but also to develop a winning strategy for her clients. Time and again Jan is able to achieve outcomes for her clients that other lawyers simply cannot. Highly recommended."
"Jan is one of the most knowledgable attorneys in immigration, with expertise in visas for doctors and consular processing. She is always willing to go the extra mile for her clients. She is a superb lawyer!"
"I endorse this lawyer. Jan is a walking encyclopedia of immigration law, but she also has a rock hard common sense about case strategy and the winning personality and persistence to get to the person who can make a decision on a difficult case. She also is a walking rolodex of everyone in DHS and the Department of State, and this enables her to get things done when other lawyers are just reading the regulations. Jan is up close and personal with her clients, and she's wonderfully accessible. I would highly recommend Jan for any case that's a hard nut to crack."
"Take the most impossible, improbable, challenging case. Jan Pederson can get it done. It amazes me how this lawyer can work, especially when it comes to consular processing and that very complex area of J-1 medical doctors. When I have these types of questions, I go to Jan. She undoubtely has a solution."
"I endorse this lawyer. She is one of the best and most aggressive immigration lawyers in the entire United States. Absolutely top-notch."
"There is a small cadre of lawyers at the top of any field. Jan Pederson is in that cadre in immigration law. I value her advice and insights immensely."
"I endorse this lawyer. She makes the impossible possible!"
"I strongly endorse this lawyer’s work. She is truly excellent. She is an expert in all areas of business immigration law and highly recognized in doctor immigration cases."
"Jan Pederson enjoys the respect of immigration lawyers in the US and around the world. She is particularly known for her expertise in consular matters. Experienced immigration attorneys turn to her for advice when they encounter thorny consular issues."
"When it comes to difficult immigration law matters, especially consular matters, Jan Pederson is the best lawyer in the United States. I say this after working together with her on many cases over a period of more than 20 years."
"Jan is courageous, knowledgeable, experienced, scholarly, and tireless. She is able to win results in the most complex of immigration scenarios. I highly recommend her."
"I endorse this lawyer's work. She is excellent."
"I endorse this lawyer's work. Jan works very hard for her clients. She is creative, and is able to obtain good results in "impossible" cases."
Carlos Nolla-Corretjer
Insurance lawyer
Margaret Stock
Immigration lawyer
Kathleen Gasparian
Immigration lawyer
Carl Shusterman
Immigration lawyer
Devon Roscoe
Immigration lawyer
Marsha Edelman
Immigration lawyer
Linda Rahal
Immigration lawyer
Steven Clark
Immigration lawyer
Jodilyn Goodwin
Immigration lawyer
Ester Greenfield
Immigration lawyer
Martin Lawler
Immigration lawyer
Mark Ivener
Immigration lawyer
Kathrin Mautino
Immigration lawyer
Peter Williamson
Immigration lawyer
Ann Allott
Immigration lawyer
Jay Solomon
Immigration lawyer
James Orlow
Immigration lawyer
Allen Kaye
Immigration lawyer
David Ware
Immigration lawyer
Joshua Teets
Immigration lawyer
Experience
Honors
2021
Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers (2007-2021)
2021
Best Lawyer, Washington Best Lawyers in America (1995-2021)
2017
Roberta Freedman Lifetime Achievement Award, International Medical Graduates Task Force
2015
AV Preeminent 5.0 out of 5 Peer Review Rated, Martindale-Hubbell
2012
Lawyer of the Year, Immigration Law, Washington Best Lawyers
1997
Edith Lowenstein Award for Excellence, American Immigration Lawyers Association
Work Experience
2021 - Present
Partner, Wright, Constable & Skeen, LLP
2013 - 2021
Shareholder/Senior Attorney, Maggio & Kattar, PC
2005 - 2013
Attorney/Owner, Pederson Immigration Law Group, PC
1991 - 2005
Attorney/Partner, Pederson & Freedman, LLP
1980 - 1991
Attorney/Owner, Law Offices of Jan M. Pederson, P.C.
Associations
2008 - Present
Consular Corps of Washington, D.C.Member
1995 - Present
French-American Chamber of CommerceMember
1990 - Present
IMMLAW/The National Consortium of Immigration Law FirmsFounding Member
1980 - Present
International Bar AssociationMember
1978 - Present
American Immigration Lawyers AssociationMember/Elected National Director
1975 - Present
American Bar AssociationMember
1975 - Present
District of Columbia BarMember
NAACP
Member
Babes on Bikes
Foreign Medical Graduate Task Force
National Association of Physician Recruiters
Member
Education
1974
Howard University School of Law
JD - Juris Doctor
1971
University of Washington
BA - Bachelor of Arts
Publications
2008
Visa Processing Guide
Strategic Lawyering at Consular Posts
2008
Visa Processing Guide
Representing Clients at the American Embassy in Manila
N/A
AILA Monthly Mailing
Refugee and Asylum Practice: Avoiding Discretionary Denials
N/A
Unknown
Proper Utilization of the B-1 and H Working Visas
N/A
Unknown
Adjustment of Status
N/A
Unknown
Labor Certification: Procedures and Problems
N/A
Unknown
The Refugee Act of 1980, An Operational Perspective
N/A
Unknown
Refugee and Asylum Procedures
N/A
Interpreter Releases
Representation of Nonimmigrant Visa Applicants at American Embassies and Consulates
N/A
Interpreter Releases
Processing Visas for Iranian Nationals
N/A
Immigration Briefings
Consular Processing of Nonimmigrant Visas
Languages
Spanish
Activity
Legal Answers
Legal Answers
Q&A
What to do if my immigration-lawyer gets arrested?
19 Feb 2021
Q&A
E2 visa: guidelines on equity distribution and operating control?
19 Feb 2021
Q&A
Is it a bigamy or Polygamy and how to complain about it ANONYMOUSLY??
30 Nov 2011