Neal Dougherty

As the head of Ramirez-Smith Law’s removal defense department, Neal has fought on the behalf of hundreds of clients at all stages of the removal process, from before proceedings are even initiated, in front of the Immigration Courts, and through all stages of appeal. Neal is admitted to the U.S Court of Appeals for the 9th circuit, before whom he has presented novel legal questions of national importance, including through oral argument, on issues ranging from asylum to the interplay between the U.S immigration law and state criminal law. Neal’s advocacy has even extended to filing civil actions in federal court against the U.S Department of Homeland Security to enforce his clients’ rights. Neal is passionate about his Idaho community, and is dedicated to local and national causes, serving on the Board of the Idaho Harm Reduction Project (IHRP), and having volunteered his time on behalf of other local organizations, including allies linked for the prevention of HIV and AIDS, CATCH, and the Idaho Food Bank. Neal has also travelled to the US-Mexico border where he has volunteered with Al Otro Lado, providing free legal assistance to asylum seekers. When not engrossed in the latest legal decisions affecting his clients, Neal enjoys creative writing, having contributed to The Cabin’s Writers in the Attic 2020 Literary Anthology: Apple. Neal is also fluent in Spanish

Educational Background

Neal graduated with a Bachelor of Arts. in Creative Writing with an emphasis on Creative Nonfiction from the University of California at Riverside in 2007. He then received a Juris Doctor degree from Southwestern Law School’s Accelerated Two-Year SCALE Program, in Los Angeles, CA in 2014 .