International Law and Immigration

2021 Warren M. Christopher International Lawyer of the Year Award Recipient Barry A. Fisher

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Berry Fisher

Partner, Fleishman & Fisher.  The firm’s practice human rights and constitutional law on behalf of ethnic, racial, religious minorities world-wide including Kurds, the Roma(so-called “Gypsies”), and others.  Mr. Fisher has assisted the drafting of constitutions and legislation for countries including Romania, Moldova, Albania, Bosnia, Sierra Leone, and Belarus, and has consulted on legal matters in many countries, including Russia, Mexico, Spain, Cambodia, Slovakia, Argentina, Canada, Germany, and England. He has served as a state and federal court receiver and is a Kaiser and FINRA arbitrator(Financial Institutions Regulatory Authority).  He has  testified as an expert witness  in immigration court asylum proceedings:Lakatos,L.(A70-9653646(Hungarian)(C.D.Cal.1998);Paun,N.(Romanian)(A70-179-35(C.D.Cal.1997); Bliantov,I-A-709-47888(Bulgarian)(C.D.Cal.2001);Datvian,A.(A072-521-072(Armenia1996). He is a frequent speaker and writer on human rights subjects as set out below. 

Mr. Fisher, UCLA B.A.,J.D., U.Penn. Law School R.H.Smith Fellow, served on the multinational negotiation teams and as counsel in the German and Austrian Holocaust settlements, as well as court-appointed class counsel on the Swiss Banks Holocaust cases.  Mr. Fisher is a signatory to the resulting treaties with Germany and Austria.  He serves as counsel on behalf of Chinese, Korean and other Asian victims of the sexual slavery and slave labor systems of wartime Japan, and has served as court-appointed receiver in major securities fraud cases. He works on Kurdish issues in Turkey and elsewhere.

Recipient,NogunRi Peace Prize(Seoul ROK Nov.2008); Recipient Amicus Poloniae Award (Poland 1997);Recipient Poland Presidential Decree citizenship;UnitedNations-ECOSOC representative, International Romani Union;Mr. Fisher’s work has previously  included Consultant, Central and East European Law Institution (CEELI), American Bar Association;  Vice President, Human Rights Advocates International; Vice Chairman, First Amendment Committee, American Bar Association; Chairman, Religious Freedom Subcommittee, American Bar Association; Fellow, International Academy for Freedom of Religion and Belief Chairman, Working Subcommittee member, United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit, Conference on Race, Ethnicity and Religion; Recipient, Office of Chief Prosecutor, Certificate of Appreciation, U.N. International Criminal Tribunal for former Yugoslavia.

Author, Roma in 3 Human Rights Encyclopedia 876 (James R. Lewis & Carl Skutsch eds., Sharpe Publ’g 2001); Author, The Victims of Nazi Persecution: Will The Holocaust-Era Litigation Answer the Questions of History?, in Anatomy of Genocide: State-Sponsored Mass Killings in the Twentieth Century 111 (Alexandre Kimeny & Otis L. Scott eds., Edwin Mellen Press 2001); Author and Symposium speaker, “No Roads Lead to Rom:  The Fate of the Romani People Under the Nazi and Post War Restitution,” Symposium on Nazi Gold, Assets of the Holocaust [15th Annual International Law Symposium] 20 Whittier L. Rev. 513 (1999);   Author, Religion: The Root of Conflict and the Gypsy Minority in Bosnia, Symposium on War Crimes and Other Human Rights Abuses in The Former Yugoslavia, 16 Whittier Law Review 359 (1995); Author, Notes From The WWII Redress Trenches: The Disparate Treatment of Victims East and West(32 Loy.L.A. Int.&Comp.L.Rev.93(2010); Author, Comfort Women and the Courts: Coordinating Legal Strategies, in Erzwungene Prostitution in Kriegs- und Friedenszeiten: Sexuelle Gewalt gegen Frauen und Mädchen(Barbara Drinck & Chung-Noh Gross eds., Kleine Verlag, Bielefeld (Germany), 2007)(Wissenschaftlicher Reihe, Band 160). ); Author and Symposium speaker, “No Roads Lead to Rom:  The Fate of the Romani People Under the Nazi and Post War Restitution,” Symposium on Nazi Gold, Assets of the Holocaust [15th Annual International Law Symposium] 20 Whittier L. Rev. 513 (1999);    Author, Religion: The Root of Conflict and the Gypsy Minority in Bosnia, Symposium on War Crimes and Other Human Rights Abuses in The Former Yugoslavia, 16 Whittier Law Review 359 (1995); Op-eds–Russia Ukraine Expansion(Eurasia Review http://www.eurasiareview.com/02012015-russian-expansion-now-time-liberate-occupied-krolewiec-analysis/,(1/15);Kurds-U.S.,Turkey,Iranhttp://www.eurasiareview.com/07082015-us-support-for-turkey-has-downside-for-kurds-oped/ (8/15); http://kurdistantribune.com/2015/The-Kurds-Expendable-Pawns-In-Iran-U-S-Turkey-Mid-East-Machinations/ (Kurdistan Tribune 8/15) Free Speech’s Shrinking Circle of Friends(Wall St. Journal 12/14), Why Turkey Shrugs as ISIS Closes in on Kobani (Wall St. Journal 10/14);Sweden’s State of Palestine Offense(Wall St. Journal 11/14); Author,”America’sEvolving Public Forums,”LA Daily Journal 9/9/14 p.1); “Let’s End Prejudice Against ‘Gypsies'” (Counterpunch Calendar Section article, L.A. Times 5/19/97).

Speaker, Roadmap to Statehood, Kurdish National Congress(Washington D.C. Sept. 2014);  Speaker, Turkey/Kurds (European Parliament, Brussels 2012);Speaker, Kurds-Discrimination (Berlin State Parliament, Germany Nov. 2010); Speaker, Kurdistan Strategies(KurdishNationalCongressNorthAmerica,Calgary,Canada,April2011/KurdishNationalKongress+E.U.Parliament,Brussels,May2011);Kurds/U.S.,Turkey,Iran, http://www.eurasiareview.com/07082015-us-support-for-turkey-has-downside-for-kurds-oped/ (8/15);Why Turkey Shrugs asISIS Closes in on Kobani (Wall St. Journal 10/14); (Kurdistan Tribune 8/15).

Contributing author, Government Intervention in Religious Affairs (Dean Kelley ed. 1982); Contributing author, Symposium on Religion and the State, 27 Wm. & Mary L. Rev. 975 (1985-86); Contributor, Law and the American Indian (Monroe Price & Robert Clinton 2d ed., 1983);  Speaker, “War Crimes & Human Rights Abuses in Former Yugoslavia,” 11th Annual International Law Symposium, published, 16 Whittier L. Rev. 359 (1995); Delegate, UNESCO – United Nations Conference on Implementation of the Vienna Declaration of Human Rights (Paris 12/93); Participant, Project on Religion and Human Rights (New York, May 1994); Co-Chairman, American Bar Association, National Institute on Tort and Religion (San Francisco 1989, Boston 1990); Member, California Academy of Appellate Lawyers; Member, Academia Mexicana de Derecho Internacional (Mexican Academy of International Law); Delegate, Hemisphere Conference on Free Speech and Chapultepec Declaration [Mexico City, March, 1994, UNESCO, Inter-American Press Association]; Speaker, International Human Rights Conference Derechos Humanos Hoy (Fundacion Mexican Cambio XXI L.D. Colosio (Mexico City, October 1994); Speaker, Conference on Argentina Human Rights (Buenos Aires, October 1994); Observer, Mexico Chiapas War Zone [Mexican National Human Rights Commission auspices Jan. 1994];  Advisory Board, Religious Freedom Reporter; Speaker, Symposium, Ethnic Cleansing in Germany [University Synagogue L.A. 6/97 — “Germany for Germans: Identity or Xenophobia”]; author, Devotion, Damages, and Deprogramming: Strategies and Counter-Strategies in the Cult Wars, 9 J. L. & Religion 151 (1991), author, Blind Justice?: Rehnquist and Scalia Want To Take A See-No-Evil Approach To Religiously Motivated Laws, Church & State, Nov. 1987, at 17; author, Freedom Sideswiped, Church & State, Sept. 1981; author with I. Chang, “With U.S. Collusion, Japan Shutters its Past” (Op. Ed. article L.A. Times, Wash. Times, July 2001).

Speaker, First Amendment Symposium (U. Calif. Hastings Law Sch., October, 1999); Speaker and moderator, Milton S. Eisenhower Symposium on Religion (Johns Hopkins University November 1997); Testimony, Religious Freedom Restoration Act, Constitution Subcommittee, Judiciary Committee, (U.S. Congress (3/98); Speaker, Conference on Human Rights and Religious Freedom (Berlin, October 1997); Member, Planning Committee and Speaker, Bicentennial Conference on The Religion Clauses (Univ. of Pa. Law School 1991, Co-Sponsored American Bar Association, Nat. Council of Churches, et al.); Speaker, Conference on Law, Religion and The “Secular” State (Drake Univ. Law School 1991); Speaker, Bicentennial Showcase Religion and Politics–The Enduring Constitutional Question (American Bar Association Annual Meeting 1987 San Francisco) (on panel with Dean Jesse H. Choper, former Gov. Edmund G. Brown, Jr., and Rev. Jerry Falwell); Speaker, Emergence of Romani Civil Rights, (New York, 1986 Gypsy Lore Society annual proceedings); Principal Speaker, Conference on Government Encroachment–the Church-State Issue of the 80’s, sponsored by the Seventh-day Adventist Church and Americans United for Separation of Church and State (Silver Spring, Md., 1979); Co-Chairman and Principal Speaker, First International Conference on Law and Individual Freedoms (Washington, D.C., 1980); Speaker, Conference on Freedom of Religion in America, sponsored by University of Southern California Annenberg School of Communication (Los Angeles, 1981); Principal Speaker, Conference on Government Interference in Religious Affairs, sponsored by National Council of Churches and United States Catholic Conference (Bethesda, Md., 1981); Speaker, Conference on Church-State Affairs, De Paul University Law School (Chicago, 1983), (Fred Friendly-produced PBS program);

Speaker, Roma Conference/Festival, Moscow,Russia(10/26/19-FNCA-Russian Roma(Federal National Cultural Autonomy of Russian Roma); Delegation leader, IOM Conference on Romani German, Swiss Holocaust-Era Claims (International Organization for Migration, Geneva January 2002,May 2001); Legal Adviser & Election Officer, Fifth World Romani Congress (Prague 2000); Consultant, Romani Leaders Conference (OSCE/Norwegian Government – Oslo 2000); Participant, OSCE Human Dimension Conference/Romani Issues (Vienna 1999 Organization Cooperation Security Europe); Member, International Romani Union Delegation, Washington Conference on Holocaust Era Assets (U.S. State Department – 44 Nation Conference November, 1998);  Speaker, Conference on Romani Ethnic Relations (Cernovitsy, Ukraine, June 2001 – Co-Sponsored by Romania, Ukraine, Moldova, Austria); Keynote Speaker, International Genocide Conference, “The Roma Genocide” (California State University, Sacramento, October 1998); Speaker, Emergence of Romani Civil Rights, (New York, 1986 Gypsy Lore Society annual proceedings); Expert Witness,  I.N.S. Romani persecution asylum cases (Bulgaria, Romania, Slovak Republic);Consultant, International Romani Union; Lecturer, Central/East Europe Romani Public Interest Law Practice (Central European University, Budapest, October 1997); Leader, Workshops for East and Central Europe lawyers (European Roma Rights Center ERRC, Budapest, October 1997).

Speaker, Korean American History Conference(Los Angeles Oct. 2010); Speaker,Symposium Litigating Genocide(Loyola Univ. Law School, Los Angeles Feb. 2009);Speaker, International Solidarity Council Symposium1907 Hague Convention(Stichting Japanse Ereschulden,(The Hague, Netherlands Oct. 2008); Speaker, International Academic Symposium-Yasukuni Shrine(Columbia Univ. NY Nov. 2007)Speaker, World Conference on Japanese Military Sexual Slavery (UCLA Oct. 2007); Speaker, 2007 International Conference History-Related NGO’s(Seoul Sept. 2007);Speaker, Worldwide Immigration/Migration Rule of Law Conference, World Jurist Assoc.(Los Angeles April 2007) Speaker/Moderator, International Trafficking Symposium (Cardozo Law School, Yeshiva Univ., N.Y. Oct. 2005); Speaker, International Conference on Japan Wartime Redress (Tokyo, May 2005); Speaker, 3rd Conference International Solidarity Council Settlement Japan (Pyongyang, DPR Korea Sept. 2005); Speaker, International Symposium on Sino-Japan Relations (Beijing, Sept. 2004 Co-Sponsor Beijing Univ., Global Alliance); Speaker, International Conference on Sino-Japan Relations (Beijing Univ., Sept. 2003); Speaker, Symposium on Japan Responsibility for Invasion of Asian Countries (Shanghai Normal Univ., Sept 2003); Speaker, European Conference on Roma/Sinti Holocaust (Berlin, May 2003); Speaker, Asia Regional Conference on Japan Wartime Claims (Pyongyang, DPR Korea May 2002); Speaker, Slave Labor & Comfort Women Pacific War Claims (East China University of Politics & Law, Shanghai  February 2002); Speaker, Global Alliance Biennial World Conference on Japan Wartime Issues(San Diego 2002); Speaker, International Conference on Japanese Crimes Against Humanity-Sexual Slavery & Forced Labor (Co-sponsor U.C.L.A., November 2001); Speaker, Japan & Wartime Responsibilities (Co-sponsor U.C. Berkeley, San Francisco, Sept. 2001); Participant, Women’s International War Crimes Tribunal Trial Japan Miilitary Sexual Slavery (Tokyo Dec. 2000);Speaker, Beijing Symposium on War Responsibility & Compensation (Beijing, October 2000); Speaker, International Symposium on Chinese Comfort Women (Shanghai, China, March 2000);   ; Panelist, Sixth International Conference on Sino-Japanese Relations (San Francisco, March 2000); Speaker, International Citizens Forum on War Crimes and Redress (Tokyo, December 1999); Speaker, Conference on Japan, United States and World War II:  The Search for Justice (Whittier Law School, Los Angeles, November 1999).

 Admitted to practice before the courts of California, Alaska, and Rhode Island (special); United States Supreme Court; the United States Courts of Appeals for the First, Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth, Seventh, Eighth, Ninth, Tenth, Eleventh and District of Columbia Circuits, the United States District Courts for the districts of Alaska, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Texas (Western), District of Columbia, California (all districts); United States Tax Court.

Appellate Practice–Counsel in numerous cases before the United States Supreme Court and other courts throughout the United States including, e.g., International Society for Krishna Consciousness v. Lee, 112 S. Ct. 2711 (1992); Larson v. Valente, 456 U.S. 228 (1982); Board of Airport Commissioners v. Jews for Jesus, Inc., 482 U.S. 569 (1987); Heffron v. International Society for Krishna Consciousness, 452 U.S. 640 (1981); U.S. v. X-Citement Video, Inc., 115 S. Ct. 464 (1994); Audubon Society v. Morton, 421 U.S. 902, 95 S. Ct. 1549 (1975, stay pending cert. granted, Douglas, J.); Riley v. National Federation of the Blind, 487 U.S. 781 (1988); Secretary of State v. Munson, 467 U.S. 947 (1984); Spiritual Psychic Science Church of Truth v. City of Azusa, 39 Cal. 3d 501, 703 P.2d 1119, 217 Cal. Rptr. 225 (1985) (constitutionality of prohibition of fortunetelling); Dayton Area Visually Impaired Persons v. Fisher, 70 F.3d 1474 (6th Cir. 1995);   Properties, Inc., 189 Cal. Rptr. 12 (1983); Eckl v. Davis, 124 Cal. Rptr. 685 (1975);  Carreras v. City of Anaheim, 768 F.2d 1039 (9th Cir. 1985); Friends of Westwood v. City of Los Angeles, 191 Cal. App. 259, 235 Cal. Rptr. 788 (1987) (application of California environmental statutes to permits for major building projects);   People v. Fogelson, 21 Cal. 3d 158, 577 P.2d 677, 145 Cal. Rptr. 542 (1978) (first amendment forum); Tiernan v. Bd. of Trustees, Cal. State Univ., 188 Cal. Rptr. 115 (1983 – rights of teachers); U.S. v. Rev. Sun Moon, 718 F.2d 1210 (2d Cir. 1983), cert. denied, 466 U.S. 971 (1984) (discriminatory use of criminal tax laws).


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