Robert D. Aronson

Bob practices in the field of employment-based immigration with a special focus on immigration matters for academic institutions, healthcare organizations, international physicians, and IT professionals.

The core values that he brings to his practice are: passion, creativity, a touch of humor, sound and informed legal advice, and a profound sense of client service. His clients include some of the nation’s major university institutions and healthcare systems that look to Bob to provide timely, responsible and effective advice on immigration law and strategy.

Bob is a shareholder in the firm’s Immigration Department. He is a prolific author and engaging speaker on immigration matters, having authored over 70 articles and spoken at innumerable national and regional meetings, workshops, and conferences. He has a national reputation as a leader in his professional field as evidenced by various major professional accomplishments, including: Fulbright Fellow at the law schools of Harvard and Moscow State University; Editor-in-Chief of The Physician Immigration Book (ILW: 2011-2012 Edition), which is the most authoritative treatise on immigration matters for international physicians; legal advisor on the advisory body to the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services in its study on appropriate immigration policy for international physicians; founder and first chair of the International Medical Graduate (IMG) Taskforce, which is comprised of professionals in the law seeking more favorable policies and programs to address the country’s physician shortage situation; and recipient of the 2012 Distinguished Service Award of the Indiana University School of Law.

In 2015, Bob was the inaugural recipient of the Roberta Friedman Lifetime Achievement Award that was issued in recognition of his contributions to the field of immigration law and policy for International Physicians. Bob was named as the 2017 recipient of the Sidney Barrows Lifetime Achievement Award of the Cardozo Society, the affinity group of Jewish lawyers, jurists and law students in the Twin Cities, for his professional achievements, community service and love of learning. He received the 2019 Fredric Moskol 3RNet Leadership Award in recognition of his contributions in exploring the role of immigration – in particular, J-1 waiver practice – in creatively expanding coverage by international physicians for rural and underserved populations. Bob is the Chair of HIAS, the nation’s oldest refugee rights organization and the voice of the American Jewish community in providing refugees of all faiths and backgrounds with protection and dignity.