As the founding attorney for Keen Law Offices, LLC, J. Christopher Keen received a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from Brigham Young University. He then went on to receive his Juris Doctor degree from J. Reuben Clark Law School at Brigham Young University. Mr Keen has a passion for helping immigrants. He seeks to practice both the law and compassion. He fights for his clients' success, works for justice, and provides hope and guidance through difficult situations.
Cases and Court appearances
Mr. Keen has appeared before the immigration court and Department of Homeland Security for thousands of clients and prepared thousands of applications. He has handled criminal matters for hundreds of clients, filed appeals to the Board of Immigration Appeals, the appellate body for immigration court, and to the other appeals courts.
He is admitted to practice before all of the state courts in Utah, including the:
- Utah Supreme Court
- Federal District Court for the District of Utah
- Ninth and Tenth Circuit Courts of Appeals
- United States Supreme Court
In addition, the attorney is admitted to practice before
- Executive Office for Immigration Review,
- Board of Immigration Appeals.
Within these state and immigration courts, he defends the rights of of immigrants.
Mr. Keen also appeared before different appellate courts, including:
- Utah Court of Appeals
- Ninth Circuit Courts of Appeals
- Tenth Circuit Courts of Appeals
- United States Supreme Court
Additionally, he has argued cases throughout the Western United States, including*:
- Idaho
- Montana
- Wyoming
- Colorado
- Nevada
- Washington
- Oregon
- Arizona
- California
*Mr. Keen is licensed in Utah, but can appear in Federal Immigration Courts across the U.S.
Areas of Practice
The attorney's practice focuses on handling criminal and immigration matters, including:
- Defending foreign nationals in immigration court
- Post-conviction work
- Defense of alleged foreign nationals charged with a crime
- Complex immigration issues
- Appeals
- Criminal Defense
- Crimmigration
- Adjustment of Status
- Naturalization and other Immigration Benefits
Bar Admissions
- Utah
- U.S. District Court District of Utah
- U.S. Court of Appeals 9th Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals 10th Circuit
- U.S. Supreme Court
Education
- Brigham Young University, J. Reuben Clark Law School, Provo, Utah
- Juris Doctor
- Brigham Young University
- Bachelor of Arts
- Major: History
Published Works
- Fernandez-Vargas v. Ashcroft, 394 F.3d 881, 10th Cir., 2005
- Fernandez-Vargas v. Gonzales, 126 S. Ct. 544 2005 WL 871058, U.S., 2005
- Fernandez-Vargas v. Gonzales, 126 S.Ct. 2422, U.S., 2006
- Lorenzo v. Mukasey, F 3d-2007, WL 4111986, 10th Cir., 2007
Classes/Seminars
- Presenter, Crimes Involving Moral Turpitude, Brigham Young University Education Week Continuing Legal Education, August 22, 2023
- Instructor, Basics of Immigration Law, Utah State Bar, August 17, 2006
- Instructor, Habeas Corpus and Detained Immigrants, Utah Chapter of American Immigration Lawyer's Association, January 26, 2007
- Co-Presenter, “Solo Practice Seminar”, J. Reuben Clark Law School, Brigham Young University, 2004 – 2008
- Co-Presenter, “Practical Immigration Law Tips For Criminal Defense Lawyers”, Utah Association for Criminal Defense Lawyers, April 24, 2008
- Co-Presenter, “What Businesses Need to Know about Immigration Trends”, Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, November 5, 2008
- Co-Presenter, “Immigration Consequences of Criminal Law”, Utah Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers Annual Seminar, September 18, 2009
- Presenter, Managing Your Law Practice, AILA
- Presenter, Expert In Immigration Law, Utah Federal District Court
- Co-Presenter, “Representing the Immigrant of Appeal, Before the Appeal”, AILA, November 8, 2013.
- Prepared and provided training to other immigration attorneys by presenting to the Utah State Bar, the Utah Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, and the Utah Chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association upon multiple occasions
Professional Associations and Memberships
- Utah Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, 2005 – Present
- American Immigration Lawyer's Association, Member, 2002 – Present
- Central Utah Bar Association, 2006-Present
- Utah Supreme Court Appointee to mentor to new attorneys in the Utah State Bar's inaugural group of mentors, 2009- present
- AILA, National Committee Member, FOIA Committee, 2008 – 2009
- AILA, Utah Chapter, DRO/ICE Liaison Committee Member, 2009 – Present
- AILA National Conference, Orlando. 2019
- AILA National Conference, San Francisco, 2018
- AILA National Conference, Washington DC, 2015
- AILA National Conference, Vancouver, 2008
- AILA National Conference, Orlando, 2007
- AILA National Conference, San Antonio, 2006
- AILA National Conference, Salt Lake City, 2005
- AILA National Conference, New Orleans, 2003
- AILA, Board Member, 2010 – 2011
Prior Legal Employment Positions
- Missouri Attorney General's Office, Labor Division, Jefferson City, Missouri, Clerk
- Utah Attorney General's Office in Salt Lake City, Utah
- Law Clerk at a firm in Denver Colorado, focused on litigation
- Law Clerk at a firm in Salt Lake City Utah, focused on criminal defense
Pro Bono Activities
- Centro Hispano; Provo, UT, 2009 – Present
- Mentor for new attorneys, 2009-Present
Languages
- Spanish
- English
Articles by J. Christopher Keen
- “Fee Increase – File Soon”
- “How Do I Prove a Good Faith Marriage?”
- “Master FAQ”
- “I Have Married a U.S. Citizen”
- “Merits FAQ”
- “I Am an Immigrant and Have Been Arrested”
- “Paying an Immigration Bond”
- “Salt Lake City Immigration Court Has a New Immigration Judge – What does that mean to YOU?”
- “Utah's Plea in Abeyance Law and Immigration Law”
Mr. Keen's Personal Life
Mr. Keen grew up in Norwalk, California, which is a suburb of Los Angeles.He attended John Glenn High School. He worked his way through college by working many jobs, including bank teller, waiter, store clerk, and software salesman.
He has a strong passion for history, especially family history. Putting this interest into action, he authored a book on the Keen family. He also speaks fluent Spanish, which he learned in school and improved during a two-year volunteer mission among Spanish-speaking migrants in Idaho.
He enjoys traveling with his wife and five amazing children. Some favorite trips include touring the United States in a trailer, seeing the headwaters of the Mississippi, Washington D.C., Florida, Mt. Rushmore, and the Black Hills of South Dakota.
During the spring and summer he enjoys sailing on Utah Lake.
In his spare time he enjoys researching family history and walking.
Recent Blog Posts
Do you have a Naturalization Interview coming up? Here's how to prepare!
Is Utah's Aggravated Assault Statute a Crime of Violence or an Aggravated Felony?
Consultation FAQ
How can I check my USCIS case status?
"Discretion" in Immigration Law
Recommendations
- Chris Keen and Jesse Gray worked on my case. I was arrested in another state and brought to Utah in ICE custody. I didn't know who to call. My cellmate had Mr. Keen as his attorney and he recommended that I give him a call. I was relieved to find someone who could understand my case and who care...
- Chris Keen and the rest of his team did a great job on my immigration case! I was in jail, facing deportation. I had a bunch of crimes that they said made me mandatory detention. Mr. Keen helped me figure out how to reverse my convictions. He then argued to the judge to let me out of custody and ...
- Even though I had a green card, I was deported because my attorney didn't file the right applications or even turn in the papers on time. Then I went to Keen Law Offices, who appealed the case all the way up to the Court of Appeals and managed to overturn the deportation. They even changed the la...
- I wouldn't have been able to come back for at least 10 years, but Keen Law Offices turned my situation around. After getting an approved petition filed by my stepfather under the Childhood Status Protection Act and demonstrating extreme hardship for my elderly parents, Keen Law was able to obtain...
- Instead, he abused and then abandoned me. Since I no longer had basis for residency, I was given voluntary departure by the immigration court. But I had nowhere else to go, so I didn't leave the U.S., and my voluntary departure turned into a deportation order. A few years later, after marrying an...
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My father was a U.S. citizen, but I was born in another country.
Everyone in the government kept telling me I didn't belong in the U.S., that I should give up and go “home” to the U.K. Immigration kept trying to get rid of me, and even issued a deportation order. Luckily, I found Keen Law Offices. Mr. Keen was the only person who believed I was a citizen; he ... -
All I wanted was to live in the US with my husband and my daughter.
We just bought a house, and were living the American Dream, but I needed my green card. I was so frustrated after my green card application was denied. My old lawyer never told me that an old charge would make me ineligible. I hired Chris Keen to help fix those charges. But then I made a mistake... - Although I had a green card for many years, I ended up detained, for a problem I had many years ago. I thought after nearly 30 years, my old problems wouldn't follow me, but I was wrong. My case was very complex. It lasted for many years, and my case was heard by four or five judges. We had to f...
- I found my attorney, Chris Keen, at a very hard point in my life. I had my green card, was facing several charges and was then put in jail. I hired Mr. Keen for post conviction work and although at that point I was hopeless, Mr. Keen and his team worked hard and lowered my charges. My life took ...