Alison Stanley

Alison lectures and trains extensively on immigration law, and writes and broadcasts in the legal and general media

• The role of the clerk and interpreter at asylum interviews, Immigration and Nationality
• Law and Practice, July 1990 and updated version volume 8, number 3, 1994
• The legality of blanket detention measures used against Vietnamese asylum seekers in Hong Kong, Lawyers for Human Rights, New York 1990
• Statute Juridique De La Zone International: L’experience du Royaume –Uni (La situation des requerants d’asile) chapter in Fronties dur doit, Fronties dur doits, additions l’Harmattan/ANAFE 1993. English version published in Immigration and Nationality Law and Practice, volume 6, number 40
• Drug Couriers – A New Perspective  Quartet Books Limited, 1996, chapter on Deportation and Drug Couriers
• Developments in Race Discrimination Law and Practice 1993 – 1994, chapter in the report of the UK Rapporteur to the European Commission Report by the Information Network on Migrations from non-member states (RIMET),1994
• The Rights of Third Country Nationals in the New European Order (co-authored with Professor Michael Rowlands, University College, London), Immigration and Nationality Research and Information Charity, 1994
• Women Asylum Seekers: an alternative approach (co-authored with Victoria Tennant) Immigration and Nationality Law and Practice, 1998 volume 12, number 2
• Gender Guidelines for the Determination of Asylum Claims in the United Kingdom – Refugee Women’s Legal Group, July 1998, part of the drafting committee
• Asylum Seekers – a guide to current legislation, chapter on Vulnerable Categories, Resource Information Service 2001
• Putting Children First: A Guide to Family law for Immigration Practitioners – co-authored with Jane Coker and Nadine Finch, Legal Action Group,  2002
• Asylum – a guide to recent legislation  4th edition, co-authored with Jane Coker, Judith Farbey and Nadine Finch, Resource Information Service /ILPA, January 2004
• Working with children and young people subject to immigration control: guidelines for best practice  – member of the drafting group ILPA November 2004
• The Asylum and Immigration Tribunal: practice and procedure, co-authored with Jane Coker and Judith Farbey, Legal Action, June 2005
• Child First, Migrant Second, Legal Action, February 2006
• Representation at Immigration Appeals: a best practice guide – co-authored with Jane Coker, James Gillespie and Sue Shutter, ILPA, February 2006
• The new migration – the managed migration framework, co-authored with Linda Coxon, Solicitors Journal Vol 150 No 12 31.3.2006

Chambers and Partners UK 2025

• Alison is ranked as a “Senior Statesperson” in Immigration: Human Rights, Asylum and Deportation & Immigration: Personal.
• “Alison is highly professional and knowledgeable.”
• “Alison gives me the confidence to know my immigration problems will be handled in time and in a professional detailed way, which removes a huge amount of weight off my shoulders.”

Legal 500 2025

• Alison is listed in the “Hall of Fame” in Immigration, Immigration: Human Rights & Immigration: Personal.

Chambers and Partners UK 2024

• Alison was ranked as a ‘Star Individual’ in Immigration: Human Rights, Asylum and Deportation and Band 1 in Immigration: Personal.
• “Alison Stanley manages to really protect vulnerable people by doing very good work.”
• “She is very good at cases with a high level of confidentiality, and lovely with clients.”
• “Alison knows as much about immigration law as anyone in the country.”
• “Alison Stanley is a bit of a legend.”
• “She is a giant in the field and has been for a very long time.”

Legal 500 2024

• Alison was featured in the ‘Hall of Fame’ section of Immigration: human rights, appeals & overstay.
• “Alison Stanley has unparalleled experience and real client commitment.”

Clients Say:

I was extremely satisfied with the service provided by Alison Stanley: prompt, efficient and courteous; always addressing my concerns.”

Client 2023

• Immigration legal aid lawyer of the year 2023
• Appointed Patron of Immigration Law Practitioners’ Association March 2024
• Immigration Law Practitioners’ Association 
• Alison was a founder member of the Refugee Women’s Legal Group, which in 2000 won the Law Society’s Gazette/Liberty Human Rights Award
• She was also a founder member and past chair of the Law Society’s Immigration Law Committee
• Alison is a member of the Unaccompanied Migrant Children’s Court steering group
• Trustee, Immigrants Aid Trust, March 2001 to the present, from 2003 to 2018 Chair of the Trustees
• Trustee, Law Society Charity, Oct 2006 to the present

• Alison studied at Sussex University, Northwestern University USA and the College of Law. She qualified as a solicitor in 1984
• From 1988 Alison was the first solicitor to be employed by the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants
• She joined Bindmans in 1994 as the Head of the Immigration team
• She is Law Society IAAS Accredited Supervisor and Senior Caseworker
• Alison was a Partner at Bindmans LLP and Joint Head of the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality team until she became a Senior Consultant in April 2023

Recent training courses Alison has provided include:

• Home Office Concessions outside the Rules, Immigration Law Practitioners’ Association,
• Tier 4 Appeals, UKCISA, London
• Family law for Immigration Practitioners, Immigration Law Practitioners’ Association, London
• Speaker on family and dependants at the MBL business immigration law conference
• Professional Conduct and Ethics in Immigration Cases, Immigration Law Practitioners’ Association, London