I’m a lawyer. I work exclusively for adult adopted people in the United States.
Gregory D. Luce
Attorney and Founder, Adoptee Rights Law Center
Gregory D. Luce is a Minnesota-based attorney who was born and adopted in the District of Columbia. He is the founder of Adoptee Rights Law Center and the executive director of Adoptees United Inc. He is a graduate of Boston University and the University of Minnesota Law School, where he was awarded the Justitia Award for the most promising graduate of the law class of 1993.
My Work
I help adult adopted people navigate legal challenges in securing U.S. citizenship and lawful immigration status and seeking information to which they are entitled. I also work to develop broader legal strategies to challenge existing legal frameworks that operate to deny adopted people basic and fundamental rights of identity and belonging.
My work involves four primary areas:
- Immigration and Citizenship Issues for intercountry adoptees (Current priority). I am the sole attorney for the Adoptees United Inc. Citizenship Clinic, representing intercountry adopted people on issues related to immigration and U.S. citizenship, whether naturalization, renewing legal permanent residency status, or obtaining proof of U.S. citizenship. Increasingly my work has begun to include more complex issues, including Temporary Protected Status, parole, adjustment of status, and preventing removal or deportation of impacted adopted people. Note: practice limited solely to federal immigration law.
- Legislative strategy and action. In my role with Adoptees United Inc., a national nonprofit organization, I track and analyze state and federal adoptee rights legislation across the country. I also support efforts that will lead to an unrestricted right of an adult adopted person to request and obtain his or her own original birth certificate. I am also an active and strong ally for efforts related to passage of the Adoptee Citizenship Act or similar federal legislation.
- Sealed original birth certificates and court records. I have been successful in unsealing court records and obtaining court orders in Minnesota to release original birth certificates, court records, and—in some cases—adoption agency records. This practice, however, is limited solely to people born or adopted in Minnesota.
- Coalition work with other committed adoptee rights organizations. I am a founder and the executive director of Adoptee United Inc., a national nonprofit charitable organization dedicated to securing identity rights, U.S. citizenship, and equality for all adult adopted people in the United States. The Adoptee Rights Law Center is also founding member of the Michigan Adoptee Rights Coalition, the New England Adoptee Rights Coalition, the New York Adoptee Rights Coalition, the Capitol Coalition for Adoptee Rights, and the Texas Adoptee Rights Coalition.
Current and Ongoing Projects
Legal Representation
My primary work today involves operating the Adoptees United Citizenship Clinic, which provides pro bono representation to intercountry adoptees across the country who have immigration and US citizenship issues.
United States of OBC
I track all of the state laws that restrict—or don’t restrict—the right to obtain an original birth certificate. See the results here or view interactive maps I’ve created.
Legislative Updates
Through Adoptees United I monitor legislation across the country and in the U.S. Congress that relates to an original birth certificate as well as to citizenship issues for intercountry adoptees.
OBC Flowcharts
I am creating flowcharts for each state to show how complicated or simple it is to obtain an original birth certificate. Here’s an example.
Past Projects
OBC Tracker
I surveyed hundreds of adoptees to determine the rate of success or failure in getting an OBC. Read more about the project here, and I roll out state-specific data when it helps in state legislative issues.