The Immigration Clinic represents clients in a variety of immigration matters, with a focus on deportation defense and helping people apply for humanitarian forms of relief such as asylum. Immigration proceedings are often described as being like death penalty cases in traffic court due to the high stakes of the cases and the administrative nature of immigration law. Having an attorney is key to achieving relief from the threat of deportation, and immigration clinic students play an essential role in helping our clients attain safety in the United States.
Through their casework, clinic students will gain experience in diverse practice skills, such as client interviewing and counseling, legal writing and research, and courtroom performance. Students will also learn how to work with interpreters and will have opportunities to work with experts and other professionals, as called for by their cases.
Casework is complemented by a seminar that meets twice per week. In the seminar, students will learn both lawyering skills and substantive law and policy relating to immigration. Immigration Clinic will prepare students for a career in immigration law, or simply to be knowledgeable about how United States legal systems and policy decisions impact immigrants.