A two-semester clinic providing opportunities to represent clients in immigration cases and work on legal projects addressing human rights initiatives. Students work in teams of two or three, depending on the project, and consult with each other during weekly team meetings with their faculty supervisor. Students meet periodically at a regularly scheduled class time to review cases and projects with the entire class.
In representing immigrants, students prepare claims and advocate on behalf of immigrant clients, including:
- refugees applying for asylum
- battered immigrants applying for relief VAWA relief
- immigrants eligible for U (crime victim) Visas
- immigrants eligible for T (trafficking) Visas
- immigrants with claims to permanent residency status and U.S. citizenship
Possible opportunities for ancillary state court representation related to immigration cases, depending on client needs.
Students engage in non-litigation strategies and collaborate with state, national, and international human rights organizations on legislative and rule-making proposals, policy matters, research papers, and amicus briefs. Topics may include trafficking, domestic workers, police reform, and various human rights treaty obligations and compliance. Students work with organizations currently seeking to reframe domestic issues as human rights issues, and engage in various law-related campaigns aimed at addressing economic, social, and cultural human rights violations.