Immigration / Human Rights Policy Clinic

About the Clinic

The Immigration/Human Rights Policy Clinic is a two-semester clinic that provides students with an opportunity 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 case or project, and consult with each other before and during weekly team meetings with their faculty supervisor. Students prepare claims and advocate on behalf of immigrant clients, including:

  • refugees applying for asylum
  • battered immigrants applying for VAWA relief
  • immigrants eligible for U (crime victim) Visas
  • immigrants eligible for T (trafficking) Visas
  • immigrants with claims to U.S. citizenship
  • other claims for permanent residency status

There may be opportunities for ancillary state court representation related to immigration cases, depending on the needs of the client.

Students will also 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 will work with organizations that are currently seeking to reframe domestic issues as human rights issues, and will engage in various law-related campaigns aimed at addressing a range of economic, social, and cultural human rights violations. The final written policy work that students produce will be due in the Spring semester and will satisfy a Rigorous Writing Requirement in that semester.

Requirements & Registration

All students meet weekly at a regularly scheduled class time to review cases and projects. Students will work in teams and have weekly team meetings with their faculty supervisor. All students enrolled in the clinic must attend the mandatory Clinic Intensive Weekend held near the beginning of the fall semester.

Prerequisites

None. Immigration law, International Law, International Human Rights Law, Trial Advocacy, and Evidence highly recommended.

Registration for the Immigration-Human Rights policy clinic is limited to 3rd year students. A registration meeting for Externship and Clinical Programs is held approximately one month into the Spring semester. Notices are posted throughout the Law School and placed in 2nd year students' mailboxes. After the registration meeting, 2nd year students are given several days to return the completed registration form. Please note that students may not enroll in any externship programs while enrolled in any other clinic.

The Immigration-Human Rights Policy Clinic is 4 credits in the Fall (pass/fail) and 4 credits in the Spring (graded).

Immigration-Human Rights Policy Clinic Faculty:

How We Get Our Cases

Many of the immigration cases handled by the UNC Immigration/Human Rights Policy (IHRP) Clinic are referred by the North Carolina Justice Center and Legal Aid of North Carolina. On occasion, some cases are referred by other community agencies with which we work. The IHRP clinic works on human rights cases and projects in collaboration with state and national human rights organizations and civil rights groups. The faculty supervisor assigns these cases to the students who work in teams.

Resources

UNC Resources:

  • Center for Civil Rights 919-843-3921
  • Center on Poverty Work & Opportunity 919-843-8796
  • Student Legal Services (for UNC students only) 919-962-1303

Helpful Links

  • North Carolina Justice Center: http://www.ncjustice.org/
    Client intake for immigration law matters takes place on Tuesdays from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. only, and "walk-in" clients are NOT accepted (Spanish welcome). Phone: 1-888-251-2776 (toll free) and/or 919-856-2159.
  • Immigrants Legal Assistance Project (Part of North Carolina Justice Center): http://ncjustice.org.temp.nuvox.net/ilap/
    Phone: 919-856-2144 and/or 1-888-251-2776 (toll free).
  • Legal Aid of North Carolina : http://www.legalaidnc.org/
    Phone: Pittsboro: 919-542-0475 and/or Durham: 919-688-6396
  • Battered Immigrant Project (Part of Legal Aid of NC's Domestic Violence Prevention Initiative)
    Phone: 1-800-672-9304, ext. 112 (toll free), Raleigh: 919-856-2564, or Charlotte: 704-971-2589
  • Farmworkers' Legal Assistance Project (Part of Legal Aid of NC)
    Phone: 919-856-2144, 1-866-415-1389 (in USA), or 001-866-237-6066 (collect from Mexico)
  • U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (site with official immigration forms): http://www.uscis.gov/
  • USDOJ Executive Office of Immigration Review: http://www.usdoj.gov/eoir/
  • En espanol (Informacion de la oficina del gobernador de Carolina del Norte): http://www.ncgov.com/asp/subpages/intention.asp?P=2&I=75

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Will the UNC Immigration/Human Rights Policy (IHRP) Clinic represent me in a matter?
A: The IHRP Clinic can only accept cases that are referred to us by an organization or agency with which we have a referral agreement. We do not handle any direct intake from clients who are seeking assistance.

Q: Will the IHRP Clinic give me legal advice?
A: The IHRP Clinic can only give legal advice to individuals and groups who are clients of the clinic.

Q: If the IHRP Clinic can not help me do you know of any other legal service resources that may be able to help me?
A: Yes. Please see our Resources & Helpful Links sections listed above.