The Refugee and Immigrant Rights Litigation Clinic is a
two-semester, eight-credit clinic open to five second- and
third-year students who want to explore how international human
rights and refugee protection law intersect with domestic
immigration law and policy in the courtroom. Preference is given to
students who demonstrate an interest or commitment to the public
interest, immigration law, or international law. Language
proficiency and prior immigration law coursework is helpful, but
not required.
The Clinic consists of a practice and a seminar component. As part
of the practice component, students spend 13 hours a week working
on cases at Catholic Charities, in the field or at administrative
or court proceedings. Typically, during the course of the year,
each student takes two litigation matters from intake/initial
preparation to litigation. Students also each receive about five to
six other matters, which may involve the preparation and submission
of an administrative application, research and writing on a case
issue, or participation in a program component. In this way, they
quickly become responsible for clients and for making independent
decisions. Students in the Clinic work in teams as well, to handle
a case, group of cases, or a particular outreach or informational
project.
The two-hour seminar class meets weekly at the Law School. In the
seminar, students learn and develop essential lawyering skills
required in client representation, explore substantive areas of
immigration law, participate in roundtable discussions, and hear
from experts in the field, including judges and practitioners. The
lawyering skills classes cover interviewing, cross-cultural
lawyering, case theory and strategy, fact investigation, use of and
preparation of experts, and direct and cross-examination. During
the roundtable discussions, students present client cases,
identifying particular complex legal, factual, or strategy issues
for group examination.
Contact us for more information on the Refugee and Immigrant
Rights Litigation Clinic requirements.