The Immigration Law Clinic is designed to provide students with practical experience in representing clients while addressing broader issues of immigration law and policy. Students will engage in client representation, case preparation, advocacy, and cultural competency under the supervision of the clinical professors.
Fieldwork
- Under the supervision of the clinical professor, students represent clients and perform all aspects of case preparation, including interviewing clients, writing pleadings, appearing in Immigration Court, appearing before administrative agencies, and managing post-relief issues.
- Students are also expected to collaborate with community-based organizations that serve Pittsburgh’s foreign-born population, such as the Jewish Family & Children's Service and the Latino Family Center.
Description of Classroom Component
During the first semester, students will attend a 2-hour weekly seminar addressing substantive aspects of the Immigration and Nationality Act and other applicable national and international law, ethical, and advocacy skills relevant to students' work at the clinic.
In the second semester, students will actively participate in a weekly one-hour case round meeting. These meetings serve as a platform to deliberate on each student team's caseload, address emerging case-related challenges, and strategize for effective representation. Second-semester students will dedicate considerably more effort and concentration to client interviewing, representation, and outreach activities.
Credits
2-semester clinic, 4 credits each semester.
Transcript / Awarding of Credits
The Immigration Law Clinic is a two-semester clinic. Students may enroll in the spring or the fall semesters but must complete 2 semesters to receive credit.
Extension
To be determined.
Application Procedure and Selection Basis
- Enrollment limit: 8 students per semester
- Enrollment priorities/preferences: 3L, fluency in languages other than English, and experience with community work.
- Students who have taken Immigration Law