Clinic Practice: Immigration Law

4 Credit Hours

The Immigration Law Clinic is a broad-based immigration clinic representing low-income youth and parents in proceedings before the Chicago Immigration Court. Our previous clients have included children, women, and men from countries such as Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala, China, Indonesia, Ethiopia, and Cameroon. As part of the clinic, student lawyers are responsible primarily for interviewing clients and witnesses, conducting factual investigations, drafting pleadings and motions, preparing legal briefs, and representing clients at hearings before the Chicago Immigration Court, the Board of Immigration Appeals, and the Chicago Asylum Office. Many of our witnesses and the documents we need to represent our clients are in other countries. Students will need to communicate through interpreters to obtain documents required for their cases. Additionally, some of our clients are detained, and students will need to work with the appropriate agencies to advocate for their client’s release from detention. Through course readings, lectures, and discussions, students will garner the tools and insights they need to represent their clients effectively.