Section Information
Section Description Provided by Instructor
Immigration Defense Externship, Spring 2013
Externship Summary
Since the drastic changes in the immigration laws in 1996, non-citizens are facing a completely overhauled and complicated system of deportation. The Immigration Defense Externship is designed to introduce students to U.S. immigration laws and policies through a combination of lecture, discussion, simulation and representation of immigrants facing deportation from the United States.
Students in the externship will be placed with an attorney from The Legal Aid Society?s Immigration Law Unit in one of the Unit?s projects, providing direct representation and counseling to immigrants facing deportation. Students will also participate in a weekly seminar. The seminar is graded based on participation, attendance and a 20-page paper. The fieldwork is credit/no credit. Minor writing credit is available.
Enrollment is limited. Open to 3Ls (preferred) and 2Ls. Foreign language skills, especially Spanish, are preferred. Exposure to immigration and criminal law is preferred.
The Seminar
The weekly seminars will complement the students? fieldwork with a practice-oriented examination of the interaction between immigration law and criminal law. The seminars will also include trial preparation and strategy development, including developing a theory of the case. The seminars will also explore the government?s policies in this area and their impact on immigrant communities through class discussion and presentations by guest speakers from the media, the court, the government and other advocates. In the seminars, students will also have the opportunity to discuss their fieldwork, including the ethical challenges arising from client interviewing and representation.
The Placement
In the fieldwork placements, students will be expected to devote at least 15 hours per week for 14 weeks. Students will interview clients, participate in trial preparation and litigation strategy meetings, and assist the attorney in all aspects of client representation, including researching complex legal issues and drafting memoranda of law. Students will conduct initial client interviews at the Immigration Court, and/or at an immigration detention facility. Students will observe hearings in Immigration Court and may have the opportunity to represent a client before the Court. There may also be an opportunity to represent clients detained by the immigration authorities, as well as clients with pending federal court challenges to their removal and/or detention.
Instructors
Olivia Cassin, Amy Meselson and Maria Navarro are attorneys at The Legal Aid Society?s Immigration Law Unit.
To Apply
Please send resume and short statement of interest by e-mail to: AVMeselson@legal-aid.org by 5pm on Tuesday October 30, 2012.
Semester
Spring 2013
Section
001
Schedule
W 4:20p - 6:10p
Location
WH 304
Points
2.0
Method of Evaluation
Other
J.D. Writing Credit
Minor (automatic)
Course Limitations
Pre-requisite Courses
None
Co-requisite Courses
None
Recommended Courses
None
Other Limitations
Enrollment is limited and by application/permission. Open to 3Ls (preferred), 2Ls, and LLM students. Foreign language skills, especially Spanish, are preferred. Exposure to immigration and criminal law is preferred.
