Ex. Immigrant Youth Advocacy

This externship provides students with the opportunity to learn about immigration law and practice through the representation of immigrant youth, a population relentlessly targeted as an enforcement priority. Unaccompanied minors are youth under the age of 18 who have been apprehended at the U.S. border without caregivers. Following their detention at federal facilities and placement with sponsors in the US, they are referred for removal proceedings at immigration court. This seminar explores the fundamentals of immigration law as it relates to immigrant youth, with a focus on the intersection between immigration and family law. The seminar explores ethical challenges posed by immigrant youth representation, the U.S. government's ever-changing immigration policies, and the impacts of such policies on youth. The fieldwork current takes place with The Legal Aid Society youth immigration attorneys. Up to 8 externs provide direct representation to youth clients under the supervision of experienced immigration attorneys. Students will appear virtually (for now) in federal and state courts, interview clients, assess immigration relief, and work on all aspects of clients' cases. Through both the fieldwork and the seminar, students will develop analytical and lawyering skills they can later transfer to any immigration or non-immigration practice.