Immigration and Human Rights Clinic – 7842

The Immigration and Human Rights Clinic advocates on behalf of non-citizens in a variety of venues, through both individual representation and public policy initiatives. Students represent persons seeking asylum in the United States, as well as non-citizens being detained prior to deportation. Students will interview clients, research country conditions, write legal memoranda on asylum issues, and appear before decision-makers at the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service, the Immigration Court, and the Board of Immigration Appeals.

Students will also represent individual clients in court as part of the Minnesota Detention Project, which represents detained immigrants to determine if they have defenses to deportation. Students will also work on a variety of legislative and other public policy projects which will bring them into contact with advocacy organizations within the Twin Cities immigration and human rights community, including Advocates for Human Rights and the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota.

Each student will handle up to two asylum cases. Students work with at least one other student on each case, and can choose from cases presented affirmatively to the USCIS and those presented defensively before the Immigration Court. Students will handle all aspects of case and client preparation and courtroom appearances.

The clinic is a year-long course open to second-year and third-year students, beginning in the fall semester each year. Enrollment is generally limited to eight students.