As an undergraduate at the University of Chicago, Elizabeth Mansfield ’25 indulged their passion for writing and early childhood education, studying creative writing and developmental psychology. Today, as a third-year law student, they have found the perfect way to combine their interests. They plan to pursue a career helping immigrant families and children gain legal status in the U.S.
“I’ve always been interested in working with children and have enjoyed writing, which is very helpful in the legal profession,” they say. “I think my creative writing degree has come in quite handy.”
Before becoming a law student, Mansfield worked for AmeriCorps, tutoring elementary school students in reading in New York City through the early literacy nonprofit Reading Partners. They have also canvassed for immigration and human rights with Amnesty International. These experiences drew Mansfield to Minnesota Law. “After working in nonprofit spaces for a little bit after college, it felt like I was chipping away at a really big problem, and I wanted to make a bigger difference, help more directly,” Mansfield says. “I thought law school was the solution for that.”
Minnesota Law has robust public interest resources, including the James H. Binger Center for New Americans. During their second year, Mansfield worked at the Center’s Immigration and Human Rights Clinic, representing asylum seekers fleeing persecution in their home countries. Ruth Isaacson, assistant director of public interest at the career center, has advised Mansfield since their first year — along with countless other students with similar passions. She says many students come to the law school interested in pursuing immigration, environmental law, and racial justice. Many become public defenders and prosecutors and work on civil rights litigation.
“Being in the Twin Cities, there’s a really vibrant public interest community outside of the law school, which means there are lots of opportunities to get experience,” Isaacson says. Mansfield entered law school open-mindedly but with an eye on pursuing opportunities to help people. During their first summer, they interned with the Center for Disability and Elder Law in Chicago.
The following summer, they were a legal intern with Catholic Charities, focusing on immigration work. They also served on the board of the Asylum Law Project at Minnesota Law.
For their final year, Mansfield is working full-time with the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota (ILCM) as a fellow with the Saeks Public Interest Residency Program. The ILCM provides free immigration legal representation to low-income refugees and immigrants in Minnesota and North Dakota. The organization also educates local community members about immigration issues and advocates for policy change.
“If a student gets a Saeks fellowship, it’s a pretty pivotal moment in their legal career,” says Isaacson, adding that Mansfield is an “exceptional student,” Isaacson said the program’s prestige makes it very competitive to get a fellowship. “Not any student can get these. It’s really focused on students who have demonstrated a strong commitment to public interest work.”
The job will extend a year after Mansfield graduates, allowing them the freedom to focus on their work rather than the stressful endeavor of job hunting that many third-year law students experience. For Mansfield, that means they can also fully focus on their clients, providing valuable personal attention that is vital for immigrants.
“In the immigration field, it’s really tough because to get a grant from a judge, you have to ask your client to frequently relive the worst and most traumatizing parts of their lives,” Mansfield says. “Learning how to talk to people, work with them, do what’s best for them — it’s definitely a challenge, but I’ve learned a lot.”
Mansfield’s background in psychology is a benefit in working with clients. They also credit Professor Stephen Meili and Legal Fellow Mackenzie Heinrichs at the Immigration and Human Rights Clinic for helping them learn how to navigate sensitive topics.
For now, Mansfield plans to stay in Minnesota and continue their work in immigration law. They’re also thinking about incorporating environmental law into their work to better serve climate refugees.
Current U.S. law does not recognize people displaced by environmental factors as refugees. Mansfield would like to help change this policy.
“There is an insane amount of misinformation out there about immigration,” Mansfield says. “How little people understand it, but nonetheless have very strong opinions about it, made me passionate about immigration and helping to defend people. The whole system seems to be stacked against them, and if I have the ability to help, I’d like to do so.”