Immigration Practicum Advancing

Catalog description

Immigration law is one of the most complex, dynamic, and rewarding areas of practice. Yet, it is often viewed as a specialized field that rarely is connected to other public interest areas of law, including child and family law, poverty law, housing, education, health, and criminal justice. The goal of this course is to teach the current realities of immigration law as experienced in practice, and to show how it intersects other field of public interest law in the pursuit of social justice. This unique course has a classroom component and a field-work component. The class meets formally two hours per week in the evening to cover substantive immigration law issues, current topics/changes in immigration practice, and to develop practical skills tailored to the practice of immigration law practice and advocacy, with an emphasis on issues affecting families and children. Topics include family-based petitions, persons fleeing persecution, unaccompanied children, forced family separation, providing trauma informed services, intersection of family law and immigration law, and deportation defense. The course includes in-class simulations and role-plays. One course is NOT required to take the other. Students are expected to work at their extern field placement site a minimum of 55 hours in order to earn 1 academic credit hour, or 110 hours in order to earn 2 academic credit hours. Instructors may vary across terms, and are experienced professionals with diverse areas of practice in immigration law. You are required to complete assigned readings before class. Readings will also be posted to TWEN. If you are interested in pursuing externship credits, please contact the Director of the Immigration Law Practicum, Katherine Kaufka Walts.