Immigration Law Clinic
An excellent opportunity for John Marshall students interested in Immigration Law -- Spring 2008 semester!
You must be at least a second semester 2L to apply, and may only take the course for 1 or 2 credits (either of which requires the completion of 120 hours of work at the placement over the course of the semester.)
Application materials must be received by December 14. See the application process listed below.
LAWYERING PROCESS
EXTERN PLACEMENT DESCRIPTION
|
Placement:
|
|
National Immigrant Justice Center
|
| Address: |
|
208 S. LaSalle St.
Suite 1818
Chicago IL 60604
|
| Main Contact Person: |
|
David Austin, Supervising Attorney
312.660.1311
|
| Legal Director: |
|
Professor Michael Heyman
|
| Number of Placements: |
|
To be determined
|
| Hours per week: |
|
Students will be able to satisfy the 120 hour per semester requirement on a flexible schedule to be arranged individually with the supervising attorney. Course may be taken for 1 or 2 credits, either will require 120 hours of work at the placement.
|
| Qualifications: |
|
The externship is open to 2Ls (second semester) and 3Ls. |
APPLICATION DEADLINE is DECEMBER 14, 2007.
| Application Process: |
|
Send your resume and writing sample with a cover letter indicating your interest in the area of Immigration Law to Adjunct Professor David Austin at 208 S. LaSalle Street, Suite 1818, Chicago, 60604. If your materials are accepted after an initial review, you may be contacted for an interview.
|
| Prerequisites: |
|
Immigration law coursework is not a prerequisite for participating in the externship program, but prior experience with immigration law may affect the work assignments available to the student. Similarly, knowledge of Spanish and French or other foreign languages may determine the nature of some assignments.
|
| Requirements: |
|
Attendance at classroom components is mandatory. |
Classroom components are scheduled to take place on two Saturdays in January (19 and 26) from 1 to 5 p.m. and students will also be required to attend a training session on the morning of February 29. (Effective Representation of Immigrant Victims of Domestic Violence).
Students will also have the opportunity to attend the Third Annual Conference on Unaccompanied and Separated Immigrant Children, which will take place April 3-5 at the John Marshall Law School free of cost. The conference will provide students with an opportunity to network with lawyers, judges, and government workers from across the country.
Students who are assigned to work on affirmative asylum applications must commit to attending a set number of weekly meetings in which they will have an opportunity to gain in-depth knowledge of the asylum process, brainstorm with staff and other students regarding their cases, and meet with clients. These weekly meetings will tentatively take place on Tuesday evenings from 6 to 8 over the course of the semester.
| Objectives: |
|
To provide students with an overview of the asylum process, the public policies that inform debate regarding immigration, and the variety of forms of relief available to persons who are fleeing persecution in their home countries. |
Student Extern Duties
Students will assist NIJC attorneys in representing indigent immigrants who fear persecution if returned to their home countries, as well as immigrants who are detained or seeking to adjust their status to become lawful permanent residents.
The National Immigrant Justice Center provides a number of different resources for immigrant clients through programs operated by the agency. These include the Asylum Program, the Detention Program, the Program for Immigrant Victims of Domestic Violence and Trafficking, and the Children's Program (which focuses on assisting unaccompanied minors to adjust their status). Students will be placed within these programs and work assignments will be determined based on individual interviews, agency needs, and availability. Students will also assist NIJC in preparing trainings, Know Your Rights presentations, conducting intake interviews, compiling country condition reports, and performing legal research. Students will also accompany attorneys to hearings before the immigration court and may also have an opportunity to attend oral arguments on immigration cases before the Seventh Circuit.
|
