Immigration Law Courses
Refugee & Immigration Law Clinic
(LAW 590Q) (3 credits) (credit/ no credit)
Offered Fall and Spring semesters
This Clinic allows students to engage in clinical practice that responds to real community needs and addresses authentic issues of social justice. As immigration attorneys-in-training, students participate in form-based transactional work, representation before administrative agencies, as well as representation in federal district and appeals courts.
Participation in the Refugee & Immigration Law Clinic is open to students who have either completed or are concurrently enrolled in LAW 548 and it is repeatable.
Immigration Law
(LAW 548) (3 credits) (this course is a pre-requisite for 590Q)
Offered each Fall semester
This course is designed to provide an introductory survey of U.S. immigration law by examining key portions of the Immigration and Nationality Act and its attendant regulations. The time constraints do not permit a “deep dive” into the many sub-fields and current events in immigration law. The focus will be on fostering a foundational knowledge of immigration law as well as an understanding of how it impacts other areas of law and society at-large.
Refugees, Asylum, & Forced Migration
(LAW 520N) (2 credits)
Offered in Spring semester in Odd numbered years
This course outlines the historical development of Refugee & Asylum Law from its international law origins to contemporary practice in the United States. Students will explore the obligations to provide legal protection, material assistance, and resettlement opportunities to refugees overseas and how legal claims for asylum within the United States are managed under domestic law and practice. The focus will be on current case law from the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) and the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.
Immigration Law & Policy
(LAW 520K) (2 credits)
Offered in Spring semester in Even numbered years
This course will provide greater context to all the “hot-topics” of immigration law: current events, pending legislation, executive actions, landmark cases, and calls for immigration reform. By delving into the historical development of policy norms within this field, students will be able to understand the meaning and impact of current developments while learning some basic principles of immigration law.
