Immigration Clinic

The Immigration Clinic at the University of Houston Law Center specializes in handling applications for asylum on behalf of victims of torture and persecution, in representing immigrants who have been the victims of domestic violence, human trafficking and crime, and children and those fleeing civil war, genocide or political repression. Students also give presentations to outside organizations that deal with Immigrant Issues and give individual assistance to immigrants held in immigration detention centers.

Students may begin taking the clinic beginning their 2L year and even during the summer between 1L and 2L years. In addition, there are no prerequisites.  Clinic students are assigned a variety of immigration cases. Under close faculty supervision, they are responsible for handling the cases from the initial interview through the conclusion of the case, including trial, if needed.

The Immigration Clinic has a classroom component that meets for two hours a week for 14 weeks over the course of the semester. The classroom component provides students with an understanding of the basics of asylum law, citizenship, removal defense, and laws protecting immigrant victims of human trafficking and family violence.  The classroom component focuses on teaching advocacy skills and substantive immigration law to equip students to represent immigrants before the Department of Homeland Security, Department of Justice's Executive Office for Immigration Review (the immigration courts) and other federal agencies.