Immigration Clinic

The Immigration Clinic is highly respected by the Office of the Immigration Judge and the various other federal immigration agencies, and for good reason. Clinic students win their cases. The clinic’s record is particularly enviable because noncitizens typically come here after being rejected by other lawyers or organizations. The clinic’s specialty is the “tough” case that requires novel and creative lawyering. Clinic students have won cases involving hot-button issues like female genital mutilation, sexual orientation, torture, and HIV-status. Clinic students have also obtained freedom from detention for noncitizens. Winning for clients is the clinic’s greatest recognition.

In addition to holding a record of excellence, the clinic was honored to receive the 2000 Human Rights Award from the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA). GW Law was the first, and so far only, law school clinical program to receive this or any AILA award.

In 2005, the clinic was also privileged to receive the Johnson Award from the Hispanic Bar Association of the District of Columbia for exhibiting "unwavering commitment and achievement in public service and dedication to the principles of equality, cultural respect, and social justice."

Most recently, the Immigration Clinic was ranked #11 in Law Street's 2016 Top Schools for Immigration Law Programs.

Manuel and Ana Maria Benítez Award

José Hernández: My name is José Hernández, JD ’22, and I participated in the Immigration Clinic during my last semester. I grew up in Puerto Rico and I moved from there for the first time when I started in law school.  At first, I had no idea what kind of law I was interested in, but eventually I started to develop an interest in immigration law. However, it was thanks to my experience in the clinic, along with the mentoring of Prof. Benítez and Prof. Vera, that I confirmed what kind of law I wanted to pursue upon graduation. The clinic allowed me to experience first-hand what it was to be a lawyer, and by that I mean not only helping people in court but, as advocates of the law, how we can have an impact outside the court too by, for example, engaging in the process of making the law or educating others about the law. Upon licensure, I will be putting the skills I learned in the Clinic by working with the law office of José Pertierra, an immigration law firm that works with different areas of immigration law.

Fayruz Lama: My name is Fayruz Lama, JD ‘21, and I participated in the Immigration Clinic in my 3L spring semester. Coming from an immigrant family, I am passionate about the work of the Immigration Clinic. I knew I wanted to be a part of it, but I did not expect it to be as great of an experience as it was. Being able to work as a student-attorney was one of the most formative experiences in law school. Under Professor Benitez and Professor Vera’s support and guidance, I learned how to be a true advocate for our immigrant community and was given the tools for success in complex immigration issues. I worked directly with clients’ asylum claims before USCIS and the immigration court, learned how to perform intakes for potential clients, and worked on a letter to Congress regarding immigration reform. Professor Benitez, Professor Vera, and the Clinic taught me practical skills for real-life immigration lawyering. I look forward to applying those skills to a successful future in immigration law.

Sam Phipps: My name is Sam Phipps (JD '21) and I participated in the Immigration Clinic during my 3L spring semester. I came to law school knowing I wanted to practice immigration law, after having a wonderful experience working with immigrant communities in Texas through an AmeriCorps program. GW Law's several other immigration-related courses thoroughly grounded me in the fundamentals of the field, and the clinic then showed me how to use that knowledge to make a real difference in a person's life. Despite the pandemic, I was able to represent a man at his naturalization interview, file petitions for immigrants located both here and abroad, and even write a letter to Congress urging reform of the immigration courts, all under the expert tutelage of Professors Benítez and Vera. Upon licensure, I will put the lawyering skills I gained through the clinic to good use by representing unaccompanied children at the southern border with ProBAR, a project of the American Bar Association.

Halima Nur: My name is Halima Nur, JD ‘20, and I participated in the immigration clinic during the fall and spring semesters of my 3L year. An immigrant myself, I participated in the clinic to better understand the humanitarian immigration process. The clinic taught me how to directly interface with clients facing difficult situations in a compassionate manner. The highlight of my time in the clinic was when I represented a family of three at the Arlington Immigration Court, ultimately winning them asylum. The clinic taught me vital lawyering skills that I could’ve never gained simply by sitting in a classroom. I currently work as an Associate Attorney at Ogletree Deakins in Austin, TX in their business immigration practice group.

Videos

Clinic in the News

• "St. Mary’s hosts Lawtina Network Summit to build community for Latinas in law" - August 2, 2022
• "GW Law hosts Cisneros Hispanic Leadership Institute's Caminos al Futuro Scholars" - July 25, 2022
• "Reconocidos profesores de derecho de EE.UU. en Argentina: constitucionalismo, migración y monopolios" - June 22, 2022
• "Ukraine Migration Maps ‘What’s Possible’ for Climate Displaced" - June 6, 2022
• "The Heat: Migration, Asylum and Deportation" - August 14, 2019
• "How Should Higher Education Be Responding to Refugee and Migrant Crises?" - July 27, 2018, The Chronicle of Higher Education
• "Three Years Out of the NFL, He’s about to Graduate from Law School" - May 14, 2017, The Washington Post
• "Testimony S3 Ep. 2: Immigration with Professor Alberto Benitez"

Podcasts

• “Why Are Children of Immigrants Being Separated from Their Parents?"