Immigrant Justice Clinic Holds Pro Se Clinics

12.01.23 —This fall, students in Northeastern Law’s Immigrant Justice Clinic (IJC) hosted two pro se clinics at the law school for non-citizens. The IJC students, along with attorney volunteers, served more than 40 clients on a variety of matters, including applying for temporary protected status, travel authorization and work authorization. Students worked under the supervision of Professor Anne Georges ’19, who is currently leading the clinic while also serving as an immigration attorney at Greater Boston Legal Services, and Keally Cieslik ’19, a staff attorney with Unemployed Workers United, who returned to Northeastern to collaborate on the pro se clinics.

Left to right: Students and faculty from the Immigrant Justice Clinic were joined by volunteer attorneys and advocates at the pro se clinic held in the law school’s moot courtroom; Leslie Ditrani ’94, founder of Pathway for Immigrant Workers, which provides pro bono assistance to low-skilled immigrant workers.

“The IJC students told us that assisting clients through the clinics was a fulfilling experience, allowing them to not only hone their legal skills, but also to connect with and educate clients on variety of important issues in the immigration space,” said Georges, who participated as a student in in the IJC when it was launched in 2017.

Also on hand for the clinics were representatives of the Massachusetts TPS Committee, a branch of the National TPS Alliance, and Leslie Ditrani ’94, founder of Pathway for Immigrant Workers. Together, they presented clients with helpful information regarding Temporary Protected Status (TPS) advocacy, community resources and pathways for immigrant workers.

“Clients were grateful to be provided with thoughtful assistance and a wealth of information regarding TPS, community advocacy and pathways to permanent residence,” said Georges.

“Each clinic day was powerful because we brought together community members, Massachusetts TPS Committee leaders, and law students, to provide both political history and education regarding the origins of TPS and direct legal assistance. Our hope is that the strength and membership of Massachusetts TPS Committee will grow and families will have more stability as a result of the clinic days,” added Cieslik.

About Northeastern University School of Law

The nation’s leader in experiential legal education since 1968, Northeastern University School of Law offers the longest-running, most extensive experience-based legal education program in the country. Northeastern guarantees its students unparalleled practical legal work experiences through its signature Cooperative Legal Education Program. More than 1,000 employers worldwide in a wide range of legal, government, nonprofit and business organizations participate in the program. With a focus on social justice and innovation, Northeastern University School of Law blends theory and practice, providing students with a unique set of skills and experiences to successfully practice law.

For more information, contact d.feldman@northeastern.edu