The Marquette Immigration Law Association (MILA) connects Marquette University Law School to Milwaukee’s immigrant and refugee community by recruiting and organizing students to volunteer with community agencies that provide free and low-cost legal services for immigrants and refugees.
Find out more about MILA by clicking below:
Marquette Immigration Law Association PowerPoint
To Join List Serv: http://lists.marquettelaw.org/mailman/listinfo/mila
To Join TWEN Page: http://lawschool.westlaw.com/manage/homepage.aspx?courseid=103643
Refugee Help Desk
Law students, under the supervision of an experienced asylum and refugee law attorney, have the opportunity to assist refugees with completing necessary legal forms and documents. The refugee help desk takes place twice a month at Pan-African Community Association (PACA), which is located at 4063 North 64th Street, Milwaukee, WI 53216. Students should be available at least one project meeting per month for the duration of the semester. Pre-participation training is mandatory. Contact: Student Coordinator Jenna McConnell— jenna.mcconnell@mu.edu or Attorney Coordinator Celestina Sanders — tina_sand@yahoo.com.
Voces de la Frontera Immigration Law Clinic
Under supervision of immigration attorneys, law students work directly with local immigrant clients, assisting with intake and providing information and referrals as needed. Students receive basic immigration law training before participating. Students should be available at least twice a semester. Immigration clinic occurs every other Wednesday from 5:00PM to 7:00PM and Saturday from 9:00AM to 11:00AM at Voces de La Frontera at 1027 South 5th Street, Milwaukee, WI 53204. Pre-participation training is mandatory. For more information, contact: Student Coordinator Maria Lopez— maria.lopez@mu.edu.
Volunteer Opportunities
Marquette Volunteer Legal Clinic
The Marquette Volunteer Legal Clinics are free walk-in legal clinics, staffed by volunteer attorneys and Law School students to provide legal information and referral services. At the Hillview Center for the Spanish Speaking, students can assist with screening clients who come in with immigration issues. Spanish abilities are helpful but not required, since many of our immigration clients speak English and interpreters are available for those who speak Spanish. By providing this service, students will allow our immigration attorneys to quickly concentrate on the clients' unique immigration issues and, as a result, be able to see more people. During the 2009-2010 school year, the Hillview Clinic served 123 Immigration clients. Hillview's hours are Wednesdays, 5-7 pm. All students (including 1Ls) are encouraged to volunteer. Email Lori Zahorodny about attending one of the upcoming training sessions.
Kenosha Know Your Rights Trips
Law students can volunteer to provide legal information, and interview detained immigrants at the Kenosha Detention Center for the National Immigrant Justice Center. The interviews are used by the NIJC to determine if there are legal defenses for the individual detainees, and if so, to provide pro bono counsel. KYR trips are scheduled on a Friday from 6:45 am until approximately noon. Transportation is provided. Students must attend a training prior to their first trip. Bilingual students are strongly encouraged to attend. The student coordinator for 2011-2012 is 3L, Kime Abduli.
Catholic Charities Immigration Assistance Project Internship
Catholic Charities is a nonprofit organization operating under the auspices of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. The agency provides family-based immigration services, helps the Archdiocese obtain religious visas for foreign priests and nuns, represents clients in removal proceedings, assists clients apply for asylum, helps victims of domestic violence obtain permanent residence under the Violence Against Women Act, and helps victims of crime to apply for “U” visas. Under the supervision of agency lawyers the interns interview clients, assist in the preparation of relevant documents, research legal issues pertinent to immigration law, and perform such other case-related tasks as may be necessary. Some attend or assist at immigration hearings in Chicago. Though not required, knowledge of Spanish can be useful in this internship. Prerequisite or Co-Requisite: Immigration Law or Consent of the Director of Clinical Education. Law students who are interested in this internship should contact the Director of Clinical Education, Professor Hammer, or the project's supervising faculty, Professor Fallone.
Organization Contact: Melissa Longamore melissa.longamore@marquette.edu