It is well-known that South Florida is the destination of thousands of immigrants a year. Many, though, will end up in local jails and the Krome Detention Center, awaiting deportation, and many will seek asylum to stay in the U.S. This means Jack Wallace a very busy man.

Wallace, UM Class of 2000, is the director of the Florida Immigrant Advocacy Center's Florida Asylum Relief Project (FARP), which represents immigrants fearing persecution in their country of origin if deported. FARP also monitors INS detention practices, challenges unfair INS policies, and writes self-help manuals for geographically distant detainees.

Wallace began working with immigration issues during his second and third years at UM. Wallace was one of three co-chairs of the National Lawyers Guild and participated in immigration and police accountability projects with the organization.

Working with FARP now, Wallace knows how urgent an issue asylum is. "Asylum cases can be a life or death situation, and the project has helped many individuals who most likely would have been persecuted or tortured" if deported, he says. "Immigrants are not provided attorneys by the government," and as many as "90 percent are unrepresented."

Wallace's advice to those interested in public interest work is simple: "Give it a try. Public interest attorneys often face what appear like insurmountable obstacles, making success even more rewarding."

He also stresses the importance of being happy with whatever you choose. "Not doing what you want in a legal career can lead to a feeling of not fulfilling your goals in life," he says.