Established in the fall of 2009, the Immigration Clinic provides a challenging opportunity for students to advocate on behalf of immigrants in a wide variety of complex immigration proceedings. In addition to helping individual clients, students collaborate with other immigrant rights groups on projects that reform the law and advance the cause of social justice for immigrants. The clinic is dedicated to being an integral part of the wider immigrant and human rights advocacy community in South Florida and the nation.
The clinic works on a variety of Cases, Projects and Resources including Stopping Deportations To Haiti and Resources for Detainees in Immigration Proceedings.
As the primary advocates for their clients, students gain:
All of the clinic's clients are in removal proceedings before immigration court, the Board of Immigration Appeals, or federal courts. Students have the primary responsibility for preparing cases from start to finish – from an initial factual investigation through to a final merits hearing in an adversarial setting. (Students do not need to be certified by the Florida Bar as certified legal interns in order to appear in court.) The clinic accepts cases of detained and non-detained immigrants on a referral basis from legal service providers and other organizations. A critical component of the class is participation in mock and moot exercises aimed at developing core abilities like interviewing, counseling, and courtroom skills.
The Immigration Clinic's classes focus on substantive law, legal ethics, and structured discussions about clinic cases while also developing lawyering skills and case strategy.
Successfully Completed 32 Credits
Immigration Law
Rebecca Sharpless
Associate Professor of Clinical Legal Education
Director, Immigration Clinic
305-284-3576, E257
rsharpless@law.miami.edu
Romy Lerner
Lecturer in Law and Practitioner-in-Residence/Supervising Attorney
(305) 284-5448, E-261
rlerner@law.miami.edu
Rose Dominguez
Paralegal
305-284-4542
rdominguez@law.miami.edu
Danny Vargas
Paralegal
(305) 284-8537
dvargas@law.miami.edu
Immigration Clinic
University of Miami School of Law
1311 Miller Drive, E273
Coral Gables, FL 33146
Phone: 305-284-6092
Fax: 305-284-6093
Law School Students Help Undocumented Immigrants in the Tampa Bay Times (March 14, 2013)
Free Legal Clinics for Deferred Action Applicants in the Orlando Sentinel (March 9, 2013)
Professor Sharpless on the blog crImmigration: Chaidez v. US: Assuming Teague Applies, Padilla Announced a New Rule in February 2013.
Immigration Clinic Argues in DC to End Deportations to Haiti
CLICK HERE FOR ADDITIONAL MEDIA AND PRESS RELEASES
See photos of the Immigration Clinic in action on Flickr.
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Miami Law Clinic Students Win Landmark Immigration Case

Immigration Clinic Achieves Justice for Detainee Abused on Basis of Sexual Orientation

2Ls Adam Hoock and Dana Turjman outside Krome Detention Center After a Court Hearing.
2L Alanna McCoy, delivered the clinic's presentation before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. Learn More.