The Los Angeles LGBT Center has teamed with Southwestern Law School to launch the Asylum Law Clinic, a new initiative to train the next generation of lawyers to dismantle barriers to asylum.
The program will enlist four Southwestern Law School students to assist with asylum applications and other legal matters, including employment authorization documents, travel permits, DACA applications, and adjustment of status applications for those granted asylum. The clinic is set to launch in Fall 2024.
“The Asylum Law Clinic is a huge step in training law students to advocate effectively for marginalized groups,” said Andrea Ramos, Director of the Immigration Law Clinic at Southwestern. “Our curriculum emphasizes both the knowledge and compassion needed for impactful legal representation and advocacy.”
“Our primary goals are to empower students and integrate trauma-informed community lawyering into their practice,” explained Tess Feldman, Los Angeles LGBT Center attorney and instructor for the Asylum Law Clinic. “By the end of the program, students will be ready to represent asylum seekers before immigration judges and asylum officers across the United States.”
Every day, the Los Angeles LGBT Center provides legal support to LGBTQ+ people who have fled to the United States as refugees. The Center’s Immigration Law Project provides legal consultations, court representation (including for asylum/refugee law), and holistic support to protect members of the LGBTQ+ community fleeing persecution and torture in their countries of origin. We also assist in applying for permanent residency, naturalization, family and marriage petitions, and other administrative relief.
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