Immigration & Human Rights Clinical Fellow 
(Senior Attorney, 9735)
University of Minnesota Law School

The University of Minnesota Law School is seeking applicants for a fellowship co-teaching the Immigration and Human Rights Clinic, part of the James H. Binger Center for New Americans.  The fellowship will begin in the summer of 2025 and is anticipated to be a two-year commitment based on annual, renewable appointment, with an optional third year.  The Fellow will work primarily with the Immigration & Human Rights Clinic, collaborating with the clinicâ™s director on protection-based casework before the U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Service and the Executive Office for Immigration Review, clinical case supervision, and other related advocacy projects.  The Fellow will also engage with, and be mentored by, additional Binger Center faculty and staff on projects that advance the Centerâ™s mission and prompt the Fellowâ™s professional development.  The fellowship will support the development of the Fellow for a career in immigration law or clinical teaching.

Appointment: This is a 100% time, renewable, 12-month academic professional appointment. The initial formal appointment will be for one year. The appointment may be renewed for up to an additional two years following the successful completion of the first year.

Duties and Responsibilities: Under the mentorship of Binger Center faculty and staff, the Immigration & Human Rights Clinical Fellow will provide direct legal representation to noncitizen clients and assist in the supervision of law students providing such representation. The Fellow will primarily work with the Immigration and Human Rights Clinic.  The Fellow will develop and undertake immigration representation projects that advance the Centerâ™s mission to advance and protect the rights of noncitizens. Specific duties include representation of clients seeking asylum and related protections from persecution and torture, human trafficking and violent crimes. Over the course of the fellowship, the Immigration and Human Rights Fellow will also engage with and help supervise clinical law students in policy or advocacy projects that advance the rights of refugees, asylum seekers and other noncitizen survivors of human rights abuses. The Immigration and Human Rights Fellow will also have opportunities to teach clinical seminar sessions, doctrinal immigration law courses and, as desired, to pursue related professional and scholarly research and writing projects. The Law School will support professional and/or scholarly development, including through professional association membership, tuition discount for UMN course enrollment, and conference travel support.

The James H. Binger Center for New Americans is a comprehensive immigration law center composed of four interrelated clinicsâ” the Immigration and Human Rights Clinic, the Federal Immigration Litigation Clinic, the Detainee Rights Clinic, and the Rural Immigrant Access Clinicâ”as well as an education and outreach program. The Binger Center was created and operates as a collaborative partnership with the pro bono programs of Minnesotaâ™s leading law firms and also the stateâ™s principal non-profit immigration legal services providers: The Advocates for Human Rights, the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota, and Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid. 

The Binger Center is housed within the Legal Clinics at the University of Minnesota Law School.  The Law School currently offers twenty-four clinical courses with a broad diversity of subject matters. Eleven in-house clinical faculty members and twenty part-time adjunct instructors teach in the program. The Law School is committed to providing national leadership in clinical education and to ensure that students are prepared for the increasing complexities of legal practice in a diverse community.

For further information, applicants should contact Sarah Brenes, Executive Director of The Binger Center for New Americans at (612) 301-8648.

Required Qualifications: J.D. degree from an A.B.A. accredited law school. Applicants must be licensed to practice law in at least one state (whether Minnesota or another state) and be eligible for admission in state and federal court in Minnesota, if not already admitted.

Preferences: The ideal candidate will be a recent law school graduate with a demonstrated commitment to a career providing comprehensive legal representation to noncitizens, including those interested in pursuing a career in clinical legal education.  Preferred applicants will have experience in relevant areas of immigration law, such as asylum and related relief, U-Visas, and T-Visas.  Experience gained through participation in law school immigration clinics, or gained through employment prior to, during or after law school, will be favored.  Strong candidates will also have previously supervised students in a law school clinical setting.  Experience supervising and mentoring law students or others is also desired.  Fluency in a language in addition to English will be considered favorably.  Applicants should have superior academic records, exceptional writing ability, and a proven commitment to public service. 

Individuals who have graduated from law school in the past 2-5 years, including those completing other relevant post-graduate opportunities, are encouraged to apply.  
 

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