Courses

Prerequisites: None

Exam Type: One Day Take-Home

The intersection of criminal law and immigration law is a growing field of law that is at the forefront of today’s immigration debate.  As immigration laws have become more “criminalized” and criminal laws have become more “immigrationized” it is increasingly important to understand the intersection of criminal law and immigration law.  The goal of this course is to give students the skills to recognize and examine immigration consequences of criminal convictions and to analyze how those laws have developed in light of historical trends related to immigration detention, border security, race, poverty, and national security, and Fifth Amendment Due Process jurisprudence.

Some seats in this course are reserved for students in the Crimmigration Clinic. For more information, please view the clinic’s Course Catalog description.

Students who enroll in this offering may count the credits towards the JD experiential learning requirement.

Enrollment in this clinic will fulfill the HLS JD pro bono requirement.

Required Class Component: Crimmigration: The Intersection of Criminal Law and Immigration Law (2 fall classroom credits). Students who are accepted into this clinic will be enrolled in the required clinical course component by the Office of Clinical and Pro Bono Programs.

Additional Co-/Pre-Requisites: No.

LLM Students: LLM students may apply to this clinic by submitting an application.

Placement Site: HLS.

In the Crimmigration Clinic students work on cutting-edge issues regarding the intersection of criminal law and immigration law. The content of the clinical projects will depend on the legal landscape and political climate at the time of clinical enrollment.  In the past, students have worked on administrative and federal litigation (appellate courts and district courst) concerning criminal bars to immigration relief, detention, and the crime-based grounds of removal.  Students have also developed practice guidance for public defender offices around the country, and engaged in legislative advocacy on issues, including sanctuary policies and the use of state prisons to house immigration detainees. Clinical students will also work with the Harvard Criminal Justice Institute to provide advice to their case teams about the immigration consequences of criminal charges.

Clinical work will largely be performed at HLS, under the supervision of Lecturer on Law and Crimmigration Director Phil Torrey or Clinical Instructor Cindy Zapata. On litigation and policy matters, the Clinic will collaborate with local and national non-profit organizations.

Enrollment in the Crimmigration Clinic is by application only (applications are due to Phil Torrey – [email protected]). Students should include a resume and short statement of interest (250 words or less) in their application.