HIP’s work is divided across numerous projects for the year. Students are assigned to one of the four projects in the fall semester based on their application preferences and following an interview with members of the HIP board.
Policy Initiative
The HIP Policy team advocates on behalf of immigrants through policy-based projects including public comments and white papers. In addition to drafting public comments in partnership with the Harvard Immigration and Refugee Clinic advocating for immigrants’ rights, HIP Policy team will be working on researching and developing a climate refugee policy, developing KYR trainings on right to appointed counsel for mentally incompetent people in immigration proceedings, and developing a white paper on FOIA material re: use of solitary confinement in ICE detention.
Client Engagement Services
The Client Engagement Services primarily organizes Advice & Counsel sessions in the Greater Boston area, where students meet with potential clients to discuss their legal needs and then work with attorneys to address them. The team also conducts Know Your Rights presentations and other community events throughout the semester to provide immigration information to members of the Greater Boston community. In addition, students attend open immigration court proceedings to document potential violations of immigrants’ rights.
International Refugee Assistance Project
The International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP) is the HLS student chapter of the national IRAP organization. With the national IRAP group, IRAP students work on behalf of asylum seekers from across the Middle East on direct representation (remotely during the fall) or policy-based projects. Depending on the continued impact of COVID-19 on travel in the Spring, our IRAP chapter may try to subsidize travel costs to attend IRAP national conferences.
HIP Events Committee and Speakers and Symposium
The HIP Events Committee coordinates events across HIP’s areas of practice and expertise, as well as the multi-day Spring Symposium. These include guest speaker lunch talks, career panels, the annual Pro Bono Panel & Reception, and co-sponsored events with other student organizations.
HIP Social Committee
The HIP Social Committee plans community building and social events throughout the year. During the fall semester, this may include virtual game nights, happy hours, and other social events in collaboration with the Harvard Immigration and Refugee Clinic (HIRC).