Volunteer opportunities in immigration law are available with the following organizations:
Immigrant Law Center of MN: The Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota (ILCM) is a nonprofit agency that provides immigration legal assistance to low-income immigrants and refugees in Minnesota. ILCM also works to educate Minnesota communities and professionals about immigration matters, and advocates for state and federal policies which respect the universal human rights of immigrants.
- Naturalization Clerk: This includes contacting clients to screen for eligibility, research into the impact of client’s immigration and criminal histories on their ability to naturalize, and, if interested, help file naturalization cases. Possibility to work on other case types as projects grow and depending on volunteer interest. The position is a volunteer opportunity and requires an 8-10 hour/week commitment. Flexible schedule. The volunteer is not required to be in St. Paul.
- The Detention Project Law Clerk position was created to support case work for individuals who have cases pending before the Immigration Court in Fort Snelling, MN. Unlike in the criminal court system, individuals held in immigration custody are not provided any free legal assistance and are responsible for obtaining their own legal counsel. The Detention Project Law Clerk will assist legal staff in conducting intake and providing case assistance to clients in ICE custody and to clients who have been released from ICE custody with future immigration court dates. Flexible. Remote work available. To be determined by supervisor and intern.
Volunteer Lawyers Network Pro Se Asylum Clerk:
The law student volunteer will help VLN clients complete asylum applications and filing packets for the client to file pro se. Students may help the attorney screen clients for asylum and help with asylum filing packet pick-ups. Thursday afternoons, student will help staff the Park Avenue Legal Clinic, which includes some of the same tasks listed above. Additionally, students will copy documents and complete other tasks to support this work.
Commitment: 3-4 hours a week on Thursdays, 9:00am-12:00 pm
Eligible Students need to be bilingual or VERY proficient in Spanish and English to assist clients.
Volunteer Lawyers Network Preparedness Project Clerk
VLN’s Family Preparedness project attempts to inform the community about individual rights and legal options in practical ways when facing the possibility of deportation.
Starting in February, VLN will need a student to help maintain updated family preparedness toolkits and help create new content. The student will make copies, help to schedule and conduct family preparedness workshops and help with other tasks as they arise. 5 hours per week, hybrid work.
Contact MJF Staff Attorney, Anna Berglund, at [email protected] for more information!