The partnership provides no-cost legal support to students and their families
One of the top-ranked law schools in the USA, UCLA School of Law announced the opening of the Immigrant Family Legal Clinic at the Robert F. Kennedy Community Schools in Koreatown. The one-of-a-kind clinic is a dynamic new partnership between UCLA School of Law, the UCLA School of Education and Information Studies and the LOS Angeles Unified School District, providing no-cost legal support to students and their families while strengthening public schools in Los Angeles.
The immigrant law of attraction
The only immigration law clinic on a K-12 public school campus in the country, the clinic is also a rare collaboration between a public school district, law school and graduate school of education. “Immigrant students and their families are making invaluable contributions to our neighborhoods and our nation”, said Suárez-Orozco, a world-renowned scholar in immigration and education.
“The Immigrant Family Legal Clinic provides a much-needed public service to one of the most densely populated immigrant communities in America as well as an unrivaled educational opportunity for our law school students”, said Jennifer Mnookin, UCLA School of Law Dean
The curious case of legal status
In 2012, the college noticed that many students are not applying for the Federal Students Aid program because they were scared of their legal status. The estimated data reports one-third of students do not have paper.
“We are a community school that means we are embracing the role of integrating social services at the school site and the Immigrant Family Legal Clinic is the centerpiece of this effort”, said Karen Hunter Quartz, Research Director UCLA Community Schools
The mission of “The Immigrant Family Legal Clinic”
The mission of the clinic is to create a space on the school campus where community members, students, parents, and teachers can feel safe talking about legal questions, getting legal help, and feeling a sense of both safety and power when dealing with their legal issues. The clinic helps to connect families to asylum processes and helps students to navigate the financial aid process.
Partners in the program include UCLA School of Law, the UCLA Graduate School of Education and Information Studies, the Los Angeles Unified School District and several non-profit legal service providers in Los Angeles. The clinic is funded in part with a $1 million gift from an anonymous donor.
The clinic began providing services in February. Research conducted at the clinic under the auspices of the graduate school of education will offer a deep understanding of the immigrant communities served by Los Angeles public schools and will develop tools and strategies for successful educational outcomes.
