By studying immigration law at New England Law | Boston, you will experience the true work of an immigration lawyer, from assisting individuals looking to enter or remain in the U.S. to helping businesses navigate international hiring to developing policies with global implications. And you’ll be at the forefront of human rights and national security issues, such as refugee and asylum claims, human trafficking, and transnational migration.
What Do Immigration Lawyers Do?
The United States sees a constant influx of people hoping to live, work, and study within its borders, and immigration lawyers can help individuals, families, and businesses navigate those various and often complex immigration pathways. A person’s immigration status might impact and intersect with other legal matters too, such as family law, criminal law, business law, and tax law, and being well versed in immigration law is important for attorneys practicing in those areas as well.
Immigration lawyers may represent clients in administrative courts, or they may counsel clients about their legal rights and obligations related to immigration, among other things. They also suggest courses of action based on their knowledge of immigration law.
Related: Everything You Need to Know About Becoming an Immigration Lawyer
Immigration Law Concentration
Our Immigration Law concentration provides students with the experience they need to become an immigration lawyer capable of making an impact right away.
Immigration law students have invaluable internship, externship, and volunteer opportunities available to them, everywhere from clinics and agencies here in Boston to the U.S.-Mexico border. Through these real-world positions, our students have made a tangible difference in the lives of countless immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers.
If you are passionate about becoming an immigration lawyer, you will be well-served by the practical experience and unique coursework offered at New England Law.
Immigration Law Courses
In addition to their foundational legal coursework, students pursuing a concentration in Immigration Law can choose among many exciting elective classes to meet their credit requirements.
To complete a concentration in Immigration Law, students must earn 10 credits by completing courses from the following list:
- Administrative Law
- Business Immigration Law
- Crimmigration
- Immigration Law
- Immigration Law Research
- Human Trafficking Law and Policy
- Law Practice Management
- Refugee and Asylum Law
- U.S. Immigration Law in Historical Perspective
Experiential Learning Opportunities
Students in our Immigration Law concentration have access to hands-on learning experiences, such as:
Before coming to law school and interning with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Manmeet Kaur Desai was a high school teacher “wanting to effect change and do something with international human rights.” The path to achieving that became clear when she attended a summer study abroad program in Malta; not only did she meet Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court John G. Roberts, Jr., a guest lecturer in the program, but she also studied refugee and asylum law and worked with refugees with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.
“It was international human rights law with a different spin,” she says. “I worked with individuals who had left their countries, and I saw how the law and their human rights were tied together. To see that vulnerability and their reliance on the law, that’s what attracted me. I just knew I had to practice immigration law.”
Since graduating the Houston native has worked for two Boston-area consulting firms, first as in-house counsel and as immigration program manager. She also serves as vice president of the South Asian Bar Association of Greater Boston.