University of Southern California - Gould School of Law Immigration Clinic

The Gould School of Law Immigration Clinic is staffed by law students, faculty, and staff and provides free legal representation to adults and children from all over the world, including Mexico, Central and South America, and Africa.

The Immigration Clinic consists of two teaching clinics and two direct service programs. Second and third year Gould students enrolled in the Removal Defense Clinic and the Immigration Detention and Appellate Clinic represent clients under the supervision of faculty and staff attorneys. Most of the cases involve applications for asylum, protection under the Convention Against Torture, and other humanitarian forms of relief. Students represent their clients before the Immigration Court, the Board of Immigration Appeals, the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Many of our clients are detained in ICE detention centers in Southern California and elsewhere. A significant number of our clients are LGBTQ asylum seekers.

The Immigration Clinic’s two direct service projects are the USC Gould Immigrant Legal Assistance Center (ILAC) and the USC Citizenship Initiative.

All legal services provided by the Immigration Clinic are free of charge. Our students and staff speak multiple languages, including Spanish, Farsi, Sinhalese, and conversational Italian, and we rely on volunteer interpreters to supplement our capacity and for other languages when needed.