This six-week e-learning course provides the new immigration practitioner with an overview of immigration law concepts and the practice skills necessary to be an effective advocate. Through readings, webinars, and exercises, participants will learn key concepts and remedies in immigration law and the functions of the different government agencies that carry out the law.  Topics covered will include the following: introductory immigration concepts: an overview of family-based immigration; an overview of obtaining permanent residence status; inadmissibility and deportability concepts; overview of removal proceedings; naturalization and citizenship; and other immigration benefits, such as relief for victims of crime and domestic violence, Temporary Protected Status (TPS), and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA).  The course will also incorporate legal research and client interviewing exercises and ethical issues in the practice of immigration law. The course starts on August 1st with access to the e-learning course website and week one assignment. Once you receive your user name and password, you may participate in a variety of activities for self-directed learning, including reading assignments, exercises, sample materials to review, quizzes, and discussion questions.  The course will be interactive, with opportunities for online and real-time discussion among students, and between students and instructors. The course also includes six webinars conducted on consecutive Tuesdays at 2:00 p.m. Eastern starting on August 8, 2017.  Each webinar lasts approximately 90 minutes, and is recorded and posted on the course website after the webinar is conducted.  Although we encourage participants to attend the live webinars each week, you will be able to listen to and view a recording of any webinar you are unable to attend whenever you choose to do so. Please note that the course is geared toward individuals who have little to no prior immigration law experience and is open to attorneys and advocates. The instructors for this course will be CLINIC Training and Legal Support Attorneys. For questions about the course content, please contact Charles Wheeler at cwheeler@cliniclegal.org.

Course Requirements:
Course participants are required to attend or view recordings of the course webinars and complete a weekly exercise in order to receive a course completion certificate at the end of the course.

Registration:
The training is for the staff of Catholic Charities and other community-based organizations with IRS 501(c)(3) status, and attorneys and legal staff of private law offices. If you are registering as staff of a community-based organization, you must email a copy of your IRS 501(c)(3) letter designating your agency as a nonprofit entity to Jon Braswell at jcbraswell@cliniclegal.org. Your registration will be confirmed upon receipt of this letter. If you are an attorney, please include your state bar number. Payment is by credit card only.