Information for 1ls
Frequently asked questions
What is ALP?
ALP is a student organization at the University of Minnesota Law School that creates meaningful public interest opportunities for 1Ls and LLM students to provide pro bono legal assistance to organizations that work in the field of asylum and/or immigration law. Students are placed with a host organization, and they do a full 30-40 hour week of volunteer legal work for one week of winter or spring break.
What are the benefits of joining ALP?
ALP is one of the only opportunities for students to gain experience with substantive legal work before starting their summer jobs. Volunteering through ALP is a great way to start connecting the doctrine-heavy experience of the first semester of law school with real legal practice. For students who are still determining what area of law they are interested in, ALP provides an introduction to the importance of public interest law and what a career doing that work might look like. Students can also start connecting with legal professionals and building their legal resumes. Additionally, volunteer hours through ALP count towards the Minnesota Justice Foundation’s transcript notation for 50 hours of volunteer work throughout law school.
How do I join ALP?
Students submit a volunteer application that asks about why they are interested in volunteering with ALP, as well as their availability for specific placements, among other things. While ALP hopes to be able to provide a volunteer experience for everyone who is interested, placement is not guaranteed and may be limited by the capacity of our host organizations in a given year. If necessary, the ALP Board may have to make cuts based on a variety of factors, such as reasons for wanting to volunteer, career goals, background experience in the field, language skills, overall level of interest in a specific trip, and an applicant’s availability. That being said, there are other opportunities to be involved with ALP, such as by joining our Fundraising Committee. We will also promote any additional volunteer opportunities that come from local organizations doing immigration work in the Twin Cities. Pending students’ interest and availability, ALP may also work to coordinate semester-long placements in the spring or organize additional one-time volunteer opportunities.
What will I do as an ALP volunteer?
The type of volunteer services that ALP members engage with depends on the needs of the host organization, and can vary widely from site to site. These services typically include assisting organizations with client intake, observing immigration court proceedings, completing and updating asylum and green card applications, drafting client declarations, and researching country conditions. Students may visit detention facilities and immigration courts to support organizations in their client representation or legal advocacy work.
What do 1L and LLM Coordinators do?
Students who are interested in taking on a leadership role in ALP can apply to be a Coordinator in addition to applying to volunteer with ALP. Coordinators work with the 2L Board to plan the logistics of ALP’s volunteer placements. The 2L Outreach Coordinators have already worked over the summer to connect with host organizations and confirm volunteer opportunities for the year. The role of 1L and LLM Coordinators is to transition into taking over the communication with our confirmed host organizations. Coordinators will work together to place volunteers on each trip and serve as a liaison between the host organization and the student volunteers. Coordinators will also work with the 2L Board to plan accommodations for trips that require travel.
Do I have to be pursuing a career in immigration law to join ALP?
No, everyone is welcome to join! That being said, you should have a general interest in furthering the mission of ALP, specifically by supporting organizations that provide pro bono legal assistance to immigrants and asylum-seekers who face barriers in accessing legal representation. Additionally, supporting immigration law practitioners often involves working with vulnerable communities, so ALP volunteers are expected to treat that responsibility with the care it requires.
Do I have to speak another language to volunteer with ALP?
No, speaking another language is not required. However, additional language skills can be beneficial depending on the needs of your host organization and the populations they serve.
Do I have to pay to be involved with ALP?
No, there is no fee required to be part of ALP. Additionally, we have numerous local volunteer placements available that do not require travel outside of the Twin Cities. If you are placed on a trip that requires travel, ALP will cover lodging and a portion of your airfare. You will be responsible for meals and other expenses on your trip.
How can I prepare for my volunteer experience?
ALP provides informational sessions with University of Minnesota Law faculty to introduce students to the complexities and challenges they will face in the course of their work. Some host organizations will provide additional training to students prior to volunteering.
Any additional questions?
Feel free to email asylumlp@umn.edu or reach out to individual board members.
Previous volunteers’ Experiences
“Observing detainees and their interactions with the Judge at Immigration Court had a significant impact on me. Oftentimes the human element of legal advocacy can be lost or temporarily forgotten while in law school, and having the opportunity to connect academic experiences with individual faces and stories reinforced the values that brought me to law school in the first place.”
“I learned a lot of the nitty gritty that goes into practicing immigration law. This includes filling out forms and all the research that goes into the work. I had an idea of this, but I also saw first hand how incredibly overwhelmed places that do immigration law are. The sheer number of cases the organization had was staggering, and they had to turn people away often. However, the attorneys we worked with were all very passionate about their work and they were great to learn from. We also had the opportunity to go to immigration court in Chicago and see how those courts are run. Our client just had a quick scheduling hearing, but afterwards we went around to different courtrooms and had the opportunity to observe different kinds of proceedings in immigration court.”
“The primary skill I learned was client counseling. I was incredibly fortunate to be with an organization that allowed us the opportunity to meet with clients and represent them in court. On a more human level I learned how strong the human spirit can be. Meeting with individuals fleeing horrific situations, only to encounter the slow, confusing, and potentially incredibly disappointing, US immigration system, yet are able to maintain strong and hopeful outlooks was incredibly moving.”