Lawyering over the Line

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Session Type: Lightning Sessions

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Over the last two to three years, many law schools have responded to the humanitarian crisis at the southern border by bringing teams of law students into Mexico to provide legal services for northern-bound migrants. This session is intended to share insights and best practices for accomplishing this work. We will briefly discuss the legal and political landscape that created the need for legal services at the border and in the interior of Mexico, as well as the kinds of work law schools are engaging in on the other side of the border. We will also discuss reasons why your institution might consider initiating or expanding its institutional support for this kind of work, as well as specific ways to make the case for kicking off an initiative like this at your institution. We will look at different practice models for bringing law students to Mexico to provide direct legal services and discuss some of the logistical and pedagogical challenges as well as best practices to overcome them.