S O U T H T E X A S L A U N C H E S G E N E R A L I M M I G R AT I O N C L I N I C Meet the Immigration Clinic Staff
In fall 2015, the Randall O. Sorrels Legal Clinics established a new Immigration Clinic, thanks in part to a grant of nearly $200,000 from the Houston Endowment. The clinic focuses on helping immigrants with basic benefits such as naturalization and green cards as well as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). South Texas already is home to the Asylum and Human Trafficking Clinic, which handles more complex immigration issues. “This really is a win, win, win,” Associate Dean Catherine Burnett said. “First, this new clinic responds to a tremendous demand in the Houston area. It also will give our students who are interested in immigration law the valuable tools they need to begin their own practices after they graduate. Finally, the clinic will provide other students with important volunteer opportunities, which we believe is critically important to the law school experience.”
During the clinic’s inaugural semester, students worked on 15 direct representation cases. They also engaged in community education about naturalization and deferredaction childhood arrivals by participating in workshops throughout the Greater Houston
area. Workshop partners included United We Dream, Catholic Charities, Neighborhood Centers, and Boat People SOS. The clinic sponsored three brown bag lunches for students interested in immigration law, with presentations by law school alumni and area practitioners.
Kristin Zipple-Shedd Kristin returns to both teaching and direct client representation with her work in the Asylum and Human Trafficking Clinic. Prior to joining our Immigration Initiative, Kristin helped establish the Houston office of the Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights, a nonprofit child advocacy organization housed on the law school’s ninth floor. During her tenure with the Young Center, Kristin brought together key stakeholders from the federal government, civil legal service providers, and child welfare organizations. She also recruited and trained volunteer Child Advocates and submitted briefs on issues that impact unaccompanied children to a wide array of critical decision makers. Kristin holds a J.D. and a Master of Social Work degree from Loyola University Chicago. For six years, she served as supervising attorney in Catholic Charities’ Crime Victims Program, representing noncitizen clients — both adults and children who were victims of domestic violence and human trafficking — in seeking immigration relief. Kristin is proficient in written and verbal Spanish. Aimee Maldonado, Staff Attorney A decade after her graduation from South Texas, Aimee returns to the law school as a staff attorney for the Immigration Initiative, bringing with her a wealth of practice experience and passion for immigration law. Aimee earned an undergraduate degree in international business and marketing from Baylor University. As a law student, Aimee actively lobbied for
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Randall O. Sorrels Legal Clinics Newsletter at South Texas College of Law/Houston
an onsite immigration clinic to supplement intern placements. She has worked in both private firm and public interest settings, including five years as a solo practitioner; her work always has been centered on immigration. Most recently, Aimee was a supervising attorney for Catholic Charities in its Unaccompanied Minors Program, where she led a staff of attorneys, legal caseworkers and law clerks and also conducted trainings for pro bono attorneys. Aimee is active in local bar associations and community initiatives, and often invites her contacts to speak to students who are interested in immigration law. She is fluent in Spanish. On a personal note, Aimee is an avid traveler and a fountain of information about local eateries. Karen Baker, Clinical Fellow Karen joins the Clinics as a fellow in the Immigration Initiative, where she conducts research and directly represents clients in both state and federal courts. Karen has long had an interest in immigration. After earning a degree in Latin American Studies from Vanderbilt, she spent 13 months in rural Guatemala, where she served as a program director for a community development nonprofit organization called Manna Project International. Karen then earned her J.D. from the University of Texas, where she was editor-in-chief of the Texas Hispanic Journal of Law and Policy. Following law school graduation, Karen obtained a master’s degree in Public Health from Harvard, where her primary research centered on the mental health implications of the experiences of unaccompanied immigrant children. Karen has advanced Spanish language ability. She is an avid marathon runner and a former competitive swimmer.
Burt Johnson, Intake Specialist Burt brings Spanish language proficiency and years of language training to his role as intake specialist for the Immigration Initiatives. He often is the first point of contact for potential clients in the Immigration Clinic and the Asylum and Human Trafficking Clinic, and his work requires him to gather detailed client information through both in-person and phone interviews. Burt has worked around the world, teaching language skills in countries as far-flung as Korea, Thailand, Spain, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia. His work experience includes training international students, members of the military, and business executives representing multinational conglomerates and private companies. His undergraduate degree in English is from the University of California, Irvine. In his spare time Burt enjoys a range of water sports, including scuba diving and surfing. Natalie Romero, Paralegal A Houston native, Natalie traces her interest in immigration issues to her family’s flight from civil war in El Salvador in the 1980’s. Spanish was Natalie’s first language and she particularly enjoys working directly with clients and the community when she can use her language skills. Natalie is a 2014 graduate of St. Thomas University with a political science major. She joined the clinic team following an internship with Kids in Need of Defense. In her free time, Natalie likes to spend time with her younger sisters, go to concerts, and indulge in epic movies.
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