Immigration Family Legal Clinic: A Case of Integrated Student Supports in a Community School Context

• In Event: The Role of School Districts in Shaping Educational Leadership

Abstract

Given the sensitivity related to issues of documentation status, to date little research has addressed ways in which K-12 schools can address immigration and documentation issues. Community schools are poised to address these issues through integrated student supports by taking an asset-based perspective that views community members and organizations as powerful constituents in the struggle for educational equity. We report the findings of a qualitative case study of the implementation of a school-based immigrant family legal clinic in a high-poverty urban neighborhood. We examined the range of services offered by the clinic, the process of integrating the clinic’s work into the life of the school, and the perspectives of teachers regarding the intersection between immigration and education.

Authors

• Christine Abagat Liboon, University of California - Los Angeles

• Karen Hunter Quartz, University of California - Los Angeles

• Marco A Murillo, Santa Clara University