Q: Dear 100 Hour Board,
I'm not sure if you guys will be able to help me with this, but I'll try anyway!
I have a passion for helping people, with special emphasis on immigrants, refugees, etc. I have a B.A. in a history-related field and over a year of work experience in that field, but no grad school of any kind yet. I've strongly considered doing law school and becoming an immigration attorney, and that is still an option on the table. However, law school is very expensive and very competitive, and I'm embarrassed to say that because of my GPA, I'm not positive I could get into either of the options around here in Utah (BYU or U. of Utah).
I'm wondering, as a contingency, if there are other careers/education options which could fulfill my goal of helping migrant peoples that doesn't involve being a lawyer? I still like the idea of working within the law and influencing policy, but I'm also interested in programs that help immigrants adjust to life in the United States, obtain proper documentation, learn the language, etc. Thoughts?
-girl on fire
A:
Dear hazard,
I don't know much about this topic, but I have a friend who does. I sent your question to her and here is her response:
First of all, having language abilities, especially Spanish, is often a requirement for working at many organizations that do work with migrants, immigrants, and refugees, so check the postings to see if you qualify.
Second, I'd recommend checking this website regularly: http://www.immigrationadvocates.org/nonprofit/jobs/
Third, I did a year of service with AmeriCorps at a shelter for unaccompanied minors in Arizona before law school. There are a lot of AmeriCorps programs dedicated to migrant justice, so checking AmeriCorps postings is another great resource.
Start volunteering anywhere you can, as well, doing volunteer work related to migrants. volunteermatch.org is a great website to search for volunteer opportunities in your area. Showing on your resume a continued commitment to and interest in immigrant and refugee issues is the best way to pursue a career in these kinds of services.
It's also important to stay on top of current events in immigration-related topics. This will allow you to show you're aware of current issues many of your future clients face.
Most of the movies and books I read in my free time prior to working at the unaccompanied minors shelter related to the dangers that Central Americans and Mexicans face as they travel to the United States. I'm doing a lot of reading right now on the Syrian Civil War and refugee crisis as I'm applying to internships in the Middle East.
With regards to law school, most law schools prefer candidates that have a couple years work experience, anyway, so don't sweat not being ready to apply straight out of undergrad. I did two years of AmeriCorps between BYU and law school. And I wrote about my experiences working at an unaccompanied minors shelter in my personal statement. I had real work experience to show that was related to the work I claimed I wanted to do as an attorney, and that helped me a lot.
A lot of students don't realize how important the personal statement is for law schools. Sure, GPA and LSAT scores are important. They'll get an admissions committee to consider you, but they aren't enough to get you accepted. Law schools want to admit a diverse class, because it's the conversations that students have between each other where students learn the most. Admissions committees aren't looking for the ideal law student; they're looking for the ideal class. If you wanna be the person dedicated to refugee and immigrant rights, go out and get started on that now and then write about it in your personal statement.
And yes, law school can be very expensive, especially for people who want to do public interest and social justice work. One great resource for these students at a lot of law school is the Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP). Many schools have their own program. Essentially, these programs help students employed in public interest work that make below a certain dollar amount to pay back their loans. At my school, for instance, if I make below $60k/year while doing qualified public interest work, my school will give me a loan to cover all twelve of my monthly payments for a year. If I make between $65k and 99k, the amount is prorated. When I pay them all on time, the loan is converted into a grant, and all is forgiven for that year. They'll do this for up to 10 years, at which time the government will forgive the remainder for having done 10 years of public interest work.
So, while it doesn't change the fact that many students doing this work have massive debt, it does enable them to pay back their loans and do really important work.
Hope this is helpful. Let me know if you have any follow up questions.
If you want to talk more with this friend, shoot me an email and I'll get you in contact.
Suerte,
-Auto Surf
p.s.- Anne, Certainly also notes that if your LSAT score is "kick trash," it can really help out. Schools like BYU and UofU can't turn down scores of 170+ easily.
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