About the Federal Impact Litigation Clinic (FIL)
The Federal Impact Litigation Clinic (FIL) litigates civil cases in federal court at the intersection of immigration, civil rights, and administrative law. FIL primarily represents individual immigrants, classes of immigrants, and immigration organizations in federal lawsuits.
In this clinic, students will work closely with clients to build their factual and legal case. Working in teams, students will draft federal court pleadings, including complaints, motions, opposition briefs, and motions for summary judgment. In some cases, they may engage in discovery, negotiations with federal government lawyers, and argue in hearings and status conferences before federal judges.
The FIL clinic handles the following types of cases:
- Habeas corpus petitions on behalf of detained immigrants;
- Class action lawsuits on behalf of immigrants whose rights have been violated;
- Lawsuits against immigration agencies for delays in processing immigration applications and petitions;
- Administrative Procedure Act lawsuits when agencies deny federal benefits in violation of law;
- Freedom of Information Act lawsuits against agencies that fail to provide requested documents.
Examples of recent work include:
- Representing international students whose student status was unlawfully terminated;
- Litigating a class action relating to the detention of teenagers;
- Representing immigrants whose naturalization applications have been delayed or denied; and
- Filing habeas corpus petitions on behalf of immigrants unlawfully detained.
The Federal Impact Litigation Clinic is directed by Professor Kate Melloy Goettel.
Director
Kate Melloy Goettel
"Being a student clinician in FIL has been the most meaningful part of my law school experience. Working directly with real clients allowed me to put classroom learning into practice while serving the community through impactful, hands-on advocacy. Clinic not only strengthened my skills as a writer and litigator but gave me a sense of community at Iowa Law."
How to get involved
The FIL Clinic enrolls 7–9 students per semester. To participate in FIL, students must have completed three semesters of law school. Students must apply the semester before they intend to enroll in FIL. For more information about the application process, please contact law-legal-clinic@uiowa.edu.
There are no prerequisites for this clinic, but Administration Law, Federal Courts, and Immigration Law are recommended courses.
Prospective clients
The Federal Impact Litigation Clinic represents individual non-citizens and immigration organizations. FIL represents:
- Non-citizens who have been denied an immigration benefit and who want to file a lawsuit in federal court;
- Non-citizens with long-delayed applications and petitions before U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and other immigration agencies, like green card or naturalization applications;
- Detained non-citizens in habeas corpus proceedings to help them secure release from detention; and
- Immigration organizations in Freedom of Information Act lawsuits, impact litigation cases, and related non-litigation advocacy.
This clinic does not represent clients in need of immigration benefits, and does not practice before federal immigration agencies, including U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the immigration courts, and the U.S. State Department. If you are in need of an immigration benefit or are in removal proceedings, please see Immigration Law Clinic.
News
University of Iowa attorney and professor talks lawsuit filed over student status cancellations
UW-Madison international students live in fear, court records reveal
Contact us
For more information, please contact the legal clinic at 319-335-9023 or law-legal-clinic@uiowa.edu.