Founding of the Immigration Clinic
Former Immigration Judge and UH Law Center Professor Joseph A. Vail founded the Clinic to help fill a critical gap in legal services for asylum seekers and others fleeing persecution, torture and civil war.
UH Law Center Immigration Clinic
27 Years of Leadership & Impact
For more than a quarter century, the University of Houston Law Center Immigration Clinic has served vulnerable families while training the next generation of legal advocates. Founded in 1999 by the late Professor and former Immigration Judge Joseph A. Vail, the Clinic was built on the principle that everyone deserves access to due process under the law.
The 2027 Arrival Awards
Presented by the University of Houston Law Foundation
Benefiting the University of Houston Law Center
Presented by the University of Houston Law Foundation
Benefiting the University of Houston Law Center
27 Years by the Numbers
Measuring the Clinic’s impact
The 2027 Arrival Awards history materials summarize a next chapter of direct representation, experiential education and donated legal service.
2,000+
Direct clients represented
Vulnerable individuals facing persecution, torture, domestic violence, human trafficking, civil war and other complex immigration matters.
1,000+
Law students trained
Students have developed advocacy and practice skills under close faculty supervision.
300,000+
Estimated hours of free legal service
Based on historic enrollment estimates and the Law Center’s required clinic hours per course credit.
$100M+
Estimated value of pro bono legal services
Estimated using market-rate assumptions for specialized immigration legal counsel.
The 300,000+ hour and $100M+ figures are estimates described in the 2027 Arrival Awards history materials and are presented as such.
Milestone Timeline
27 years of service, advocacy and education
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1999
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2003
Inaugural Arrival Awards
The UH Law Center launched the Arrival Awards to recognize the contributions of immigrants to Greater Houston and raise important operating support for the Immigration Clinic.
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2009
Expansion into Special Immigrant Protections
The Clinic expanded its work in matters involving the Violence Against Women Act, U and T visas for victims of crime and trafficking, and Special Immigrant Juvenile Status for unaccompanied minors.
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2012–19
National Recognition & Pro Bono Honors
The milestone history materials note recognition including a “Pro Bono Hero” honor from the American Immigration Lawyers Association and a University of Houston Community Engagement Award.
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2019
20th Milestone Arrival Awards
The Clinic celebrated two decades of impact, highlighted more than 2,000 direct pro bono clients served and expanded student field advocacy at local immigration detention centers.
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2022
A New Home in the John M. O’Quinn Law Building
The Clinic moved into modern practice, teaching and client-intake spaces in the newly constructed John M. O’Quinn Law Building.
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2024–26
A Next Chapter Legacy & the Future
The 2027 Arrival Awards campaign looks toward expanded student fellowships, client relief resources, community legal education and pro bono court representation.
Legal Excellence
Advocacy, leadership and a lasting talent pipeline
The Clinic’s history extends beyond individual representations. Its faculty, students and alumni have participated in appellate advocacy, public-interest leadership, professional education and community service.
Supreme Court & Federal Advocacy
The milestone history materials identify Clinic leadership as co-counsel in Carachuri-Rosendo v. Holder, a unanimous U.S. Supreme Court decision, and describe continuing advocacy before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and the Board of Immigration Appeals.
Student & Alumni Achievement
The history materials highlight Carola Aisenberg as the first UH Law Center student awarded a Skadden Fellowship in 2026 and Rehan Alimohammad (J.D. ’01) as a former Clinic student who later became the first immigration attorney to chair the State Bar of Texas Board of Directors.
A Regional & National Talent Pipeline
Clinic graduates have gone on to work in legal aid organizations, private practice, pro bono programs, corporate legal departments and federal advocacy across Houston and the United States.
A Trusted Educational Voice
Clinic faculty contribute legal analysis and educational commentary on immigration law, federal court rulings, court backlogs and due process while maintaining an apolitical legal-education focus.
Community & Professional Leadership
Impact beyond the classroom
Civic Recognition
The milestone history materials cite a City of Houston Mayor’s Community Engagement Volunteers Award recognizing pro bono service and legal education for Houston’s immigrant community.
Houston Immigration Court
Faculty and student attorneys have served in “Friends of the Court” roles, helping unrepresented individuals receive basic legal guidance and access to due process.
Joseph A. Vail Asylum Law Workshop
The Clinic’s annual workshop convenes attorneys, legal scholars and immigration judges to advance professional education and best practices in asylum and federal court advocacy.
Experiential Legal Education
The Clinic combines classroom instruction with supervised representation so students build interviewing, research, advocacy, case-management and courtroom skills while serving real clients.
The Future
Honor the past. Help secure the future.
The 2027 Arrival Awards campaign seeks philanthropic support to preserve essential pro bono representation, strengthen student training, expand legal capacity and respond flexibly to emerging community needs.
Core Legal Capacity
Support staff attorneys, clinical fellows and the expertise required for complex federal court, detention and removal matters.
Client Relief
Help address filing fees, expert-witness costs and other expenses that restricted funding may not cover.
Community Legal Clinics
Expand free legal information and pro se opportunities while creating supervised experiential learning for students.
The Legal Talent Pipeline
Strengthen mentorship, advanced coursework, fellowships and other opportunities that prepare students for immigration-law careers.
The 2027 Arrival Awards
Presented by the University of Houston Law Foundation
Benefiting the University of Houston Law Center
