Legal Services

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Attorneys for Students & Families

Access to legal support is essential for immigrant students and their families facing complex immigration issues. Teachers and school staff should direct families to trusted providers rather than trying to give legal advice themselves.

Low-cost and free legal services exist but capacity is often limited. Families may need to call multiple providers to find an attorney for representation and/or advise. The following directories are trusted and useful places to get started, with each structured somewhat differently. Individuals should use whichever works best for them.

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Education-Legal Partnerships

Collaborating with trusted legal service providers helps school districts better support immigrant students and families, including newcomers. These partnerships help families access accurate legal information, consultations, and legal representation. Education legal partnerships can take different forms, including:

  • Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs): Formal agreements with nonprofit legal organizations that outline referral processes, confidentiality protections, and scope of services.

  • Direct Representation: The legal services partner accepts direct referrals from the school district to represent students in families in their immigration cases, particularly students and families in removal proceedings.

  • On-Campus Legal Clinics: free immigration consultations for students and families at school sites, coordinated with a legal services partner. The legal services partner could commit to taking on a certain number of cases from the clinic.

  • Professional Learning Collaborations: Trainings where immigration attorneys brief educators, counselors, and administrators on legal updates.