CONVENING AND CONVOCATION
The Need
Immigration and refugee service providers can increase their effectiveness through
training, sharing of best practices and discussion of current legal issues.
CLINIC's Response
CLINIC's Annual Convening brings together the nation's largest network of nonprofit
immigration service providers.
The next Convening will be the joint MRS-CLINIC National Migration Conference, July
28-31, 2008, at the Washington Hilton in Washington, DC.
In 2006
CLINIC held its 10th Annual Convening, Building Bridges, Not Walls, May 9th to the 11th
in Tucson, Arizona. Nearly 350 registrants and speakers participated in the many
panels and trainings.
In 2005
CLINIC’s 8th annual convening was held in Portland, Oregon in May, 2005. The title
was “Immigration Reform: Not When, But How.”
Workshops, plenary sessions and roundtables at the convening offered valuable
training and discussion opportunities for immigration services practitioners. It brought
together representatives from over 150 affiliate diocesan and Catholic Charities
immigration programs, members of the non-profit community, law firms and other
organizations that provide immigration services, with experts both from within and
outside of the network.
Convening activities included daily liturgies and an awards luncheon to honor affiliate
staff members for their many years of service. CLINIC issued two pro bono awards
at the Convening to recognize excellence in legal representation for low-income and
indigent immigrants.
The first recognition went to the law firm of King & Spalding LLP, a key participant in
the BIA Pro Bono Project. The firm successfully took a pro bono claim to the Supreme
Court in a case captioned Leocal v. Ashcroft, decided in 2004. The second pro bono
award went to Christine Dahl, Deputy Federal Defender in Portland. Ms. Dahl is a
national leader in advocacy on behalf of Mariel Cubans. In January 2005, Ms. Dahl
attained a victory in the Supreme Court in the Clark v. Martinez case, which held that
Mariel Cubans and other inadmissible long-term immigration detainees must be
released under government supervision if they cannot be deported to their home
countries.
In 2004
CLINIC’s seventh annual convening was held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin from May 13-
15. The convening offered 220 participants a combination of plenary sessions,
workshops and opportunities for networking on an array of immigration issues and
concerns. The first plenary session captured the general theme of the convening by
highlighting the important role of legal service providers in the larger immigrant rights
movement and stressing the need for agencies to plan for the next legalization
program. The second plenary session focused on advocacy and provided practice
pointers and strategies for engaging in local and national advocacy.
Participants at the convening were able to choose from 24 workshops on selected
topics of interest in the immigration field. Some of the new topics offered included:
nonimmigrant U and T visas for victims of human trafficking and other crimes, media
relations, temporary protected status, public benefits, special immigrant juvenile status
and a workshop on conducting legal research in the immigration field.
A special event featured at the convening was the screening of Farmingville, a
documentary film about the conflict and tension that arose when the community of
Farmingville, New York on Long Island attempted to deal with the influx of about 1,500
day laborers. Our local affiliate on Long Island shared with attendees their first hand
experiences and insight on the conflict and described the efforts made to find a
workable solution for the laborers and the community.
Other convening activities included daily liturgies and an awards luncheon to honor
affiliate staff members for their many years of service. CLINIC also presented its first
pro bono award to the law firm of Swidler Berlin Shereff Friedman, LLP. Thurgood
Marshall, Jr., a partner in the firm was present to accept the award on the firm’s
behalf.
The 2003 Convening was held in Washington, D.C., July 6 - 10, 2003
In 2002 it was held May 9-11 in Atlanta, Georgia.
The Need
Immigration and refugee service providers can increase their effectiveness through
training, sharing of best practices and discussion of current legal issues.
CLINIC's Response
CLINIC's Annual Convening brings together the nation's largest network of nonprofit
immigration service providers.
The next Convening will be the joint MRS-CLINIC National Migration Conference, July
28-31, 2008, at the Washington Hilton in Washington, DC.
In 2006
CLINIC held its 10th Annual Convening, Building Bridges, Not Walls, May 9th to the 11th
in Tucson, Arizona. Nearly 350 registrants and speakers participated in the many
panels and trainings.
In 2005
CLINIC’s 8th annual convening was held in Portland, Oregon in May, 2005. The title
was “Immigration Reform: Not When, But How.”
Workshops, plenary sessions and roundtables at the convening offered valuable
training and discussion opportunities for immigration services practitioners. It brought
together representatives from over 150 affiliate diocesan and Catholic Charities
immigration programs, members of the non-profit community, law firms and other
organizations that provide immigration services, with experts both from within and
outside of the network.
Convening activities included daily liturgies and an awards luncheon to honor affiliate
staff members for their many years of service. CLINIC issued two pro bono awards
at the Convening to recognize excellence in legal representation for low-income and
indigent immigrants.
The first recognition went to the law firm of King & Spalding LLP, a key participant in
the BIA Pro Bono Project. The firm successfully took a pro bono claim to the Supreme
Court in a case captioned Leocal v. Ashcroft, decided in 2004. The second pro bono
award went to Christine Dahl, Deputy Federal Defender in Portland. Ms. Dahl is a
national leader in advocacy on behalf of Mariel Cubans. In January 2005, Ms. Dahl
attained a victory in the Supreme Court in the Clark v. Martinez case, which held that
Mariel Cubans and other inadmissible long-term immigration detainees must be
released under government supervision if they cannot be deported to their home
countries.
In 2004
CLINIC’s seventh annual convening was held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin from May 13-
15. The convening offered 220 participants a combination of plenary sessions,
workshops and opportunities for networking on an array of immigration issues and
concerns. The first plenary session captured the general theme of the convening by
highlighting the important role of legal service providers in the larger immigrant rights
movement and stressing the need for agencies to plan for the next legalization
program. The second plenary session focused on advocacy and provided practice
pointers and strategies for engaging in local and national advocacy.
Participants at the convening were able to choose from 24 workshops on selected
topics of interest in the immigration field. Some of the new topics offered included:
nonimmigrant U and T visas for victims of human trafficking and other crimes, media
relations, temporary protected status, public benefits, special immigrant juvenile status
and a workshop on conducting legal research in the immigration field.
A special event featured at the convening was the screening of Farmingville, a
documentary film about the conflict and tension that arose when the community of
Farmingville, New York on Long Island attempted to deal with the influx of about 1,500
day laborers. Our local affiliate on Long Island shared with attendees their first hand
experiences and insight on the conflict and described the efforts made to find a
workable solution for the laborers and the community.
Other convening activities included daily liturgies and an awards luncheon to honor
affiliate staff members for their many years of service. CLINIC also presented its first
pro bono award to the law firm of Swidler Berlin Shereff Friedman, LLP. Thurgood
Marshall, Jr., a partner in the firm was present to accept the award on the firm’s
behalf.
The 2003 Convening was held in Washington, D.C., July 6 - 10, 2003
In 2002 it was held May 9-11 in Atlanta, Georgia.
415 Michigan Ave., NE
Suite 150
Washington, DC 20017
202.635.2556
202.635.2649 fax
media inquiries:
e-mail me
(202) 635-5810
Suite 150
Washington, DC 20017
202.635.2556
202.635.2649 fax
media inquiries:
e-mail me
(202) 635-5810
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