Claire Walters

This summer I was an intern at SOAR Immigration Legal Services. I went into law school, in part because I wanted to potentially practice Immigration Law. One thing I really wanted to experience was immigration law in the public sector. SOAR Immigration provides little or no cost immigration services to people in the Portland area. Through the Immigration Student group I learned of their mission. They are a nonprofit, and through the support of the community, have been able to grow their reach to people throughout the state. Through the PILP summer stipend, I was able to immerse myself in immigration law, something I would not have been able to do without the stipend.

This summer, I helped with legal research, immigration applications, and various other projects. My main focus was legal research for the attorneys on niche topics surrounding their client’s specific needs. I researched country conditions throughout the world, other countries’ immigration processes, and the reason why so many people are forced to flee their home country. In working with my attorneys, I was able to understand so much more about the immigration process than I had before. During my time at SOAR Immigration Legal Services, President Biden announced “Parole-In-Place”. This was a big deal in immigration law, allowing some spouses of US citizens who were previously unable to obtain citizenship, apply for parole in place and begin their immigration process. One of the projects I worked on was identifying past clients that have spouses that may qualify for this new program. This project showed me how much SOAR Immigration Legal Services cares about helping their community. They went out of their way to see who would qualify for this program and serve the Portland community for the better. SOAR has been able to help thousands of people understand their pathway to citizenship, while also offering classes that help learners prepare for their naturalization interview.

Without the help of the PILP summer stipend, I would not have been able to pursue this incredible experience with one of the nonprofit immigration firms in Portland. This was a huge educational experience for me, that helped affirm my interest in Immigration Law. I am so grateful for the opportunity I was given to learn more and have hands on experience in immigration law in the public sector.