CLINIC Convening 2021

CLINIC’s Convening is going virtual this year!
 

Register Here

What is Convening?

Convening is CLINIC’s annual conference that brings together legal practitioners, advocates and nonprofit leaders from all over the country to network, learn and gain insight about the current state of immigration law. CLINIC’s Convening is the only conference that provides a comprehensive education on immigration law, program management and advocacy. We come together not only to educate and share our work in immigration, but also to celebrate the impact and contribution of immigrants through this country’s history. 

 

Years of Service Awards - Now Accepting Nominations!

Each year, during our annual conference, CLINIC recognizes the commitment and dedication of individuals who have served in immigration for exactly 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, or 30 years. Award recipients will be recognized during CLINIC Convening 2021. To submit a nomination, please fill out this form.

 

Registration Rates

Type Rate
Early Bird (CLINIC Affiliates only - First 50 to register) SOLD OUT $175
CLINIC Affiliates $200
Nonprofit Agency Staff $250
Government Employees $275
Law Students $275
Private Attorneys and Staff $325

 

Schedule

Times are listed using Eastern Standard Time.

Monday, May 17

01:00 - 02:30 - Welcome Plenary

02:30 - 03:00 - Take a Breather

03:00 - 04:30 - Concurrent Workshops

  1. Hot Topics in Immigration Law
  2. Navigating Immigration Court Proceedings for Unaccompanied Child Clients Pursuing Asylum or Special Immigrant Juvenile Status
  3. Integration and Orientation for Foreign-Born Religious Workers in R-1 Status
  4. Mapping Out Changes in Immigration Law and Policy During the Administration’s First 100 Days and Beyond

04:40 - 05:10 - Self Care and Networking

Tuesday, May 18

12:15 - 12:45 - Mass

01:00 - 02:30 - Concurrent Workshops

  1. Immigrating through Marriage
  2. Updates in U Nonimmigrant Status
  3. Understanding Motions to Reopen
  4. Nuts and Bolts of Immigration Case Management System Part 1
  5. Land Ho! Is there an R-1 Religious Worker Oasis on Our Horizon?

02:30 - 03:00 - Relax a Little

03:00 - 04:30 - Concurrent Workshops

  1. Advising TPS Client
  2. Understanding Motions to Reopen — Putting What You Learned into Practice
  3. Partnering with CLINIC for Federal Litigation
  4. Nuts and Bolts of Immigration Case Management System Part 2
  5. Inclusive, Compassionate and Culturally Competent Support at the State and Local Level During COVID-19

04:40 - 05:10 Self Care and Networking

Wednesday, May 19

12:15 - 12:45 - Mass

01:00 - 02:30 - Concurrent Workshops

  1. Obtaining Lawful Permanent Residence: Adjustment of Status and Consular Processing
  2. Asylum Law Basics
  3. Representing Clients at the Board of Immigration Appeals
  4. Navigating Problem Case Resolution
  5. R & A Workshop

02:30 - 03:00 - Enjoy Some R & R

03:00 - 04:30 - Concurrent Workshops

  1. Ethical Considerations in Immigration Law Practice
  2. Updates on Public Charge
  3. The Legacy of Trump’s Deterrence Policies and How We Repair
  4. Managing Financial Challenges
  5. Beat the Afternoon Blues. Join RIS for some Religious Worker Talk!

04:40 - 05:10 - Self Care and Networking

Thursday, May 20

12:15 - 12:45 - Mass

01:00 - 02:30 - Concurrent Workshops

  1. Family Havoc: Can This Case Be Saved?
  2. Naturalization Testing and Disability Waivers
  3. Representing Asylum Seekers in a Rapidly Changing Landscape
  4. Addressing Anti-Black Systemic Racism in U.S. Immigration Law & Policy
  5. Advanced Program Management Issues Part 1
    *By invitation only.*

02:30 - 03:00 - Time to Unwind

03:00 - 04:30 - Concurrent Workshops

  1. Understanding Unlawful Presence and Other Immigration Violations
  2. Good Moral Character in Naturalization Cases
  3. Writing a Compelling Asylum Declaration
  4. Restitution: Achieving Justice for your Clients Outside of Immigration Court
  5. Advanced Program Management Issues Part 2
    *By invitation only.*

04:40 - 05:00 - Closing Plenary

 

Workshop Tracks

Over four days, industry experts lead workshops for learners of all levels on how to navigate the United States’ complex immigration legal system. More than two dozen workshops on a variety of legal subjects, policy updates and program management tools focus on the following tracks:

  • Humanitarian
  • Building Your Skills
  • Family
  • Selected Issues
  • Removal
  • Community Outreach & Advocacy

 

Continuing Legal Education

CLE for Attorney Participants

Certificates will only distributed to those who attend live workshops.

CLINIC is authorized by the State Bar of California to provide minimum continuing legal education (MCLE) training. If you are a California attorney, you are eligible to claim 1.5 hours of MCLE credits for each live workshop you attend, for up to a total of 10.5 credit hours. If you are an attorney licensed in another state, please check with your state bar to determine whether this training qualifies for MCLE credit.

DOJ Accredited Representatives and other nonprofit professionals will receive a certificate of attendance for Convening.

 

Sponsorship & Exhibiting

CLINIC Convening’s most successful sponsors and exhibitors are organizations that provide resources or services to immigration attorneys, community-based organizations, nonprofits, religious institutions or advocacy groups. Past sponsors and exhibitors have included, but are not limited to:

  • Government agencies 
  • Associations for legal professionals 
  • Consulates 
  • National religious organizations 
  • Immigrant advocacy groups 
  • Volunteer service organizations 
  • Legal research subscriptions 
  • Legal technology 
  • Translation services 
  • Visa service providers 

For questions, or to become a sponsor, please contact convening@cliniclegal.org.

 

Donate to the Lily Gutierrez Scholarship

In memory of Lily Gutierrez, former CLINIC Regional Director and longtime Board Member, who devoted her life to serving migrants and newcomers, the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. has created the Lily Gutierrez Memorial Fund. 

Contributions to the Lily Gutierrez Memorial Fund provide scholarships, covering the cost of registration, to the staff of CLINIC affiliates whose organizational budgets prohibit them from attending CLINIC’s Convening. 

About Lily Gutierrez

Lily Gutierrez, a native of El Paso and accredited immigration representative, was a vital figure in the Catholic Church's work with newcomers for 40 years, working at CLINIC since its inception in 1988 until 1998, and subsequently serving two terms on its board of directors from 2001 to 2007. Her legacy includes the countless individuals she helped immigrate to the United States, the families she reunited who now have made their lives in the United States because of her assistance, the foundation she laid for CLINIC’s network, the charitable immigration programs she established and the working relationships she nurtured with immigration agencies nationwide.

Lily was well-known and well-loved throughout the country. She began her career as an immigration legal services provider with the U.S. Catholic Conference. A familiar face at the ports of entry, she welcomed newly arrived immigrants processed through the U.S. Consulate in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, upon their first entry through the El Paso ports.

She led the resettlement of Vietnamese refugees arriving in El Paso in the late 1970s and became a national expert in the resettlement process throughout the next three decades. She played a lead role in the refugee resettlement program in El Paso, welcoming people from Ethiopia, Cuba, China, Iraq, Iran and many other countries.

Her message was always clear: people are more important than laws; migration is a reality, especially in the U.S.-Mexico border region; and no matter their reason for migrating or immigration status, the human dignity and rights of people must be protected at all costs. CLINIC has chosen to honor Lily’s legacy by extending (in her name) the work she did so devotedly to create charitable immigration programs throughout the nation.

 

Convening Over the Years

 

Convening 2021 Sponsors

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For questions and inquiries, please contact convening@cliniclegal.org. Register Now.