Scholar staff chat in their journal room

The St. Mary’s University School of Law’s student-led publication, The Scholar: St. Mary’s Law Review on Race and Social Justice, will host the 2019 Immigration Symposium on Friday, Feb. 22, at the Pearl Stable.

Embracing the theme of “Fighting to Keep Families Together,” the event will feature Sarnata Reynolds, an international human rights lawyer and expert on refugee and migrants’ rights who recently contributed to the United Nations’ Global Compact on Refugees. Reynolds will speak about asylum seekers’ rights from an international law perspective.

“With immigration laws ever changing, it is important for practitioners to stay abreast of the latest developments,” said Pilar Martinez, a third-year J.D. student and symposium editor. “This year’s symposium offers attorneys, immigrant advocates, volunteers and students the opportunity to learn from notable immigration experts from across Texas and the United States.”

The symposium takes place from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 22, at the Pearl Stable, located at 307 Pearl Parkway.

The Hon. A. Ashley Tabaddor, president of the National Association of Immigration Judges, will address challenges facing immigration judges.

The symposium lineup of speakers also includes:

  • Manoj Govindaiah, director of litigation at Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services (RAICES)
  • Malou Chávez, deputy director of the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project
  • Silky Shah, executive director of the Detention Watch Network

The Scholar’s mission is to provide “a voice to the voiceless” by researching and publishing scholarly articles that identify legal and social issues adversely affecting minority and vulnerable populations.

The Immigration Symposium offers 6.5 Continuing Legal Education credit hours, including 1 hour of ethics credit. Registration costs $115 for attorneys, $75 for non-attorneys and government employees, $30 for immigration volunteers and $20 for students.

Registration and additional details are available on The Scholar’s website.

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