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faculty
Roni Amit she/her/hers
Assistant Professor
Law School / Faculty
Contact
508-985-1145
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UMass School of Law 241
Education
| New York University School of Law | JD |
| University of Washington | PhD |
| George Washington University | MA |
| Tulane University | BA |
Teaching
- Immigration Law
- International Human Rights
Teaching
Courses
In this semester-long, 6-credit clinic, students, in both class and individual specialized supervision, learn to act as "real" lawyers while providing immigration legal services to indigent people who are primarily located in the South Coast area. Case types vary, but include bond hearings and deportation defense; visas for juveniles, victims of violence, and workers; and asylum and naturalization assistance. Weekly seminars offer both substantive and practical training in case preparation, interviewing, counseling, motion practice (including writing), and a variety of other skills required to act as a competent, ethical lawyer. 20 hour commitment which includes supervision and class time. 6 credits (Optional 3:03 approval with LAW 576 Evidence or LAW 620 Trial Practice pre-requisite/co-requisite). Graded.
An examination of the constitutional, statutory and administrative elements of immigration law. Topics include the immigrant and non-immigrant visa system, political asylum and refugees, exclusion and waivers of exclusion, deportation and relief from deportation and acquisition and loss of United States citizenship. Also includes appeals to administrative agencies and federal courts.
Students who have completed the Immigration Law Clinic may be invited to return to participate in an Advanced Clinic. Advanced Clinic students will mentor first year Clinic students and will expand their own knowledge of general and clinic-specific substantive and procedural law as they build upon the lawyering skills they developed during their previous time in the Clinic. Advanced Clinic students will participate in outreach activities to educate the public about immigration law and will also engage in a substantial writing project.
The specific topic is stated when the course is scheduled. May be repeated with change of topic.
Research
Research interests
- Human Rights
- Migration
- Refugee Rights
- Access to Justice
Professional background
Roni Amit is an assistant professor at UMass Law and directs the immigration clinic. Her research focuses on rights protection for marginalized communities, exploring the efficacy of advocacy strategies both inside and outside the courtroom. She has worked on access to justice, migration, and human rights issues in Israel, South Africa, and the US.
After completing a PhD in political sciences that examined the role of international human rights law, Professor Amit began focusing on the effects of the law in the lived realities of individuals across various issues, including migration and housing. She employs an interdisciplinary approach to rights advancement. Her research, advocacy, and teaching focus on access to justice and the rights of marginalized populations both in the US and globally. She encourages students to unpack the concept of justice and engage critically with the legal system and their role within it.
Professor Amit spent several years working on migration issues in South Africa. She was a Senior Researcher with the African Centre for Migration & Society at the University of the Witwatersrand. She also worked as a research and strategic litigation fellow with the refugee rights clinic at Lawyers for Human Rights in Johannesburg. Prior to joining UMass, Professor Amit directed the Terry West Civil Legal Clinic at the University of Tulsa college of Law and served on the Oklahoma Access to Justice Commission. She was also a clinical fellow at the Deportation Defense Clinic at Hofstra Law School.
Select publications
- Above the Law: Securitization in South Africa’s Migration Management Regime, in Law and Migration in a Changing World Marie-Claire Foblets and Jean-Yves Carlier, eds. (2022).
- Reclaiming Refugee Rights as Human Rights (Comment), 31 PACE INT. L REV. 557 (2019).
- (Dis)Placing the Law: Lessons from South Africa on Advancing US Asylum Rights, 20 LOY. J. PUB. INT. L. 135 (2019).