Andrea Ramos
Clinical Professor of Law | Director of Clinical Programs | Director of Immigration Law Clinic
B.A., magna cum laude, Sociology, 1988, Arizona State University
J.D., 1992, University of Southern California
Member, California State Bar
Andrea Ramos brings many years of experience as a public interest attorney and law professor to Southwestern, where she established and directs the Immigration Law Clinic. In the clinic, Professor Ramos teaches, supervises and trains law students on Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, U Nonimmigrant Visas (U Visa) and U-Adjustment of Status cases. Under her supervision, students represent children and adult survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and other violent crimes in their immigration cases. Students work with clients who would otherwise be unable to access legal services.
Professor Ramos served as co-counsel in a class action lawsuit that successfully challenged an unlawful government policy denying Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) to foster children, including obtaining a preliminary injunction enjoining the government from denying SIJS cases and from initiating removal against SIJS petitioners based on the policy.
Professor Ramos provides technical assistance on SIJS and U Visa cases. She has engaged in local and statewide advocacy regarding immigration options for survivors of crime. She also coordinates advocacy efforts with law enforcement agencies on U Visa certification policies and procedures.
"Southwestern's Immigration Law Clinic provides students with a wonderful opportunity to learn lawyering skills and, at the same time, offers high-quality legal assistance to some of our most vulnerable children. We focus on providing immigration relief to survivors of crime and to children who have been abused, neglected, or abandoned. Students learn to navigate complicated bureaucracies and to support clients who are often confused and intimidated by the immigration process."
As a law student, Professor Ramos served on the Southern California Review of Law and Women's Studies. She began her career with the law firm of Tuttle & Taylor as a litigation associate and Public Counsel volunteer. She went on to serve on the staff of Public Counsel for ten years, originally leading the School-Based Legal Assistance Program, then directing the Children's Rights Project, which involves more than 700 volunteers assisting over 6,000 children and youth annually. As Directing Attorney of the Project, Professor Ramos represented children in Special Immigrant Juvenile cases, the Violence Against Women Act and U-Visa cases, and provided training and workshops to lawyers and social service providers. She also served on the adjunct faculty at the USC Gould School of Law for four years as a co-teacher of the Children and the Law course.
She was recognized for her legal work benefiting the Los Angeles community by the USC La Raza Law Students Association, which presented her with the Inspirational Alumnus Award in 2007 and by the USC Public Interest Law Foundation, which named her as the 2008 Attorney of the Year.