Students in the Immigration Practice Clinic represent low-income immigrants from all over the world before the immigration agencies, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Department of Justice (DOJ), state and federal courts in humanitarian-based immigration cases. Students take primary responsibility and decision-making authority for their cases, under the mentorship of the clinic’s director. Early classes provide knowledge of substantive immigration law, including the Immigration and Nationality Act, the applicable Code of Federal Regulations, immigration forms, applications, and internal policies. Students are expected to prepare for substantive immigration filings with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) and the Department of Justice Immigration Courts.
Alvaro A. Manrique Barrenechea LLM'19
Assistant Clinical Professor of Law
Alvaro Manrique Barrenechea earned his law degree from Universidad de Lima Law School (Peru) in 2013 and practiced International Commercial Arbitration. Upon relocating to the United States in 2015, he began his journey in the immigration law field as a volunteer with Tennessee Justice for Our Neighbors, subsequently assuming various roles within the organization. He has been responsible for several projects, including TNJFON's Woodbine Immigration Intake Clinic, the Families Together educational series, and the Oye Vecino podcast. Most recently, he served as a Staff Attorney. In 2019, Alvaro obtained his Master of Law degree from Vanderbilt University Law School, where he was honored with the Carl J. Ruskowski Clinical Legal Education Award. Driven by his unwavering commitment to social justice, he has extended his legal advocacy efforts to underserved communities in locations such as San Ysidro, Mexico, and Ocilla, Georgia. Alvaro is admitted to the bar in Lima, New York, and Tennessee. He serves as a board member for the Nashville Public Library Foundation and Tennessee Justice for Our Neighbors.
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