Natalia Wurst, Class of 2024, will represent unaccompanied immigrant youth as an Immigrant Justice Corps (IJC) Fellow with Al Otro Lado in San Diego, California.
Al Otro Lado provides holistic legal and humanitarian support to refugees, deportees, and other migrants in the US and Tijuana through a multidisciplinary, client-centered, harm reduction-based practice.
“A fellowship with IJC will help me build the skills needed to deliver exceptional direct-client services, assist immigrants in applying for various forms of immigration relief, contribute to broader policy efforts to decriminalize immigration, and advance the fight for universal access to counsel that immigrants deserve,” said Wurst.
The Immigrant Justice Corps Fellowship program identifies promising lawyers who are passionate about immigrants’ rights, places them with organizations where they can make a positive difference, and provides training throughout the two-year fellowship. Fellows receive a full salary and benefits at their host organizations.
During law school, Wurst worked as a student attorney in the Youth Opportunity Clinic and as the co-director of the Legal Aid Society’s Medical-Legal Partnership. She also served as a member of the working group for the Social Justice Reporter and as Vice President of Law Students for Social Justice. Wurst interned for Her Justice during her 1L year. As a 2L, she externed for Choosing Justice Initiative and interned for the U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, Immigrant and Employee Rights Section. These unique experiences have further fueled her fierce advocacy. She is grateful to the mentors, professors, and peers who shaped her time at Vanderbilt.
A Garrison Social Justice Scholar and a Chancellor’s Law Scholar, Wurst completed Vanderbilt Law School’s Pro Bono Pledge. She received the Junius L. Allison Legal Aid Award for her work with the Legal Aid Society.
Originally from San Diego, Wurst graduated from the University of Southern California in 2021 with a B.S. in Public Policy and a B.A. in Psychology.
