Immigrant Justice Corps
Model & Strategy
Immigrant Justice Corps is the country’s first fellowship program dedicated to providing high-quality legal assistance for immigrants fighting deportation, seeking citizenship and trying to keep their families together. IJC selects and trains the best and brightest from the nation’s leading law schools and universities to represent immigrants. Fellows commit to two full years of service at a non-profit, with training and support from Immigrant Justice Corps. IJC puts 70 fellows in the field each year, providing legal assistance to immigrants who otherwise would be trying to navigate an impossible system alone or living in the shadows.
Jojo Annobil is the Executive Director of Immigrant Justice Corps. Prior to his appointment, Jojo, was the Attorney-in-Charge of The Legal Aid Society’s Immigration Law Unit, a city-wide leader in the provision of high quality immigration legal services. Jojo is an adjunct professor at New York University School of Law where he co-teaches the Immigrant Defense Clinic. He also serves as Special Counsel to the New York State Supreme Court, Appellate Division First Department’s Disciplinary Committee on Immigration matters and is co-chair of the New York State Bar Association’s Committee on Immigration Representation.
Jojo graduated from Fordham Law School in 1990 and worked at The Legal Aid Society as a staff attorney in the Criminal Appeals Bureau and as a Criminal/Immigration Specialist and Supervising Attorney in the Immigration Law Unit. Jojo is the recipient of the Asian Americans for Equality Agent of Change Award, the Fordham Law School Louis J. Lefkowitz Public Service Award, a New York City Council Proclamation for Outstanding Service to the City of New York and the New York City Bar, Legal Services Award.
IMPACT
Founded by Chief Judge Robert Katzmann of the Second Circuit Court of Appeals, and incubated by the Robin Hood Foundation, IJC removes barriers to justice for immigrants trying to live the American dream.
In a little over six years, IJC Fellows have screened more than 70,000 individuals and family members for relief, and are actively representing more than 25,000 individuals to challenge deportation or to obtain and maintain lawful status and citizenship. Since its inception, IJC has graduated 100 Justice Fellows and 92% have secured employment practicing immigration law.
Justice Fellows have opened more than 17,000 complex cases, and 92% of closed cases have had successful outcomes. Community Fellows have screened more than 12,000 clients for immigration benefits and filed more than 9,000 applications for New Yorkers with a success rate of 95%.
