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Legal Support at Cal

The East Bay Community Law Center, a clinic of Berkeley School of Law, and the Undocumented Student Program have partnered to provide free legal support and resources about immigration law to current UC Berkeley students.

Through the East Bay Community Law Center (EBCLC), the USP Legal Team provides general consultations, and full legal representation on a wide range of immigration matters that are available to current UC Berkeley students and students who graduated within the past six months.

Our legal team has expertise in a wide range of immigration legal matters, including, but not limited to DACA, family-based petitions, removal defense, asylum, U visas, Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, advance parole, naturalization, FOIA/criminal background checks, post-conviction relief, and regularly represents clients in matters before USCIS and the San Francisco Immigration Court.

Clients will be provided with a general consultation to discuss a pathway to legal status, when possible, and in many cases, full legal representation with regards to their immigration matters. In some cases, students will be referred to other units at EBCLC, and if EBCLC cannot take the case, the students and their family members may be referred to partner organizations in the Bay Area or other parts of California.

You can make an appointment for an initial consult online: https://undocu.berkeley.edu/legal-support-overview/legal-support-appointments/.

If there are no available appointments or if you are unable to make an appointment during the allotted times, please feel free to email usplegal@ebclc.org. Please allow at least 3 business days for staff to get back to you. 

Who is generally eligible for services?

As the legal service provider for USP, the East Bay Community Law Center (EBCLC) will prioritize services to undocumented students who are currently enrolled at UC Berkeley as either an undergraduate, graduate or professional student. This may mean having a waitlist for services.

EBCLC will prioritize case acceptance beyond undocumented students as follows:

  • Students (except for international students) with temporary status, such as DACA, TPS, U/T visa, asylum/withholding of removal/CAT relief; or
  • Students, regardless of their immigration status if they are:
    • facing intimate partner violence; or,
    • seeking asylum; or,
  • Spouses, domestic partners, parents, siblings, and children of:
    • undocumented students; or
    • students with temporary status.

Prioritization of case acceptance for other individuals not included above:

  • Students who are Lawful Permanent Residents (LPR);
  • Spouses, domesic partners, parents, siblings, and children of LPRs;
  • Currently enrolled students who are U.S. Citizens;
  • Spouses, domestic partners, parents, and children of U.S. citizens; and,
  • Current or formerly enrolled UC Berkeley students who: (1) present a compelling need; and (2) are evaluated and cleared to receive legal services by the Director and Deputy Director of the Immigration Unit of EBCLC.

Income Eligibility: As a legal aid nonprofit organization, EBCLC’s client population is primarily low-income.

  • Current UC Berkeley Students: To qualify for our services, students’ income from all sources must be below 300 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines as published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Scholarships, grants, fellowships or funds provided by a third party intended for coverage of educational expenses is not considered “income” for the purposes of eligibility for EBCLC’s legal services.
  • Non-UC Berkeley Clients: The client’s income from all sources must be below 150 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines as detailed above.
  • ***Fee Assistance may be provided to clients whose income does not exceed 250 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines subject to availability of funds.

Geographic Eligibility: EBCLC’s primary geographic service area is Alameda and Contra Costa counties.

  • Currently enrolled students regardless of their physical residence are eligible to receive services.
  • Spouses, domestic partners, parents, siblings, and children of students may be eligible to receive services if their physical residence is in Alameda, Contra Costa, Solano, Sonoma, San Joaquin, Stanislaus or Napa counties.
    • If a family member resides outside of those areas listed above, that family member may receive services if they: (1) present a compelling need; and (2) are evaluated and cleared to receive legal services by the Director and Deputy Director of the Immigration Unit of EBCLC.
  • ***EBCLC will not provide legal services to individuals who we have not met, including family members of UC Berkeley students who live outside of the immediate area.

EBCLC reserves the right to amend case acceptance guidelines in light of limited resources. 

All legal services are free.

USP also provides fee assistance to current students on a case-by-case basis. 

All consultations with any USP legal staff are strictly confidential and privileged and all information will be reviewed by licensed attorneys. Students should bring any pertinent immigration paperwork to the appointment so that we can best serve them.

Students should make their initial appointments online and make any rescheduling requests through the same portal at least 24 hours in advance. For follow-up on existing cases or if there is no available appointment, please email to usplegal@ebclc.org. Please allow at least 3 business days for staff to get back to you. 

Last updated on 02/10/22.