CARMEN MARIA REY ’06 returned to the Law School this year as a visiting assistant professor of clinical law, working in the Safe Harbor clinic with Professor Stacy Caplow, associate dean of professional legal education. As a student, Rey was part of the clinic she now will teach. “The Safe Harbor clinic was an extraordinary learning opportunity for me, and it also has a direct social impact,” said Rey. “Lawyering is a muscle, and participating in this clinic gives students a chance to exercise that muscle prior to graduation.”
Since its launch in 1997, the Safe Harbor clinic has secured asylum and/or related humanitarian relief for 130 principal applicants—and approximately 85 immediate relatives—in both the Asylum Office of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and in Immigration Court.
Rey’s entire career has focused on immigration law and advocacy for immigrant families, particularly survivors of gender-based violence. Rey recently served as director of the Immigration Intervention Project at Sanctuary for Families, the largest provider of legal services to survivors of gender-based violence in New York City, where she oversaw the legal representation of thousands of immigrant survivors of gender-based violence and led advocacy efforts to advance their interests. Previously, she was an equal justice works fellow at Sanctuary for Families.
“It’s wonderful to welcome back Carmen,” said Caplow. “Our students and I will benefit so much from all of her knowledge and expertise, and she provides a wonderful example of how to make a huge difference to people through an immigration law career.”