Volunteer Spotlight
The Community Immigration Law Center is fortunate to have a great network of supportive volunteers, some of which are featured below. If you are interested in learning how you can get involved, email intern@cilcmadison.org to see if there are any opportunities available.
Karen Perez-Wilson
My name is Karen Pérez-Wilson and I began volunteering at CILC in the spring of 2017. As a UW student, I was able to enroll in a directed study course under the mentorship of a UW faculty member. I had taken a class with this professor before and was interested in his field of study: immigration and crime. For my curriculum, I had the opportunity to work with Aissa every week for a couple of hours and helped with removal defense. Aissa gave me the liberty to help with anything I thought would be beneficial to my learning. Within the first week, I was helping her draft legal documents and was conducting research on country conditions. In the past, I have also assisted by accompanying individuals to their court hearing in Chicago and sitting with them in court.
I continued to do this work over the course of three semesters and plan to continue volunteering at CILC after I graduate from UW in May. The experience I have gained in this office has only reinforced my passion for immigration law and advocacy. I have gained mentors, friends, and learned more than I ever imagined in the time span I was there. I am thankful for the Community Immigration Law Center and look forward to working with them to ensure everyone has access to proper legal representation.