Doing Good with Law: VIISTA As a Path for Immigration and Public Interest Lawyers
Each year, thousands of LSAT test takers want to do more than build a career — they want to make a difference. According to LSAC’s 2024–25 Knowledge Report, test takers’ motivation to “help others” increased by about 20 percent from the prior year, while motivation to “advocate for social justice” rose by more than 30 percent from the group taking the 2023-24 LSAT. These findings echo what I hear every day from my students considering a future in immigration law: my students want to serve their communities and become part of the solution.
For students drawn to immigration law, or social justice in general, one powerful — and often overlooked — path to doing good before law school is becoming an accredited representative. Accredited representatives are authorized by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to provide immigration legal services through recognized nonprofit organizations. With DOJ accreditation, ARs can represent clients before U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and the immigration courts — just like attorneys do. ARs are a lifeline for countless immigrant families, accompanying and offering high-quality legal assistance in communities where access to lawyers is limited or unaffordable.
I’ve been teaching lawyers to represent immigrants since 1997. Many of my alumni are immigration lawyers. Yet, each time I go to immigration court, I am disappointed to see that most immigrants did not have an advocate — instead, most immigrant families face the system alone, often in a language they do not understand.
There will never be enough immigration lawyers to meet the demand. I designed the Villanova Interdisciplinary Immigration Studies Training for Advocates (VIISTA) program in response to the access to justice problem in immigration. VIISTA is an online certificate program that trains people to become immigrant advocates and ARs. It is practice-oriented, student-centered, and deeply grounded in real-world competencies. From the very first module, students report that they are able to “hit the ground running,” providing meaningful accompaniment to immigrants under supervision. Rather than waiting years to make an impact, VIISTA students begin serving almost immediately — translating their desire to do good into tangible action.
VIISTA’s online curriculum is asynchronous (aside from a one-hour live session with an immigration practitioner) and flexible, so students can easily fit it into their lives. It consists of three stackable semester-long modules, all of which can be completed in one year. After completing the first two modules and gaining practical experience in their local communities, students who hold VIISTA certificates may apply to the Department of Justice for partial accreditation through a recognized organization; after the third module, they may apply for full accreditation authorizing them to represent clients in immigration court. This phased approach enables students to build skills, confidence, and responsibility over time — mirroring the progression of professional legal training. Through the VIISTA program and their subsequent work representing clients, students gain valuable experience that makes them better equipped for law school and legal practice.
For prospective law students, VIISTA offers another critical benefit: clarity. Immigration law is complex, demanding, and emotionally charged. VIISTA provides an authentic window into what legal practice actually looks like — client interviews, ethical decision-making, procedural deadlines, advocacy, and high-stakes consequences — before investing the time and resources that law school demands. For many students, VIISTA helped them confirm that law school was the right next step. Others discover fulfilling careers in immigration advocacy without needing a JD at all.
That affordability matters. LSAC research consistently shows that financial concerns remain the primary barrier to law school attendance. In the 2024–25 testing cycle, test takers cited the overall cost of attendance, insufficient financial aid, and the need to take on excessive loans as the top reasons they might not pursue a legal education. VIISTA is intentionally accessible: each module costs less than $1,400, making it a fraction of the price of a single law school semester. It enables students to build marketable legal skills, serve their communities, and make informed decisions about their future — without incurring overwhelming debt.
For students motivated by service, justice, purpose, and impact, VIISTA offers a rare opportunity: a way to do good now, gain practical legal knowledge, and explore the path to law school with confidence and purpose. In a moment when so many aspiring lawyers want to help others, VIISTA turns that aspiration into action.
