Kalie Saunders
by Kalie Saunders
The Nebraska Public Interest Law Summer Fellowship program (NPILF) provides stipends to University of Nebraska College of Law students who secure unpaid public interest positions for the summer.
3L Kalie Saunders, a 2024 NPILF recipient, worked with the Immigration Legal Services Team at Catholic Social Services of Southern Nebraska in Lincoln. Kalie shared more about her experience below.
Can you describe the work or mission of your host organization?
The mission of Catholic Social Services (CSS) is to perform works of mercy in response to the call of God and to inspire hope and love in every encounter. I worked specifically with the Immigration Legal Services Team, so our mission was to show love and mercy by helping immigrants through their legal struggles.
What were your main responsibilities? How did you spend your time?
My main responsibility was to help with the influx of Ukrainian refugees and their unique legal needs. I helped mostly with new client intakes and opening cases for work authorization permits, legal permanent resident cards, and travel documents, among many other types of cases.
My secondary responsibilities included helping with a long-term project to bring the client files up to date via a new software system, as well as attending and helping with grant reporting requirements and meetings. I also helped many applicants with their naturalization application preparations, including administering practice English and US civics tests so clients could feel prepared for their USCIS naturalization interviews and tests.
What drew you to this type of work and how did you find/secure this particular opportunity?
Ever since starting law school, I’ve been interested in experiencing immigration law. I’ve worked internationally a lot and helped refugees in many countries. Because of those experiences, I felt compelled to assist on the legal side as well. I felt like I was able to come full circle by accepting this summer opportunity. I found this opportunity through On-Campus Interviews (OCI) and decided to apply and interview.
What did you most enjoy about the experience?
I loved the exposure to the many interesting cultures that are part of Lincoln. I had no idea just how many different cultures and countries are represented here. It was fun to get to know so many of them. I was able to meet many wonderful people, both clients and co-workers alike. The working conditions and culture of the office were AMAZING.
What was the biggest challenge you faced as a summer fellow?
Immigration law clients have to wait SO LONG for their cases to be received and processed. Some applications can take three or more years to be approved. I loved meeting the new clients and helping them submit their applications, but I’ll never get to see the end results of my work. That’s not a reflection on CSS, but rather the convoluted immigration system we have in the US. It would have felt great to feel like I had “finished” what I started while working here.
How has your summer experience impacted you or your view of public interest work/the legal system?
I’ve worked a lot in the public interest field, so coming back to work for an organization that relies on donations, volunteers, and government grants felt like coming home in a way. However, the legal side was a very new experience! I’m so glad I was able to experience immigration law, because I’ve been so interested in it for so long.
Do you have a favorite anecdote or project from your summer work?
One of our sweet clients from Sudan had an upcoming naturalization interview for her N-400 application. This was THE test to determine if she could become a citizen. She showed up at our office one Thursday without an appointment. (She’s very shy and soft-spoken, has two children under 5, and another on the way). We were very confused because she had made an appointment for the following Monday, so our first instinct was to tell her to just come back on Monday. She very nervously and quietly told us that she could not and that she needed help right now. She told us that her USCIS interview was Friday (the next day) and that Monday was too late. Well, yes, we all understood that! Somehow, the dates got mixed up, and she was so scared she wasn’t ready for her interview. So I was able to book a conference room and we sat in there the rest of the morning going over interview questions about US civics and prepping her for the types of questions they will ask to test her English. We also told her that she needed to be confident and to speak up! She knew all the answers, and her English was better than she gave herself credit for. It would be important for her to present herself confidently in addition to answering the test questions correctly.
She went to her interview the next day and passed with flying colors! She came straight to our office afterwards to tell us that she had passed. She also told us thank you for telling her to speak up and present herself confidently because the USCIS officer had scheduled her naturalization oath-taking ceremony for her due date! It was only because we told her to speak up that she had the courage to tell the officer that her baby was due the day they scheduled the ceremony for. The USCIS officer was so nice and accommodating and made her a special appointment to take the oath before her baby would be born.
What would you say to someone who was considering donating to the NPILF fund?
When you donate to the NPILF fund, you’re not just donating to support a student for the summer; you’re also donating to support the organizations they work at and the clients they serve. I’ve been able to help hundreds of refugees, asylees, and other immigrants seeking peace and safety in the US, and in a way, you, as a donor, did too.
What do you hope to do with your law degree?
I don’t know yet exactly. I hope to keep an open mind and let my curiosity lead me to something that will be a great fit. My “problem” is that I’m such a curious person who likes to learn new things that I can’t imagine myself staying in just one area of law for my entire career. I do know, though, that service is one of my core values, and so whatever I do, however many things I do, they will be based on that.
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