Julia Decker Email & Phone Number

Saint Paul, MN, US

Greater Minneapolis-St. Paul Area

Greater Minneapolis-St. Paul Area

Worked to protect and defend civil liberties through strategic nonpartisan policy advocacy at the Minnesota Legislature. Lobbied both independently and in coalition to pass major legislation around surveillance tech and privacy, addressing disparities in the criminal legal system, voting rights, and immigrant rights. Achieved success under both divided.

Greater Minneapolis-St. Paul Area

Greater Minneapolis-St. Paul Area

Represented detained and low-income immigrants and refugees in removal proceedings before EOIR. Case types included bond, cancellation of removal (LPR and non-LPR), asylum/withholding/Convention Against Torture, and collateral USCIS applications for clients in proceedings. Trained and mentored pro bono attorneys handling removal cases. Conducted legal.

Greater Minneapolis-St. Paul Area

• Supervised law students in the Federal Immigration Litigation Clinic representing clients before the Executive Office for Immigration Review and federal courts
• Supervised law students in the Immigration and Human Rights Clinic representing clients seeking asylum before US Citizenship and Immigration Services and the Executive Office for Immigration Review
• Co-taught seminar component of the Federal Immigration Litigation Clinic, including both substantive and skills sessions
• Co-counseled with non-profit and law firm partners on cases before the Board of Immigration Appeals and federal circuit courts, including drafting merits and amicus briefs, conducting research, and prepping for oral.
• Coordinated and supervised law students on a service trip to provide legal services to detained mothers and children at the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, TX
• Argued a crim-imm case before the Eighth Circuit

Greater Minneapolis-St. Paul Area

• Prepared and filed family reunification cases, U-visa applications, and U visa adjustments
• Prepared and filed DACA renewal applications; responded to RFEs
• Conducted general intakes with potential clients to evaluate their eligibility for services and relief
• Answered Detention Project hotline and provide basic information to ICE detainees
• Conducted research for Supreme Court crim-imm case Mellouli v. Lynch in conjunction with U of M Law School's Center for New Americans
• Represented ICE detainees in initial master calendar hearings through the Minnesota Detention Project

Minneapolis, MN

• Co-wrote amicus brief for LGBT asylum case in 11th Circuit
• Co-wrote merits brief and supplemental brief for gang-based asylum case in 2nd Circuit
• Conducted legislative history research for cert petition on an issue involving intersection of criminal and immigration law
• Represented client in individual removal hearing in immigration court.

Minneapolis, MN

• Analyzed and categorized UK asylum cases based on how human rights treaties were used
• Conducted comparative research on US and UK detention of asylum seekers

Minneapolis, MN

• Prepared I-589 asylum application, affidavits, supporting evidence and legal brief for client seeking affirmative asylum
• Prepared client and accompanied client to asylum interview
• Represented ICE detainees in master calendar hearings through MN Detention Project

St. Paul, MN

• Reviewed and updated agency procedures for compliance with Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption• Assisted in editing and assembling 400-page agency self-study for submission to Council on Accreditation

Minneapolis, MN

• Coordinated live events for adult adoptees in Minnesota• Hosted webinar presentations with ReadyTalk• Created and sent out monthly eNewsletters with Constant Contact• Built and maintained a database of individual and organization contacts• Updated and maintained program website• Scheduled and recorded Advisory Group meetings

Juris Doctor (J.D.)

Activities and Societies: Journal of Law & Inequality, Staff Member 2012-13, Managing Editor 2013-14; Immigration & Human Rights Clinic.

Chinese Language

Recipient of the Taiwanese Ministry of Education's Huayu Language Enrichment Scholarship

Bachelor'S Degree, Asian Studies

Summa Cum Laude, Departmental Honors Phi Beta Kappa