Villanova University School of Law

Villanova University was founded by the Order of Saint Augustine in 1842 in Villanova, Pennsylvania. It opened a law school in 1953 with a values-based, community-focused educational program. With this award, Villanova Law School designs a curriculum to train “accredited representatives,” a category of highly experienced paralegals that are authorized to represent immigrants in proceedings before immigration courts and other federal agencies. With formalized training more widely available, students may pursue the role of accredited representatives as a career goal, helping to fill a significant gap in legal services for low-income immigrants.