This past summer, Nicole Castillo Guiracocha packed her bags, said goodbye to her family and friends in New York, and moved 800 miles away to join the City of Atlanta Office of the Public Defender on a two-year assignment as an Immigrant Justice Corps (IJC) Justice Fellow.
The first and only fellowship of its kind, IJC’s Justice Fellowship identifies promising lawyers who are passionate about immigrants’ rights and places them with organizations where they can make the greatest difference. Chosen for their talent and compassion, the Justice Fellows work with detained immigrants, asylum seekers, families, and children in need of immigration legal services.
Earning the prestigious fellowship, Castillo Guiracocha says, was a dream come true. “I was ecstatic! As the daughter of Ecuadorian immigrants, this fellowship represents more than just a professional milestone, it’s deeply personal. It allows me to continue advocating for indigent clients and immigrant communities while honoring the values my family instilled in me.”
Her work as an IJC Justice Fellow builds on experience Castillo Guiracocha gained as a law student. “I had the privilege of participating in two clinics at St. John’s that deeply shaped my growth as an advocate,” she shares. “In the Defense and Advocacy Clinic, I learned how to work closely with clients navigating the criminal legal system while facing significant barriers due to their histories. Through the clinic’s holistic representation model, I saw firsthand how addressing clients’ broader needs can make a meaningful difference in their lives in addition to helping with their legal issues.”
Castillo Guiracocha also gained valuable experience through the Law School’s Child Advocacy Clinic. “In addition to improving my legal writing, interviewing, and case management skills, my clinic work with minors required me to adapt my communication style, so I could break down complex legal concepts into clear, understandable language,” she says, adding, “This skill will be crucial as I begin representing clients who are unfamiliar with the U.S. legal system.”
Outside St. John’s clinics, Castillo Guiracocha forged her practical skillset volunteering with an immigration information phone bank. She also helped to organize the Law School’s Pro Bono Working Lunch, where students partnered with attorneys to support low-income New Yorkers through the American Bar Association’s Free Legal Answers Program. “These experiences reinforced my commitment to using the law as a tool for empowerment and access to justice,” she notes.
Tapping the knowledge and skills she honed at St. John’s Law, Castillo Guiracocha applies them as she works with the City of Atlanta Office of the Public Defender’s Immigration Defense Unit (IDU). “IDU prioritizes cases involving clients who meet criteria based on indigency and ties to the metro Atlanta area,” she explains. “I represent clients in bond hearings and in asylum, cancellation of removal, and motions to terminate or suppress removal proceedings. I’m also part of the office’s holistic defense model, working collaboratively with criminal defense attorneys to provide Padilla consultations that involve advising noncitizen clients about the immigration consequences of criminal charges and convictions.”
Grateful for the opportunity to do mission-driven legal work as an IJC Justice Fellow, Castillo Guiracocha says: “I’m excited to learn, grow, and improve my advocacy skills, while also exploring a new city! I look forward to expending my knowledge of detained removal defense and building relationships with clients during some of the most stressful moments in their lives. Over the next two years, I hope to become a stronger, more empathetic advocate and gain the tools necessary to continue fighting for immigrant justice well beyond the fellowship.”