This afternoon, I’m sitting at the desk in my spare bedroom wearing cabin socks with my trusty cat dozing on the armchair next to me. Ah, Christmas break, I’ve loved you.

But next week, I’ll be back in the law building, so it’s time to review and shore up my syllabi for the semester.

Today, I’m focused on Immigration Law Clinic. Since this is the second semester of a two-semester course, the students are already humming along on their cases. One team even prevailed in an immigration court judgment already!

They’ve mastered basic skills already. In class this semester, then, we get to explore a little more.

For example, we’ll have classes devoted to:

• Conducting screening/intake interviews

• Effectively using narrative in letters to clients

• Participating in federal agency rulemaking (even before they announce a proposed rule)

• Educating community organizations (schools, health clinics, etc.) about immigration

• Mindfulness as a professional practice

• Thinking like an entrepreneur in creating an immigration law business

We’ll also have a couple of sessions to put on berets, sip lattés, and discuss books about immigration. We’re still deciding on books, but candidates include The Displaced, The Devil’s Highway,and No Friend But the Mountains.

(In the category of attorney wellness, we discussed reading The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck, but I’m not sure if I can responsibly list that on a syllabus that will go to the dean’s office.)