Immigrant Justice Leadership Academy

Developing, strengthening, and sustaining community-centered legal services.

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Immigrant Justice Leadership Academy (IJLA) is an innovative solution to meet a critical need for immigration legal services. IJLA serves as a central point for Illinois organizations statewide seeking to develop, strengthen, and sustain community-centered community navigator and legal service programs.  

TRP’s IJLA works to create a pipeline of immigration legal representatives while simultaneously increasing capacity for immigrant serving organizations in Illinois, with the goal of ensuring that immigrants in Illinois have access to ethical legal education and representation and that a pipeline of professionals who are representative of immigrant communities have access to career pathways. 

Learning Labs

Launched in March 2024, the IJLA Learning Labs is the newest initiative of the Immigrant Justice Leadership Academy at The Resurrection Project. The Learning Labs create a platform for Illinois organizations to develop, sustain, and strengthen their community centered immigration legal clinics. The goal of the IJLA Learning Labs is to assist nonprofits in Illinois establish and grow immigration legal clinics through a series of trainings and convenings.  

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The Need:

  • 425,000 undocumented immigrants in Illinois   

  • 50,000+ newly arrived immigrants in Illinois since August 2022  

  • As of 2024, 46 organizations are recognized by the Department of Justice in Illinois   

  • There is 1 legal representative for every 1,536 undocumented Illinoisans

Program Design

The Learning Labs includes trainings from experts in clinic management, as well as intentional spaces for peer-learning and the relationship building necessary for ethical, effective, and sustainable programs. Organizations will leave the Learning Labs with tools and a concrete plan to establish an immigration legal clinic.  

The next series of Learning Labs are set to take place in Spring of 2026. Applications are now closed.

Funding for the IJLA Learning Labs is provided by the Illinois Department of Human Services, Office of Welcoming Centers for Refugee and Immigrant Services.

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Learning Labs: Semillas Track

Semillas Track participants will be required to attend two in-person trainings, culminating in an overnight retreat, which will incorporate trainings on:

  • staff recruitment and retention

  • fundraising

  • partnering with community organizers

  • leadership development

  • non-profit and personnel management

For more information, please contact:

Lilia Escobar

Capacity Building Program Manager, Immigrant Justice Partnerships, The Resurrection Project

lescobar@resurrectionproject.org