Joshua Ramirez

LTJG, U.S. Navy

My time at A&M Law prepared me for both fields of work through the various programs and courses offered. I was unintentionally prepared for my current civilian position with USCIS when I had the privilege of being part of the inaugural Borderlands Law course, the Immigrant Rights Clinic, and other immigration courses. In each of these settings I was exposed to the various intricacies of immigration law and how it intersects with virtually every other area of law. More importantly though, participating in each of these allowed me to experience firsthand how immigration overflows into every area of a person's life, and affects those around them as well. I gained a further appreciation and sympathy for individuals going through the process.

I was also blessed to have been chosen each year for the Public Interest Law Fellowship which funded my summer internships clerking with the Immigration courts in San Antonio's Executive Office of Immigration Review, The Dallas Public Defender's Office, and the Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services (RAICES) where I further honed my hard skills in immigration. For my job with the Navy I was chosen to be sent to Naples, Italy, in part because of my participation in the Global Law and Policy course in Cambodia, and the Washington D.C. based Residency Externship in Public Policy. These programs provided a unique insight into policy domestically, internationally, and how they intertwine. I came to understand our broad-brush strokes to policy cannot be applied. Finally, I was also a board member of many student organizations including the Military & Veteran Law Society which allowed me to network and connect with practitioners in the military who are now coworkers and with whom I still maintain contact around the world.

I am eternally grateful for my time at Texas A&M School of Law and for the mentors who invested their time and energy into my life and career.