Michael J. Wishnie

Deputy Dean for Experiential Education and William O. Douglas Clinical Professor of Law

(on leave, fall 2022)


Michael J. Wishnie is Deputy Dean for Experiential Education and William O. Douglas Clinical Professor of Law at Yale Law School. Professor Wishnie’s teaching, scholarship, and law practice have focused on immigration, labor and employment, habeas corpus, civil rights, government transparency, and veterans law.

FULL BIOGRAPHY
Michael J. Wishnie

Education & Curriculum Vitae


J.D., Yale Law School, 1993

B.A., Yale University, 1987

Courses Taught


  • Worker & Immigrant Rights Advocacy Clinic
  • Veterans Legal Services Clinic
  • Rule of Law Clinic

Michael J. Wishnie is Deputy Dean for Experiential Education and William O. Douglas Clinical Professor of Law at Yale Law School. Wishnie’s teaching, scholarship, and law practice have focused on immigration, labor and employment, habeas corpus, civil rights, government transparency, veterans law, and voting rights. For years, Wishnie and his students have represented low-wage workers, immigrants, veterans, and voters in federal, state, and administrative litigation. He and his students have also represented unions, churches, veterans’ groups, and grassroots organizations in a range of legislative, media, and community education matters.

Wishnie's recent publications include “Call Air Traffic Control! Confronting Crisis as Lawyers and Teachers” (with Muneer Ahmad), in Ray Brescia & Eric K. Stern, eds., Crisis Lawyering: Effective Legal Advocacy in Emergency Situations (NYU Press: 2021) and “‘A Boy Gets Into Trouble’: Service Members, Civil Rights, and Veterans’ Law Exceptionalism”, 97 B.U. L. Rev. 1709 (2017). 

From 1998-2006, Wishnie taught at New York University School of Law. Previously, he worked at the American Civil Liberties Union Immigrants’ Rights Project as a Skadden Fellow; in the Brooklyn Neighborhood Office of The Legal Aid Society; as a law clerk to Judge H. Lee Sarokin of the District Court of New Jersey and U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit; and as a clerk for Justice Harry A. Blackmun, retired, working in the chambers of Associate Justice Stephen G. Breyer of the Supreme Court of the United States. Before earning his J.D. from Yale Law School in 1993, Wishnie spent two years teaching in the People’s Republic of China.

Monday, April 3, 2023


VA Says Conn. Court Should Toss Benefit Discrimination Suit

Developments continue in a case filed by the Veterans Legal Services Clinic alleging racial disparities in GI benefits.

Friday, March 3, 2023


Abbott Wants To Deny Undocumented Kids a Public Education

Deputy Dean for Experiential Education and William O. Douglas Clinical Professor of Law Michael J. Wishnie comments on the likelihood of the Supreme Court reversing a decision that ensures free public education to all children, including undocumented children. 

Monday, February 20, 2023


Protecting Veterans

At the Veterans Legal Services Clinic, students focus on marginalized veteran populations and think strategically with them about how best to address their legal problems.

Tuesday, September 20, 2022


Coast Guard Academy Settles Suit Over Parenthood Ban

Professor Michael Wishnie ’93 and Clinical Lecturer Meghan Brooks ’19 are listed as part of the legal team in a report about a settlement reached in a lawsuit filed on behalf of a former cadet challenging the U.S. Coast Guard Academy’s ban on cadets becoming parents. The plaintiff was represented in part by the Veterans Legal Services Clinic. 

Thursday, June 23, 2022


What Will Happen to Dreamers?

William O. Douglas Clinical Professor of Law and Counselor to the Dean Michael Wishnie ’93 discussed efforts by the Worker and Immigrant Rights Advocacy Clinic to protect undocumented young immigrants.

Wednesday, February 16, 2022


“Deny Until They Die”: Some Veterans Say VA Wrongly Rejects Claims for Illnesses They Blame on Camp Lejeune’s Contaminated Water

William O. Douglas Clinical Professor of Law Michael Wishnie ’93 is quoted in a report about a 2016 lawsuit filed by the Veterans Legal Services Clinic on behalf of veterans seeking information on the doctors who reviewed disability claims related to contaminated drinking water at Camp Lejeune.

Tuesday, November 9, 2021


Remedying Bad Paper’s Impact on Specific Veteran Populations

William O. Douglas Clinical Professor of Law and Counselor to the Dean Michael Wishnie ’93 discusses how other-than-honorable discharges can prevent veterans from accessing military benefits.

Wednesday, October 27, 2021


No Fixed Timeline for Migrant Bond Hearings, 1st Circ. Says

A news report provides an update Reid v. Donelan et al., a suit involving detained immigrants’ rights to timely bond hearings. Plaintiffs are represented by William O. Douglas Clinical Professor of Law and Counselor to the Dean Michael J. Wishnie ’93, Clinical Associate Professor of Law Marisol Orihuela ’08, and students with the Worker and Immigrant Rights Clinic.

Monday, July 26, 2021


Home Is Here

Yale Law School faculty, alumni, and students look back at a tumultuous four years fighting for a more just immigration system.

Thursday, July 8, 2021


Veterans Clinic Suing VA for Racial Disparity Data and Records

The Veterans Legal Services Clinic at Yale Law School has filed a lawsuit on behalf of Black Veterans Project and the National Veterans Council for Legal Redress to force the Department of Veterans Affairs to produce information the two groups requested on racial disparities in the agency’s benefits and services. 

Monday, May 24, 2021


Amid The Pandemic, Yale Lawsuit Against ICE Becomes A National Model

William O. Douglas Clinical Professor of Law Michael Wishnie ’93 was interviewed on Connecticut Public Radio about the rights and safety of ICE detainees during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Monday, May 3, 2021


Justice Thomas Urges High Court To Revisit Military Immunity

Kathryn Pogin ’20 is quoted, and William O. Douglas Clinical Professor of Law Michael Wishnie ’93 and Dana Montalto ’13 are mentioned, in a Law360 report about a case before the Supreme Court. The plaintiff in the case, Doe vs U.S., is represented by the Veterans Legal Services Clinic.

Monday, April 26, 2021


Legislators Hear Debate on Extending Smoking Bans to Casinos

William O. Douglas Clinical Professor of Law Michael Wishnie ’93 is quoted in The Day about extending the smoking ban in public places to include CT casinos, which are exempt from statewide smoking prohibitions.

Tuesday, April 20, 2021


Low-Wage Earners in Spotlight as Employment Litigation Targets Alleged Wage Theft

Sam Hull ’22 is quoted, and William O. Douglas Clinical Professor of Law Michael Wishnie ’93 and Sol Goldman Clinical Professor of Law Muneer Ahmad are mentioned, in a Law.com article about a lawsuit alleging wage theft and racial discrimination against Latino workers at a Connecticut business.

Wednesday, April 7, 2021


ICE Detainees' COVID-19 Bail Suit Ends With Just 7 Held

William O. Douglas Clinical Professor of Law Michael Wishnie ’93, Clinical Lecturer in Law Sara Zampierin, and students with the Worker & Immigrant Rights Advocacy Clinic are mentioned in a Law360 update on a class action lawsuit challenging unsafe conditions at the Bristol County House of Correction during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tuesday, February 2, 2021


Bill would allow state benefits to veterans kicked out for sexual orientation

William O. Douglas Clinical Professor of Law Michael Wishnie ’93 is quoted in The Day about a bill before the Connecticut state assembly that would allow Connecticut veterans, who were other than honorably discharged due to their sexual orientation, to access state veterans benefits.

Wednesday, November 18, 2020


NY Judge Slams Feds For 'Ignoring' Justices' DACA Revival

William O. Douglas Clinical Professor of Law Michael Wishnie ’93, Sol Goldman Clinical Professor of Law Muneer Ahmad, Clinical Associate Professor of Law Marisol Orihuela ’08, and students from the Worker and Immigrant Rights Advocacy Clinic are mentioned in a Law360 article about new efforts by the Trump administration to curtail DACA.

Wednesday, November 4, 2020


Fed. Circ. Weighs If VA Appeals Ripe For Review

Law 360 has an update to a case related to a Veterans Affairs decision that is before the U.S. Court of Appeals. Plaintiffs are represented by William O. Douglas Clinical Professor of Law Michael Wishnie ’93, Clinical Lecturer in Law Renée Burbank and students from the Veterans Legal Services Clinic.

Tuesday, October 20, 2020


Fed. Circ. Denies Vets Class Status In Disability Claims Suit

William O. Douglas Clinical Professor of Law Michael Wishnie ’93, Clinical Lecturer in Law Renée Burbank, Jade Ford ’20, and the Jerome N. Frank Legal Services Organization are mentioned in a Law 360 update to a case involving veterans who are represented by the Jerome N. Frank Legal Services Organization at Yale Law School.

Friday, August 28, 2020


Immigrants, States Say Wolf Lacks Authority To Limit DACA

William O. Douglas Clinical Professor of Law Michael Wishnie ’93, Sol Goldman Clinical Professor of Law Muneer Ahmad, and Clinical Associate Professor of Law Marisol Orihuela ’08 and the Jerome N. Frank Legal Services Organization are mentioned in a Law360 article about the latest developments in the Trump administration’s efforts to roll back the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. 

Friday, August 14, 2020


2nd Circuit Upholds Dismissal of Suit Targeting Connecticut Over Ebola Quarantines

William O. Douglas Clinical Professor of Law Michael Wishnie ’93 is quoted in a New York Law Journal story about the dismissal of a constitutional challenge to Connecticut’s use of quarantine measures for residents who returned from West Africa during the 2014 Ebola virus outbreak.

Tuesday, June 9, 2020


YLS Community Shares Expertise on COVID-19

Members of the Yale Law School community are responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, offering expertise in their respective fields from health care to national security to the economy.

Tuesday, May 5, 2020


Controversial Sheriff Deposed In ICE Detainee Case

Sol Goldman Clinical Professor of Law Muneer Ahmad, William O. Douglas Clinical Professor of Law Michael J. Wishnie ’93, and Clinical Lecturer in Law Reena Parikh are mentioned in a Law360 article that updates the class action suit filed by ICE detainees in Massachusetts seeking release from prison due to the threat of COVID-19.

Thursday, March 19, 2020


What the Ebola Crisis Can Teach Us About Quarantines

Professor of Law and Faculty Director of the Global Health Justice Partnership Amy Kapczynski ’03 and William O. Douglas Clinical Professor of Law Michael Wishnie ’93 are quoted in the New York Times about quarantine procedures in Connecticut during the Ebola scare in 2014.

Monday, December 30, 2019


Clinic Assists Former Senators in Drafting Impeachment Trial Memorandum

Shortly after the impeachment inquiry began, the Peter Gruber Rule of Law Clinic at Yale Law School commenced work with former U.S. Senators Russ Feingold and Chuck Hagel to prepare a detailed Memorandum to current U.S. Senators in anticipation of a potential Senate impeachment trial.

Thursday, December 19, 2019


Yale Law Students Help Nearly 1,600 Veterans Win Class Certification for Radiation Exposure

Meghan Brooks ’19, Lily Halperin ’21, and John Super ’20 are quoted in the Connecticut Law Tribune on the victory in a class action suit challenging the Veterans Affairs’ refusal to provide disability compensation to veterans exposed to ionizing radiation.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019


Supreme Court hears arguments on DACA program as CT immigrants wait

William O. Douglas Clinical Professor of Law Michael Wishnie ’93, Sol Goldman Clinical Professor of Law Muneer Ahmad, and Clinical Associate Professor of Law Marisol Oriheula ’08 are mentioned in a Connecticut Post article about the DACA cases before the Supreme Court.

Wednesday, September 25, 2019


Second Circuit Green-Lights NAACP Lawsuit Over ‘Prisoner Gerrymandering’

Law.com reports that a lawsuit filed by the NAACP over prison gerrymandering in Connecticut can move ahead. The plaintiffs are represented in part by the Peter Gruber Rule of Law Clinic. Clinic director and William O. Douglas Clinical Professor of Law Michael Wishnie ’93 and Alaa Chaker ’20 are mentioned.

Friday, August 30, 2019


Reforming VA’s Response to Military Sexual Trauma

William O. Douglas Clinical Professor of Law and Counselor to the Dean Michael J. Wishnie ’93 is quoted about his paper calling for reforms of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ response to military sexual trauma.

Friday, August 30, 2019


Harp Bolsters Protections for Undocumented Immigrants

William O. Douglas Clinical Professor of Law and Counselor to the Dean Michael J. Wishnie ’93 is quoted in a news story about New Haven Mayor Toni Harp’s executive order strengthening protections for undocumented immigrants.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019


Trump Has 'Absolute Discretion' To Nix DACA, Justices Told

William O. Douglas Clinical Professor of Law and Counselor to the Dean Michael J. Wishnie ’93 and the Jerome N. Frank Legal Services clinic are mentioned in an update of a number of cases related to Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals.

Thursday, August 15, 2019


Sanctuary Order Issued; New Law Sought

William O. Douglas Clinical Professor of Law and Counselor to the Dean Michael J. Wishnie ’93 is quoted in news coverage of a rally for protections for undocumented immigrants in in New Haven.

Tuesday, April 23, 2019


WIRAC Helps Write State’s First Guidelines on Pregnant Workers’ Rights

The state of Connecticut issued its first guidelines clarifying the rights of pregnant workers and the obligations of their employers in a paper that students from the Worker & Immigrant Rights Advocacy Clinic at Yale Law School helped research and draft.

Tuesday, April 16, 2019


Licenses For Undocumented Immigrants Seem To Be Showing Benefits In Connecticut

William O. Douglas Clinical Professor of Law Michael J. Wishnie ’93 is quoted in radio segment about the positive effects of issuing undocumented immigrants driver’s licenses.

Tuesday, February 5, 2019


NAACP Reaches FOIA Deal In 2020 Census Spat

Law360 reports that the NAACP closed a deal with the U.S. Department of Commerce to secure the release of documents related to the preparations for the 2020 census. The plaintiffs are represented by William O. Douglas Clinical Professor of Law Michael Wishnie ’93 and students from the Rule of Law Clinic.

Friday, January 25, 2019


Hannah Schoen ’19 Argues DACA Case at the Second Circuit

Hannah Schoen ’19 of the Worker & Immigrant Rights Advocacy Clinic (WIRAC) argued before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in Batalla-Vidal v. Trump on January 25, 2019.

Wednesday, October 24, 2018


Immigrant Class May Proceed With Mandatory Detention Suit

William O. Douglas Clinical Professor of Law Michael Wishnie ’93 and Clinical Associate Professor of Law Marisol Orihuela ’08 are mentioned in an article about the latest updates in Reid v. Donavan.

Monday, July 23, 2018


WIRAC Mobilizes to Reunite Families

When students and faculty from WIRAC realized two children had been separated from their parents at the southern border and shipped thousands of miles away to Connecticut, they immediately jumped into action.

Wednesday, April 18, 2018


ICE Lies In Wait At Elm Street Courthouse

William O. Douglas Clinical Professor of Law Michael Wishnie ’93 is quoted in an article about detainer requests used by ICE to keep criminal suspects in lock-up so that they may be brought into federal custody.

Monday, April 2, 2018


ICE Deported 1,100 New Haveners

Professor Michael Wishnie ’93 is quoted in an article about undocumented immigrants deported from New Haven County.

Wednesday, February 28, 2018


ICE Blasted For Courthouse Arrests

William O. Douglas Clinical Professor of Law Michael Wishnie '93 is quoted in a story about ICE arresting immigrants who are appearing in court on non-immigration related charges.

Thursday, January 25, 2018


Federal immigration agents say there will be more workplace raids like 7-Eleven

William O. Douglas Clinical Professor of Law Michael Wishnie '93 is quoted in an article about workplace immigration raids.

Tuesday, January 16, 2018


YLS Students Mobilized to Protect Clients From DACA Termination

Yale Law School students mobilized to protect their clients from the abrupt termination of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals

Friday, October 27, 2017


Former CT National Guard soldier wins fight to upgrade discharge

Jordan Goldberg ’19 is quoted, and YLS professor Michael Wishnie ’93, clinical lecturer Aaron Wenzloff, Catherine McCarthy ’19, Jonathan Petkun ’19, Giovanni Sanchez ’19 and Helen White ’18 are mentioned in an article about a former National Guard soldier who won her case to upgrade her discharge status. The soldier was represented by the Veterans Legal Services Clinic.

Wednesday, October 25, 2017


Appeals courts block access to DACA cancellation files

William O. Douglas Clinical Professor of Law Michael Wishnie ’93 is quoted in an article that reports on updates to the legal challenges to President Trump’s plans to end the DACA program.

Tuesday, October 24, 2017


‘We call it the Muslim Ban 3.0’: The young Yale lawyers fighting Trump's order

William O. Douglas Clinical Professor of Law Michael Wishnie ’93 is quoted in an article that profiles former students with the Worker and Immigrant Rights clinic: Rebecca Heller ’10, Justin Cox ’08, Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg ’08, Sirine Shebaya ’12, and Swapna Reddy ’16.

Tuesday, October 3, 2017


Vets sue Defense Department over 1966 Spain H-bomb mishap

The Veterans Legal Services Clinic filed a lawsuit on behalf of airmen who were exposed to radiation in a hydrogen bomb accident in Spain.

Friday, September 22, 2017


Judge orders Army to review discharge status of two CT vets

William O. Douglas Clinical Professor of Law Michael Wishnie ’93, clinical lecturer Aaron Wenzloff, and students with the Veterans’ Legal Services Clinic are mentioned in a story about two Army veterans who have petitioned to have their discharge status upgraded by the Army.

Friday, September 15, 2017


Experts: Veterans should ‘get out in the streets’ to protest government’s handling of ‘bad paper’

William O. Douglas Clinical Professor of Law Michael Wishnie ’93 is quoted in an article about a presentation he took part in in Washington regarding the military’s and VA’s handling of other-than-honorable discharges.

Wednesday, September 6, 2017


Democrats Begin Legal Assault on Trump’s Move to End ‘Dreamer’ Program

William O. Douglas Clinical Professor of Law Michael Wishnie ’93 and Visiting Clinical Lecturer in Law Andrew Pincus are quoted in an article about the various legal challenges to President Trump’s rollback of DACA.

Tuesday, August 29, 2017


Pentagon expands policy to upgrade vets’ bad paper discharges

William O. Douglas Clinical Professor of Law Michael Wishnie ’93 is quoted in an article about a Department of Defense directive that instructs the Army Review Boards Agency to give increased consideration to veterans looking to upgrade their less-than-honorable discharges.

Friday, August 4, 2017


No Sanctuary for the Immigration Lawyer

William O. Douglas Clinical Professor of Law Michael Wishnie ’93 and students from the Worker and Immigrant Rights Advocacy Clinic are mentioned in an opinion piece on the case of Nury Chavarria who was granted a stay of deportation after seeking sanctuary in a New Haven church.

Wednesday, July 26, 2017


Undocumented immigrant who took sanctuary in New Haven church granted stay of deportation

William O. Douglas Clinical Professor of Law Michael Wishnie ’93 and Clinical Associate Professor of Law Marisol Oriheula ’08 are quoted in an article about Nury Chavarria who was granted a stay of deportation after seeking sanctuary in a New Haven church. Ms. Chavarria was represented by students with the Worker and Immigrant Rights Advocacy Clinic.

Tuesday, July 25, 2017


As Nation Listens, Nury Embraces Role

William O. Douglas Clinical Professor of Law Michael Wishnie ’93 is quoted in a story about a woman who has been given sanctuary in a New Haven church after being ordered to leave the country by ICE.

Tuesday, June 20, 2017


Study finds racial bias is endemic in military justice system

William O. Douglas Clinical Professor of Law Michael Wishnie ’93 is quoted in an article about a study showing racial bias in the military justice system.

Tuesday, June 13, 2017


Federal Court Cites Rule of Law Clinic Brief in Travel Ban Decision

Federal Court cites amicus brief from 42 National Security Officials written by Yale Law School’s Rule of Law Clinic in a ruling against the President’s revised executive order limiting travel from six predominantly Muslim countries.

Sunday, May 7, 2017


A Travel Ban’s Foe: A Young Firebrand and Her Pro Bono Brigade

Deputy Dean for Experiential Education and William O. Douglas Clinical Professor of Law Michael Wishnie ’93 is quoted in a profile of visiting clinical lecturer Rebecca Heller ’10. Ms. Heller’s husband, Dan Mullkoff ’10, is mentioned.

Tuesday, March 28, 2017


As ICE Retaliates Against Austin, Learn How New Haven Fought Back Against a 2007 ICE Crackdown

Deputy Dean for Experiential Education and William O. Douglas Clinical Professor of Law Michael Wishnie ’93 is interviewed about how New Haven responded to ICE raids in 2007.

Thursday, March 16, 2017


Rule of Law Clinic Amicus Brief Asks Court to Strike Down Revised Travel Order

The Rule of Law Clinic at Yale Law School filed an amicus brief on behalf of 40 senior former national security officials on March 15, 2017 in support of the Iraqi Refugee Assistance Project’s lawsuit against the President of the United States.

Thursday, March 9, 2017


No time to lose

A feature article on the lawsuit filed by the YLS Worker and Immigrant Rights Advocacy Clinic filed in response to Donald Trump’s executive order regarding refugees. Numerous faculty, current students, and alumni are quoted.

Monday, March 6, 2017


For Yale Law Group Fighting Trump’s Travel Ban, Echoes of 1991

The work of WIRAC on the immigration Executive Order is discussed in an article and video. Deputy Dean for Experiential Education and William O. Douglas Clinical Professor of Law Michael Wishnie ’93, Sterling Professor of International Law Harold Hongju Koh, Lisa Daugaard ’92, and My Khanh Ngo ’17 are quoted.

Monday, February 27, 2017


Law Not Clear Cut On “Sanctuary” Edict

Sterling Professor of Law and Political Science Akhil Amar ’84 and Deputy Dean for Experiential Education and William O. Douglas Clinical Professor of Law Michael Wishnie are quoted in an article about whether the federal government can withhold funds from sanctuary cities.

Tuesday, February 21, 2017


Forever Prison

Sterling Professor of International Law Harold Koh, Deputy Dean for Experiential Education and William O. Douglas Clinical Professor of Law Michael Wishnie ’93, Ray Brescia ’92, and Lisa Daugaard ’95 were interviewed for a feature on their efforts on behalf of Haitian refugees detained at the U.S. Naval base in Cuba after a 1991 coup in Haiti.

Tuesday, February 21, 2017


History is Repeating Itself

Deputy Dean for Experiential Education and William O. Douglas Clinical Professor of Law Michael Wishnie ’93 and My Khanh Ngo ’17 and were interviewed as part of a short film about the Worker and Immigrant Rights Advocay Clinic challenge to Trump’s travel ban.

Wednesday, February 1, 2017


Challenging the Refugee and Travel Ban

A story about how Yale Law students, faculty, and alumni mobilized to fight the presidential executive order on immigration manning certain refugees and immigrants from the U.S.

Monday, January 30, 2017


Liberal Lawyers Plan Wave of Resistance to Trump Policies

A story on the WIRAC students’ efforts to stop deportations in the wake of President Trump’s executive order. Deputy Dean for Experiential Education and William O. Douglas Clinical Professor of Law Michael Wishnie ’93 and Clinical Professor of Law Muneer Ahmad are also mentioned.

Sunday, January 29, 2017


Yale law prof sees constitutional issues in Trump immigration orders; reform advocate lauds enforcement

Deputy Dean for Experiential Education and William O. Douglas Clinical Professor of Law Michael Wishnie ’93 is quoted in an article on the legal challenge to the executive order.

Sunday, January 29, 2017


Law Students Help Halt Deportations

Deputy Dean for Experiential Education and William O. Douglas Clinical Professor of Law Michael Wishnie ’93 is quoted in an article on the legal challenge to the executive order.

Wednesday, January 25, 2017


Up To $56M At Risk In Trump Order

Deputy Dean for Experiential Education and William O. Douglas Clinical Professor of Law Michael Wishnie ’93 is quoted about whether Donald Trump’s executive order regarding federal immigration law can be enforced.

Sunday, January 15, 2017


Pardons sought for veterans with PTSD

Deputy Dean for Experiential Education and William O. Douglas Clinical Professor of Law Michael Wishnie ’93 is quoted in an article about the difficulty faced by veterans seeking to upgrade their discharge status from less-than-honorable.

Tuesday, January 3, 2017


Harsh Memories of Raids, Grim Fears for the Future

Deputy Dean for Experiential Education and William O. Douglas Clinical Professor of Law Michael Wishnie ’93 is quoted in an article about potential deportation of undocumented immigrants under the incoming administration.

Monday, October 10, 2016


Brooklyn Lawsuit Could Affect the Fate of Millions of Immigrants Nationwide

Deputy Dean for Experiential Education and William O. Douglas Clinical Professor of Law Michael J. Wishnie ’93 was quoted in an article about an immigration case filed by WIRAC, Make the Road New York, and the National Immigration Law Center against the federal government.

Wednesday, September 7, 2016


Justice Department Bringing New Information to Case at Supreme Court; Move follows government apologizes for erroneous information provided in this manner

Deputy Dean for Experiential Education and William O. Douglas Clinical Professor of Law Michael Wishnie ’93 is quoted in an article about concerns over the veracity of information introduced at Supreme Court cases involving immigration.

Monday, April 25, 2016


Law professors: Tax changes for Yale constitutional

Deputy Dean for Experiential Education and William O. Douglas Clinical Professor of Law Michael Wishnie ’93 is quoted in an article about Bill 414, now before the Connecticut state government, that seeks to clarify Yale’s tax-exempt status. 

Monday, April 25, 2016


The exceptions: Among Vietnam vets, a rare few score Agent Orange benefits for bladder cancer

Deputy Dean for Experiential Education and William O. Douglas Clinical Professor of Law Michael Wishnie ’93 is quoted in an article about the number of Vietnam veterans who have been able to receive disability benefits related to their exposure to Agent Orange.

Wednesday, March 16, 2016


Court Hearing Scheduled as Feds Block Subpoenaed Immigrants From Testifying Before Conn. Legislature

Andrea Levien ’17 and Avinash Samarth ’16 are quoted, and supervising attorneys Nicole Hallett ’08, Jason Parkin, and Michael Wishnie ’93 are mentioned in an article about developments in the case of two Connecticut residents deported to Italy by Immigration, Customs and Enforcement.

Friday, February 26, 2016


Connecticut legislative committee subpoenas seek testimony from deported former residents

Meghan Ram ’18 and Aaron Korthuis ’17 are quoted and Deputy Dean for Experiential Education and William O. Douglas Clinical Professor of Law Michael Wishnie ’93 is mentioned in an article about two Connecticut residents deported to Italy by Immigration, Customs and Enforcement. The two are represented by the Worker & Immigrant Rights Advocacy Clinic, the Veterans Legal Service Clinic and the Criminal Justice Clinic.

Friday, February 19, 2016


Veterans Want Past Discharges to Recognize Post-Traumatic Stress

The Veterans Legal Services Clinic is mentioned and YLS professor Michael Wishnie ’93 is quoted in an article about veterans seeking to reevaluate less-than-honorable discharges due to PTSD.

Tuesday, February 16, 2016


Wishnie: We May Get A Justice In 2016

Deputy Dean for Experiential Education and William O. Douglas Clinical Professor of Law Michael Wishnie ’93 was interviewed about the vacancy left by the death of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia.

Wednesday, January 20, 2016


Defense Dept. Agrees to Disclosure of PTSD Records for Vets Clinic Clients

The Veterans Legal Services Clinic at Yale Law School received a settlement in the U.S. District Court in Connecticut in Vietnam Veterans of America et al v. Dept. of Defense et al.

Wednesday, January 6, 2016


New Haven Groups Rally Against Possible Immigration Raids

Deputy Dean for Experiential Education and William O. Douglas Clinical Professor of Law Michael Wishnie ’93 is quoted in an article about support for undocumented immigrants facing potential deportation. The Worker and Immigration Rights Advocacy Clinic is mentioned.

Monday, November 2, 2015


Yale Law Students Says Military Won't Release Records Linked to PTSD Lawsuit

Senator Richard Blumenthal ’73 and Elizabeth Dervan ’17 are quoted, and the Jerome N. Frank Legal Services Organization is mentioned, in an article on efforts to get data from the Department of Defense on the number of veterans who have requested discharge status upgrades.

Monday, November 2, 2015


New Data Shows Jump in Relief to Veterans with PTSD

The Vets Clinic held a press conference about a report based on newly disclosed records revealing an increase in the approvals of discharge upgrade applications from veterans with PTSD.

Friday, September 18, 2015


Delaware Senator Chris Coons ’92 to Deliver Dean’s Lecture October 15

Chris Coons ’92 JD/DIV, United States Senator from Delaware, will be in conversation with Professor Michael Wishnie ’93 on October 15, 2015, at 4:30 pm in the Faculty Lounge. The topic of this dean’s lecture will be “The United States Senate: A Frank Conversation.”

Tuesday, July 21, 2015


Lynch visits Connecticut in stop on community policing tour

Deputy Dean for Experiential Education, William O. Douglas Clinical Professor of Law, and director of the Jerome N. Frank Legal Services Organization Michael Wishnie ’93 is quoted in an Associated Press article about improved relations between East Haven’s Latino community and its police force.

Thursday, July 9, 2015


San Francisco slaying case likely would have played out differently in Connecticut

YLS clinical professor and Director, Jerome N. Frank Legal Services Organization, Michael Wishnie ’93 is quoted in an article about communities that have limited cooperation with Immigration and Custom Enforcement in reaction to the 2008 Secure Communities program. The Workers and Immigrant Rights Advocacy Clinic is mentioned.

Monday, July 6, 2015


Law Clinics Answer the Call

Deputy Dean for Experiential Education, William O. Douglas Clinical Professor of Law, and director of the Jerome N. Frank Legal Services Organization Michael Wishnie ’93 is quoted, and the Veterans Legal Services Clinic mentioned, in an article about work being done by law school veterans clinics across the country.

Monday, June 22, 2015


Vietnam Veterans Declared Eligible To Receive Long-Denied Benefits

Deputy Dean for Experiential Education, William O. Douglas Clinical Professor of Law, and director of the Jerome N. Frank Legal Services Organization Michael Wishnie ’93 and Virginia McCalmont ’15 are quoted in an article about five Vietnam War veterans who were granted upgrades to their discharge status after filing suit against the Armed Forces. The Yale Law School Veterans Legal Clinic, who represented the veterans, is mentioned.

Monday, June 22, 2015


Vets Clinic Wins Case over Bad Discharges for Vietnam Veterans with PTSD

Vietnam combat veterans who brought a class action lawsuit in federal court have won: the Pentagon has agreed to upgrade each man’s “other-than-honorable” discharge status. 

Monday, May 4, 2015


Clinic Files Lawsuit for Records About Discharge of Veterans with PTSD

Vietnam Veterans of America and the National Veterans Council for Legal Redress filed suit against the Department of Defense and the Departments of the Army, Navy, and Air Force to compel the release of records regarding their discharge of veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). 

Friday, May 1, 2015


WIRAC Clinic Files Lawsuit Against Goodfellas Restaurant in New Haven

Former workers from Goodfellas Restaurant in New Haven filed a federal lawsuit against the restaurant alleging, wage theft, harassment, and racketeering offenses. The lawsuit was filed by the Worker & Immigrant Rights Advocacy Clinic at Yale Law School.

Sunday, April 19, 2015


East Haven offers a blueprint for Justice Department involvement in Ferguson

Deputy Dean for Experiential Education, William O. Douglas Clinical Professor of Law, and director of the Jerome N. Frank Legal Services Organization Michael Wishnie ’93 is quoted in an article about improved relations between the East Haven police department and the town’s Hispanic community.

Monday, April 6, 2015


Veterans Clinic Files Nation-Wide Class Action, Challenging Delays in VA Benefits Processing

The Veterans Legal Services Clinic at Yale Law School filed a lawsuit Monday on behalf of a Marine Corps veteran and thousands of other veterans seeking to compel the Secretary of Veterans’ Affairs to decide initial disability compensation appeals that have been pending more than one year. 

Monday, February 2, 2015


Group seeks data on gender targets of US service academies

Deputy Dean for Experiential Education, William O. Douglas Clinical Professor of Law, and director of the Jerome N. Frank Legal Services Organization Michael Wishnie ’93 is quoted in a story on a lawsuit filed by the Veterans Legal Services Clinic, the ACLU, and the Service Women's Action Network. The complaint alleges that the U.S. Department of Defense did not respond to previous requests for data on recruitment tactics and gender targets.

Tuesday, January 27, 2015


Yale Law School Veterans Clinic Advocates for Marginalized Veteran Populations—A Commentary by Michael Wishnie ’93

Michael J. Wishnie ’93 is the Deputy Dean for Experiential Education and the William O. Douglas Clinical Professor of Law at Yale Law School. This information or any portion thereof may not be copied or disseminated in any form or by any means or downloaded or stored in an electronic database or retrieval system without the express written consent of the American Bar Association.  

Tuesday, January 20, 2015


Judge Expands Immigration Bond Hearing Ruling in WIRAC Lawsuit

The Worker & Immigrant Rights Advocacy Clinic (WIRAC) at Yale Law School recently secured another victory when Judge Michael A. Ponsor ‘74 ruled that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) must provide bond hearings to detained immigrants while their deportation hearings are being appealed.

Tuesday, November 4, 2014


Worker and Immigrant Rights Advocacy Clinic Receives Award from South Asian Bar Association

The South Asian Bar Association of Connecticut presented its 2014 Community Service Award to the Yale Law School Worker and Immigrant Rights Advocacy Clinic on October 28 in Hartford.

Monday, June 9, 2014


Civil Rights Plaintiffs Settle With East Haven, Secure Groundbreaking Immigration Policy

Civil rights plaintiffs in Chacón v. East Haven Police Department today announced a groundbreaking settlement with the Town of East Haven. 

Thursday, November 21, 2013


Veterans Clinic Client to Sue Army Over False "Adjustment Disorder" Diagnosis, Denial of Retirement Benefits

In what is believed to be a first-of-its-kind lawsuit, U.S. Army National Guard veteran William Cowles is challenging the illegal denial of his application for medical retirement and asserts that the Army hastily discharged him based on an erroneous diagnosis of adjustment disorder when he should have been medically retired for post-traumatic stress disorder. 

Saturday, February 9, 2013


Michael J. Wishnie ’93 to Discuss Resistance and Regeneration in William O. Douglas Inaugural Lecture

Michael J. Wishnie's ’93, will present his inaugural lecture as the William O. Douglas Clinicial Professor of Law Monday, April 8, 2013.

Tuesday, January 10, 2012


Michael Wishnie ’93 Named William O. Douglas Clinical Professor of Law

Michael Wishnie ’93, a clinical professor of law at Yale Law School and director of the Jerome N. Frank Legal Services Organization, has been named the William O. Douglas Clinical Professor of Law at Yale Law School.

Monday, November 15, 2010


Students Hear Arizona Immigration Case Argued Live, Thanks to Ninth Circuit Video Initiative

Yale Law School is taking part in an educational initiative that enables students to watch live streaming video of oral arguments heard before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Monday, October 4, 2010


New YLS Clinic Offers Legal Assistance to Connecticut Veterans

Yale Law School has launched a new clinic to train students to address the needs of Connecticut’s military veterans.

Monday, December 3, 2007


National Immigration Policy Reform

National Security, Business and Immigrants' Rights Perspectives on Immigration Reform

“Call Air Traffic Control! Confronting Crisis as Lawyers and Teachers” (with Muneer Ahmad), in Ray Brescia & Eric K. Stern, eds., CRISIS LAWYERING: EFFECTIVE LEGAL ADVOCACY IN EMERGENCY SITUATIONS (NYU Press: 2021)

A Boy Gets Into Trouble”: Service Members, Civil Rights, and Veterans’ Law Exceptionalism, 97 B.U. L. REV. 1709 (2017)

Asking for Directions: The Case for Federal Courts To Use Certification Across Borders, 125 YALE L. J. F. 156 (2015) (with Oona A. Hathaway)

Forty Years of First-Year Students Representing Clients at Yale, in E. Capulong, M. Millemann, S. Rankin & N. Ruan, eds., THE NEW 1L: FIRST-YEAR LAWYERING WITH CLIENTS (Carolina Press: 2015)

Yale Law School Veterans Clinic Advocates for Marginalized Veteran Populations, Access to Justice, Vol 2., No. 1 (ABA Section of Litigation: Winter 2015)

Imagining Immigration Reform, THE VOLUNTEER (Sept. 2013)

Immigration Law and the Proportionality Requirement, 2 U.C. IRV. L. REV. 415 (2012) Reprinted in __ IMM. & NAT. L. REV. (2013)

Proportionality in Immigration Law: Does the Punishment Fit the Crime in Immigration Court? (Immigration Policy Center: 2012)

Proportionality: The Struggle for Balance in U.S. Immigration Policy, 72 U. PITT. L. REV. 431 (2011)

The Summer of '10: Federal Power, Local Autonomy, and the Struggle over Immigration Policy, 4 ORIGINS 2 (Nov. 2010)

Welfare Reform at Ten: Integration, Exclusion, and Immigration Federalism, in Michael Fix, ed., IMMIGRANT FAMILIES AND CHILDREN ON THE TENTH ANNIVERSARY OF WELFARE REFORM (Migration Policy Institute: 2009)

The Constitutional Law of Immigration Enforcement,” in Raids on Workers: Destroying Our Rights (UFCW: 2009) (with Justin Cox)

Collateral Damage: An Examination of ICE’s Fugitive Operations Program, (Migration Policy Institute: 2009) (with Margot Mendelson & Shayna Strom)

"The Story of Sale v. Haitian Centers Council, Inc.: Guantanamo and Refoulment, (with Harold H. Koh), in Deena Hurwitz and Meg Satterthwaite, eds. HUMAN RIGHTS ADVOCACY STORIES (Foundation Press: 2009)

Labor Law After Legalization, 92 MINN. L. REV. 1446 (2008)

Prohibiting the Employment of Unauthorized Immigrants: The Experiment Fails, 2007 U. CHIC. LEG. FOR. 193 (2007)

The Story of Hoffman Plastic Compounds, Inc. v. NLRB: Labor Rights Without Remedies for Undocumented Immigrants (with Catherine Fisk), in Laura Cooper & Catherine Fisk, eds., LABOR LAW STORIES (Foundation Press: 2005). 

Hoffman Plastic Compounds, Inc. v. NLRB: The Rules of the Workplace for Undocumented Immigrants (with Catherine Fisk), in Peter Schuck & David Martin, eds., IMMIGRATION STORIES (Foundation Press: 2005)

Blurring the Lines: A Profile of State and Local Police Enforcement of Immigration Law Using the National Crime Information Center Database, 2002–2004 (Migration Policy Institute: 2005) (with others)

Emerging Issues for Undocumented Workers, 6 U. PA. J. LABOR & EMP. L. 497 (2004). Reprinted in Samuel Estreicher, ed., CROSS-BORDER HUMAN RESOURCES – LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT ISSUES, Proceedings of New York University 54th Annual Conference on Labor (2005); 9 BENDER’S IMMIGR. BULL. (2004); BENDER’S LAB. & EMP. BULL. (2005)

Introduction — The Border Crossed Us: Current Issues in Immigrant Labor, 28 NYU REV. L. & SOC. CHG. 389 (2004)

State and Local Police Enforcement of Immigration Laws, 4 U. PA. J. CONST. L. 1084 (2004). Reprinted in 25 IMM. & NAT. L. REV. (2005)

Immigrants and the Right to Petition, 78 N.Y.U. L. REV. 667 (2003). Reprinted in 24 IMM. & NAT. L. REV. (2004) and in part in Margaret M. Russell, ed., THE FIRST AMENDMENT FREEDOM OF ASSEMBLY AND PETITION: ITS CONSTITUTIONAL HISTORY AND THE CONTEMPORARY DEBATE (Prometheus: 2010)

America's Challenge: Domestic Security, Civil Liberties, And National Unity After September 11 (Migration Policy Institute: 2003) (with others)

Immigrant Workers and the Domestic Enforcement of International Labor Rights, 4 U. PA. J. LABOR & EMP. L. 529 (2002)

The Historical Scope of Habeas Corpus and INS v. St. Cyr, 16 GEO. IMMIGR. L. J. 485 (2002) (with James Oldham)

Brief Amici Curiae of Legal Historians in INS v. St. Cyr, 16 GEO. IMMIGR. L. J. 465 (2002) (with others)

Introduction: Immigration and Federalism, 58 ANN. SURV. AM. L. 283 (2002)

Authority of State and Local Officers to Arrest Aliens Suspected of Civil Infractions of Federal Immigration Law, 7 BENDER’S IMMIGR. BULL. 944 (2003) (with others)

Laboratories of Bigotry? Devolution of the Immigration Power, Equal Protection, and Federalism, 76 N.Y.U. L. REV. 493 (2001). Reprinted in 22 IMM. & NAT. L. REV. 51 (2002).

Aliens and the Duty of Nonrefoulement: Haitian Centers Council v. McNary, 6 HARV. HUM. RGTS. L. J. 1 (1993) (with others).