Muneer I. Ahmad

Sol Goldman Clinical Professor of Law and Director, Jerome N. Frank Legal Services Organization


Muneer Ahmad is Sol Goldman Clinical Professor of Law and Director of the Jerome N. Frank Legal Services Organization at Yale Law School. He co-teaches the Worker and Immigrant Rights Advocacy Clinic (WIRAC). In WIRAC, he and his students represent individuals, groups and organizations in both litigation and non-litigation matters related to immigration, immigrants’ rights, and labor, and intersections among them.

FULL BIOGRAPHY
Muneer I. Ahmad

Contact Information



Education & Curriculum Vitae


J.D., Harvard Law School, 1996
A.B., Harvard University, 1993

Courses Taught


  • Refugee and Immigration Law, Policy and Practice in Crisis
  • Worker & Immigrant Rights Advocacy Clinic

Muneer Ahmad is Sol Goldman Clinical Professor of Law and Director of the Jerome N. Frank Legal Services Organization at Yale Law School. He co-teaches in the Worker and Immigrant Rights Advocacy Clinic (WIRAC). In WIRAC, he and his students represent individuals, groups and organizations in both litigation and non-litigation matters related to immigration, immigrants’ rights, and labor, and intersections among them. He has represented immigrants in a range of labor, immigration, and trafficking cases, and for three years represented a prisoner at Guantanamo Bay; he has written on these and related topics. In the Transnational Development Clinic, Professor Ahmad and his students work on projects designed to identify productive sites for intervention for U.S.-based lawyers in global poverty work. This included work regarding the rights of street vendors in India, the barriers faced by immigrant communities in sending remittances to their home countries, access to essential medicines, institutional accountability among international financial institutions, and advocacy on behalf of workers displaced by changes in trade policy. His scholarship examines the intersections of immigration, race, and citizenship in both legal theory and legal practice. Previously, he was Professor of Law at American University Washington College of Law. Prior to joining the faculty at American in 2001, he was a Skadden Fellow and staff attorney at the Asian Pacific American Legal Center in Los Angeles. He clerked for the Hon. William K. Sessions III in the U.S. District Court for the District of Vermont.

Monday, May 2, 2022


Clinical Education at Yale Law School Celebrates 50 Years

Faculty, students, and alumni recently gathered to celebrate the 50th anniversary of clinical education and the Jerome N. Frank Legal Services Organization at Yale Law School.

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.

Tuesday, April 27, 2021


Yale Teach-In Series Reflects on the Path Forward After the Chauvin Verdict

A series of three teach-ins involving Law School faculty, staff, alumni, and affiliates presented an opportunity for the Yale community to reflect and come together in the wake of the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin.

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, 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.

Sunday, November 15, 2020


Acting DHS Secretary Lacked Authority To Suspend DACA Program, Judge Rules

Sol Goldman Clinical Professor of Law Muneer Ahmad was interviewed on NPR about the Trump administration’s efforts to roll back DACA and the role of the Worker and Immigrant Rights Advocacy Clinic 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. 

Thursday, July 16, 2020


Despite Supreme Court ruling, Trump administration rejects new DACA applications

Sol Goldman Clinical Professor of Law Muneer Ahmad is quoted in the Los Angeles Times about the government’s rejection of new DACA applications, despite a recent Supreme Court ruling.

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.

Monday, April 13, 2020


DACA health workers risk their lives to fight COVID-19 while they await SCOTUS ruling

Sol Goldman Clinical Professor of Law Muneer Ahmad is quoted, and the Worker and Immigrant Rights Advocacy Clinic is mentioned, in a Public Radio International story about legal efforts to have SCOTUS block the termination of DACA in light of COVID19.

Monday, April 13, 2020


Professors Ahmad, Orihuela Hold Webinar on DACA Litigation Amid COVID-19

Professors Muneer Ahmad and Marisol Orihuela participated in a webinar titled “DACA Litigation and Advocacy in the Face of COVID-19.”

Thursday, April 9, 2020


“Panic and Fear Already Consume Our Daily Lives”: Will the Supreme Court Pass the Coronavirus Test?

Sol Goldman Clinical Professor of Law Muneer Ahmad is quoted in Vanity Fair about a letter from the Worker and Immigrant Rights Advocacy Clinic urging the SCOTUS to block the termination of DACA in light of COVID19.

Friday, March 27, 2020


‘Dreamers’ Tell Supreme Court Ending DACA During Pandemic Would Be ‘Catastrophic’

Sol Goldman Clinical Professor of Law and Director of the Jerome N. Frank Legal Services Organization Muneer Ahmad and YLS student Ramis Wadood ’21 are quoted in the New York Times about a letter filed by the Worker & Immigrant Rights Advocacy Clinic informing the Supreme Court of how the COVID-19 pandemic bears on its case challenging the 2017 termination of the DACA policy.

Friday, November 22, 2019


ICE Can't Use Evidence From Illegal Arrest, 2nd Circ. Says

Sol Goldman Clinical Professor of Law Muneer Ahmad is mentioned in a Law360 article about the case of Christian Rodriguez, arrested by ICE in 2007. Professor Ahmad and students from the Worker and Immigrant Rights Advocacy Clinic represent Mr. Rodriguez.

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.

Tuesday, June 25, 2019


WIRAC Reaches Major Settlement on Behalf of Asylum-Seeking Family

The Worker and Immigrant Rights Advocacy Clinic (WIRAC) at Yale Law School announced the settlement of one of the first cases in the nation to seek damages against the Department of Homeland Security for their practice of family detention.

Wednesday, October 3, 2018


IRIS workshop sheds light on immigration policy, advocacy

Clinical Professor of Law Muneer Ahmad is quoted about a workshop titled “Immigration Policy and Advocacy 101” hosted by New Haven’s Integrated Refugee and Immigrant Services.

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.

Tuesday, July 17, 2018


WIRAC Helps Reunite Two Immigrant Families

Two families that had been forcibly separated and detained for weeks have been reunited after a successful legal challenge by Yale Law School’s Worker & Immigrant Rights Advocacy Clinic (WIRAC) and Connecticut Legal Services.

Tuesday, July 17, 2018


Immigrant Children, Parents Reunified In Connecticut, But What's Next?

Clinical Professor of Law Muneer Ahmad and Clinical Associate Professor of Law Marisol Orihuela ’08 are quoted in a report on the reunification of two children and their parents who had been separated at the U.S.-Mexico border. The children were represented by the Worker and Immigrant Rights Advocacy Clinic and CT Legal Services. 

Wednesday, February 14, 2018


Yale Law School Clinics Secure Third Nationwide Injunction

Yale Law clinics have secured three nationwide injunctions in a little over one year, making headlines and shaping the national conversation.

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 20, 2017


Second Circuit Grants Trump's Stay in Pair of DACA Suits

Deputy Dean for Experiential Education, a Clinical Professor of Law, and the Director of the Jerome N. Frank Legal Services Organization Muneer Ahmad is mentioned in a report on Batalla Vidal v Baran, that challenges the Trump administration’s termination of the DACA program. The plaintiff is represented by Ahmad and students with the Worker and Immigrant Rights Advocacy Clinic.

Tuesday, August 15, 2017


Is it ever OK to ask children to translate for their parents in emergency situations?

Deputy Dean for Experiential Education and Clinical Professor of Law Muneer Ahmad is quoted in an article about whether children should be used as interpreters in emergency situations.

Friday, March 17, 2017


American courts are tackling Islamophobia – why won’t Europeans?—A Commentary by Muneer I. Ahmad

Muneer Ahmad is a Clinical Professor of Law at Yale Law School.

Friday, February 24, 2017


U.S. List of Those Detained for Trump’s Travel Ban Is Called Incomplete

Clinical Professor of Law Muneer Ahmad and Rebecca Heller ’10 are quoted in an article on efforts to obtain information about those detained and or deported in the wake of President 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.

Wednesday, February 1, 2017


See Something Say Something

Clinical Professor of Law Muneer Ahmad was interviewed about legal efforts in response to President Trump’s executive order on refugees.

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.

Tuesday, November 22, 2016


What Are 'Sanctuary Cities?'

Clinical Professor of Law Muneer Ahmad is quoted in an article about sanctuary cities.

Monday, November 21, 2016


What a Trump Crackdown on Muslims Might Look Like

Clinical Professor of Law Muneer Ahmad is quoted in an article about a possible Muslim registry under the new administration. Kris Kobach ’95, Kansas Secretary of State and Trump advisor, is mentioned.

Tuesday, August 23, 2016


It’s Time for the United Nations to Compensate Haiti for Its Cholera Disaster—A Commentary by Muneer I. Ahmad and Alice M. Miller

Muneer I. Ahmad is a Clinical Professor of Law and Alice M. Miller is an Associate Professor (Adjunct) of Law and the Co-Director of the Global Health Justice Partnership at Yale Law School.

Tuesday, June 21, 2016


Both Targets Of Discrimination, How To Unite Muslims And LGBT Community

Clinical Professor of Law Muneer Ahmad is interviewed about ways in which to unite the LGBT and Muslim communities.

Tuesday, June 14, 2016


Gay Pride, Ramadan, and Solidarity After Orlando—A Commentary by Muneer I. Ahmad

Muneer Ahmad is a Clinical Professor of Law at Yale Law School.

Wednesday, November 19, 2014


Panel Discusses Successes and Failures of International Response in Haiti

Panelists discussed the aftermath of the 2010 earthquake in Haiti and what lessons could be learned from those experiences for future global crisis response at an event at Yale Law School.

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.

Wednesday, May 21, 2014


YLS 2014 Commencement: Graduates Encouraged to Use Law to Work Toward an Imagined Future—PHOTOS, SPEECHES, VIDEO

More than 200 graduates of Yale Law School participated in commencement ceremonies on Monday afternoon at the William K. Lanman Center at Payne Whitney Gymnasium, joined by a celebratory crowd of more than 1400 people, including friends, family, and Law School faculty.

Wednesday, April 6, 2011


New Clinic Focuses on Global Poverty Lawyering

The new Transnational Development Clinic at Yale Law School is tackling important issues such as street vendor rights, remittances, and assistance to displaced workers.

View the study

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.

Thursday, June 4, 2009


Muneer I. Ahmad Appointed Clinical Professor of Law

Muneer I. Ahmad, professor of law at American University’s Washington College of Law and a specialist in immigration law and international human rights, will join the Yale Law School faculty on July 1, 2009, as a clinical professor of law.