Providing quality immigration legal services requires particular knowledge and experience, and — even more so in rural areas — there are simply not enough qualified immigration attorneys to meet community needs. ILD employs some of the most seasoned, respected immigration attorneys in the field who, in turn, train, and mentor pro-bono attorneys at national law firms and junior attorneys placed as fellows at various nonprofits throughout California. 

In 2021, ILD worked with the State of California to advocate for and develop a historic pilot program called the California Immigration Justice Fellowship (CIJF) to increase and improve immigration legal services throughout the state. During the fellowship, ten lawyers and recent law graduates receive intensive training and mentorship from ILD and other organizations that prepare them to provide removal defense legal services to immigrants in underserved areas of California — including the Central Coast and Central Valley, locations historically limited in their capacity to provide pro-bono direct representation and who have never before been able to represent people locked in immigration detention. After a successful two-year pilot, the state of California — which increasingly recognizes immigration legal access as a fundamental equity issue — decided to continue funding the program in perpetuity. In addition to assisting with the overall fellowship program design, ILD conducts group legal training for all program fellows and provides ongoing support for the other nonprofit host agencies. 

ILD also partners with over 20 national law firms and corporate counsels to provide pro bono mentorship and client representation for hundreds of DACA recipients and asylum seekers each year. This mentorship covers training pro-bono lawyers in the DACA forms and process, asylum case representation, organizing and supervising tele-clinics with pro-bono lawyers and clients, and creating replicable training materials.