Appropriations committee approves $400,000 for UND immigration law clinic; bill passes on voice vote

Representative Lawrence Clameen presented House Bill 1,600 to the Appropriations Committee and described a proposal to establish an immigration law clinic at the University of North Dakota School of Law. "The bill contains an appropriation of, dollars 400,000," Clameen said, and he handed out a Dean’s cost estimate showing annual program needs of $150,000 to $200,000 for a staff attorney, travel, software, malpractice insurance, interpreters and administrative support.

Representative O’Brien described the clinic’s purpose as helping employers navigate work‑visa processes and providing law students experiential practice: “The intention… is to help these individuals to go through the process because the employers are the ones that are navigating it,” she said, and added the clinic would serve the entire state using remote tools such as Teams or Zoom.

Committee members asked operational questions including geographic reach, whether the clinic would substitute for private practitioners, and how the clinic would coordinate with the Office of Legal Immigration under the Department of Commerce. Witnesses and members acknowledged limited existing immigration legal capacity in the state — testimony identified only a few active immigration attorneys — and supporters said the clinic aims to expand local capacity and provide a training pipeline.

Representative Murphy moved a due‑pass recommendation; Representative Richter seconded. The committee recorded a roll call and the motion carried (as announced in committee): "Motion carries. 22 and 1." The bill will return to the original carrier in the Judiciary Committee for floor consideration.

The transcript shows no further fiscal or policy amendments at the Appropriations hearing.