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Jayesh Rathod Professor WCL Faculty

Contact
Jayesh Rathod
WCL | General Academics & Research
Yuma Building Y221
Degrees
J.D., Columbia University School of Law 2001
A.B, Harvard University 1997

Bio

Jayesh  Rathod is Professor of Law and Director of the Immigrant Justice Clinic at  American University Washington College of Law. His areas of expertise and  scholarly interests include immigration law, labor and employment law, and  clinical legal education.

Professor Rathod has published empirical, applied, and theoretical work in a variety of prominent journals, including the Columbia Law Review, Yale Law Journal Forum, U.C. Irvine Law Review, Arizona Law Review, and the Michigan Journal of Law Reform. In 2018, he received the Pauline Ruyle Moore Award for outstanding scholarship in the area of public law. Professor Rathod has also been recognized for his impactful and innovative teaching, including the use of technology and the promotion of bilingual legal education. In 2023, the Society of American Law Teachers awarded him its Great Teacher Award for his contributions to the legal academy.

Professor Rathod has worked on cutting-edge cases and projects relating to immigration detention, removal defense (including criminal-immigration intersections), humanitarian relief, immigrant workers’ rights, language access, and more. He has been invited to speak on immigration and workplace law topics at institutions across the United States, and has served as a commentator in local, national, and international media (including CNN, NBC News, and National Public Radio). 

Professor Rathod was a Fulbright Scholar at two universities in Brazil, where he taught courses on U.S. immigration law and comparative migration policy, and conducted research relating to the Brazilian immigration system. He is fluent in Spanish and proficient in Portuguese.

Prior to joining the AUWCL faculty, Professor Rathod was a Staff Attorney at CASA, where he represented immigrant day laborers, domestic workers, and union members on immigration and employment law matters. Following his graduation from law school, he practice at Wilmer, Cutler & Pickering (now WilmerHale) and clerked for the late Honorable Louis F. Oberdorfer on the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

See Also
SSRN AUTHOR PAGE
Areas of Specialization
Clinical Legal Education
Immigration Law
Employment Discrimination Law
Law and Government
For the Media
To request an interview for a news story, call AU Communications at 202-885-5950 or submit a request.

AU Experts

Area of Expertise

Clinical Legal Education, Immigration Law, Employment and Discrimination Law, Law and Government

Additional Information

Jayesh Rathod is Associate Dean for Experiential Education, Professor of Law, and Director of the Immigrant Justice Clinic at American University Washington College of Law. His areas of expertise and scholarly interests include immigration law, labor and employment law, and clinical legal education. As Associate Dean, Rathod oversees the law school’s clinical, externship, and trial advocacy programs, and fosters the development of new experiential offerings. Professor Rathod has been recognized for his innovative teaching, including the use of technology and the promotion of bilingual education within U.S. law schools. His body of scholarship includes empirical, applied and theoretical work, and covers topics relating to immigration law, labor & employment law, and legal pedagogy. Professor Rathod’s research appears in a variety of prominent journals, including the Arizona Law Review, Houston Law Review, Michigan Journal of Law Reform, and U.C. Irvine Law Review. In 2018, he received the Pauline Ruyle Moore Award for outstanding scholarship in the area of public law. Professor Rathod has worked on cutting-edge cases and projects relating to immigration detention, removal defense (including criminal-immigration intersections), humanitarian relief, immigrant workers’ rights, language access, and more. He has been invited to speak on immigration and workplace law topics at institutions across the United States, and has served as a commentator in local, national, and international media (including CNN, NBC News, and National Public Radio). In 2016, Professor Rathod was a Fulbright Scholar at two universities in Brazil, where he taught courses on U.S. immigration law and comparative migration policy, and conducted research relating to the Brazilian immigration system. He is fluent in Spanish and proficient in Portuguese. Over the course of his career, Professor Rathod has worked with numerous non-governmental organizations to advance the civil and human rights of communities in the United States and abroad. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of Ayuda, a non-profit organization based in the Washington, DC area.

For the Media

To request an interview for a news story, call AU Communications at 202-885-5950 or submit a request.

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