Aidín Castillo Selected as Inaugural 2010 Michael Maggio Immigrants’ Rights Summer Fellow

The American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), the Center for Human Rights and Constitutional Law (CHRCL), and the National Immigration Project of the National Lawyers Guild (NIP/NLG) are pleased to announce that Aidín Castillo is the first recipient of the Michael Maggio Immigrants’ Rights Summer Fellowship. The three sponsoring organizations jointly created the fellowship to honor the legacy of Michael Maggio. The NIP/NLG will provide the fellow with funding in 2010. The primary mission of the fellowship program is to strengthen law students’ long-term commitment to promote justice and equality for vulnerable immigrant groups.

Aidín Castillo is a student at the University of California at Davis School of Law with long-standing commitment to working for justice and equality for immigrant communities. Ms. Castillo has worked as a community organizer, organizing farm workers and coordinating “know your rights” trainings. As a law student, she has volunteered with the California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation (CRLAF) and interned with the Immigrant Legal Resource Center. As the inaugural Maggio Fellow, Ms. Castillo will intern with the CRLAF, focusing on outreach to immigrant communities in rural areas to prepare them for legislative change and to inform them of the dangers of immigration consultants. The sponsoring organizations are proud to support Ms. Castillo in her efforts to combat the unauthorized practice of law and help immigrants move towards full civic participation and integration in the communities in which they live and work.

Michael Maggio was an extraordinary immigration attorney and individual who was a life-long advocate for justice, equality, and peace. Throughout his career, Michael received countless professional awards and was honored for his extraordinary legal representation, astute strategizing, unwavering commitment to the highest ethical standards, and his deep passion for justice and upholding the rule of law. He was a founding partner and mentor to many at the influential Washington, D.C. law firm of Maggio & Kattar, an active member of AILA and the National Lawyers Guild, and served on the Board of Directors of the National Immigration Project/NLG. He was also an active supporter of the Center for Human Rights and Constitutional Law. Michael died in February 2008 after a courageous battle with cancer.

KJ