Nicole Castillo Guiracocha, a 2025 graduate of St. John's University School of Law, has begun a two-year assignment as an Immigrant Justice Corps (IJC) Justice Fellow with the City of Atlanta Office of the Public Defender. The IJC Justice Fellowship selects lawyers committed to immigrants’ rights and places them in organizations where they can have significant impact. As part of her fellowship, Castillo Guiracocha will work with detained immigrants, asylum seekers, families, and children who need immigration legal services.

Castillo Guiracocha described her reaction to receiving the fellowship: “I was ecstatic! As the daughter of Ecuadorian immigrants, this fellowship represents more than just a professional milestone, it’s deeply personal. It allows me to continue advocating for indigent clients and immigrant communities while honoring the values my family instilled in me.”

Her experience at St. John’s included participation in both the Defense and Advocacy Clinic and the Child Advocacy Clinic. She explained how these experiences influenced her: “In the Defense and Advocacy Clinic, I learned how to work closely with clients navigating the criminal legal system while facing significant barriers due to their histories. Through the clinic’s holistic representation model, I saw firsthand how addressing clients’ broader needs can make a meaningful difference in their lives in addition to helping with their legal issues.” She added about her time in the Child Advocacy Clinic: “In addition to improving my legal writing, interviewing, and case management skills, my clinic work with minors required me to adapt my communication style, so I could break down complex legal concepts into clear, understandable language. This skill will be crucial as I begin representing clients who are unfamiliar with the U.S. legal system.”

Beyond clinical work at St. John’s Law School, Castillo Guiracocha volunteered at an immigration information phone bank and helped organize a Pro Bono Working Lunch supporting low-income New Yorkers through the American Bar Association’s Free Legal Answers Program. She noted that these activities strengthened her commitment to using law for empowerment and justice.

Now working within Atlanta's Immigration Defense Unit (IDU), Castillo Guiracocha represents clients in bond hearings as well as asylum cases and other removal proceedings. She collaborates with criminal defense attorneys on Padilla consultations—advising noncitizen clients about potential immigration consequences of criminal charges.

Reflecting on her new role as an IJC Justice Fellow, she said: “I’m excited to learn, grow, and improve my advocacy skills, while also exploring a new city! I look forward to expending my knowledge of detained removal defense and building relationships with clients during some of the most stressful moments in their lives. Over the next two years, I hope to become a stronger, more empathetic advocate and gain the tools necessary to continue fighting for immigrant justice well beyond the fellowship.”