J. Nicole Medved Appointed as Professor of the Practice at William & Mary Law School
William & Mary Law School recently announced the appointment of J. Nicole Medved J.D. ’18 as Professor of the Practice of Law. Medved’s appointment comes after three years serving as a Fellow in the Law School’s Immigration Clinic, two of which as an Immigrant Justice Corps Fellow.
Medved’s service as a Fellow in the Clinic has allowed her to work closely with Clinic students to represent immigrants in Hampton Roads, particularly immigrant survivors of crime, torture, and persecution. In addition to her casework and student supervision, she co-teaches Clinic seminars and manages the Clinic’s online communication and engagement, especially the Clinic’s blog and pro se resources.
Medved has also represented the Clinic at numerous trainings and presentations to community organizations throughout the region and Commonwealth, and she spearheads the annual Fourth Circuit Asylum Law Conference, which will go into its third year in 2024.
As a Professor of the Practice, Medved will continue her responsibilities in the Immigration Clinic and teach a course on Spanish for Lawyers.
Since Medved joined the Immigration Clinic, the Clinic has been able to expand the number of cases accepted for representation and greatly increase the types of cases accepted, including Special Immigrant Juvenile Status cases.
“From the moment she came to the Immigration Clinic, Nicole has gone above and beyond in every aspect of her work with our students and our clients,” said Stacy Kern-Scheerer, Director of Clinical Programs and Director of the Immigration Clinic. “Nicole is an exceptional mentor and advocate. Her presence has elevated our students’ access to the Immigration Clinic and their experience in the Clinic, and has expanded the reach of our Clinic.”
Before her placement at William & Mary, Medved served as an Immigrant Justice Corps Fellow at Safe Horizon in Brooklyn, N.Y., where she represented survivors of violence, crime, and torture in their immigration proceedings before the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice. She was involved in Safe Horizon’s anti-racism policy initiatives, trained pro bono attorneys for days of service, and drafted a response on behalf of Safe Horizon to sweeping changes to asylum regulations.
In addition to her casework and advocacy, Medved has written about issues related to U visas and asylum, and her articles have been published in the Hastings Race & Poverty Law Journal and the University of Pennsylvania’s Journal of Law and Social Change.
Medved received her B.A. in International Affairs (summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa) from George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs in 2015 and her J.D. from William & Mary Law School in 2018. At William & Mary she received the Benjamin Stoddert Ewell Award for outstanding leadership and public service, as well as the National Association of Women Lawyers Award. Her first legal internship in immigration law was made possible by William & Mary Law School’s Comparative Legal Studies and Post-Conflict Peacebuilding Summer Internship Program.
“When Nicole returned to William & Mary in 2020, she made an immediate impact in our growing Immigration Clinic,” said A. Benjamin Spencer, Dean of the Law School and Trustee Professor. “I welcome her to the faculty and look forward to following her vital work mentoring our students and serving the many noncitizens navigating the immigration process.”
Medved begins her new role on August 10.
About William & Mary Law SchoolThomas Jefferson founded William & Mary Law School in 1779 to train leaders for the new nation. Now in its third century, America’s oldest law school continues its historic mission of educating citizen lawyers who are prepared both to lead and to serve.