Professor Michael Vastine joined the faculty of St. Thomas University College of Law in 2004, where he is a tenured professor of law and Director of the Immigration Clinic. A frequent conference speaker and author, he is also a leader of the immigration bar, with extensive service within the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA). From 2011-20, he was elected to serve on the AILA South Florida Chapter Board of Directors, including a term as Chair of the Chapter. Professor Vastine’s AILA national-level service includes multiple terms on the Federal Litigation Section Steering Committee, Annual Conference Planning Committee, and Amicus Curiae Committee. His impact litigation principally relates to immigration and crimes, including the lead case at the Florida Supreme Court establishing the constitutional rights of immigrant defendants to effective representation by their criminal counsel, and multiple cases at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit delineating the immigration consequences of Florida convictions involving controlled substances. Additionally, he has represented AILA and other community-based organizations, as amicus curiae counsel, in forums ranging from the Board of Immigration Appeals to the U.S. Supreme Court, in matters including the constitutional limits of indefinite detention of immigrants, the due process rights of the physically deported, and the immigration consequences of state crimes. In 2013, Professor Vastine received the AILA (National) Elmer Fried Award for Excellence in Teaching.
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February 2022
Mass Honoring International Day of Prayer & Awareness Against Human Trafficking
Please join us on February 8 for Mass to commemorate the International Day of Prayer & Awareness Against Human Trafficking as we pray for victims and survivors of human trafficking. The…
Find out more »Trafficking in Persons: Case Studies from the Americas
On February 8, 2022, International Day of Prayer & Awareness Against Human Trafficking, please join us for Trafficking in Persons: Case Studies from the Americas. During this panel presentation, students…
Find out more »January 2022
Integration Challenges: All Hands on Deck to End Human Trafficking in Southwest Florida
On January 11, 2022, National Human Trafficking Awareness Day, please join us in Fort Myers, Florida, for an intensive one-day training against human trafficking: Integration Challenges: All Hands on Deck to…
Find out more »December 2021
International Year for the Elimination of Child Labor 2021
Approximately 218 million children between the ages of 5 and 17 are employed in work. However, 152 million of these children are victims of child labor, including 73 million that…
Find out more »November 2021
Human Trafficking in “the 305”: How Lawyers Can Contribute to Eradicating Modern-Day Slavery in Miami-Dade County
The John J. Brunetti Human Trafficking Academy in cooperation with The Honorable Peter T. Fay American Inn of Court presents Human Trafficking in “the 305”: How Lawyers Can Contribute to…
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