The Tulsa Immigrant Resource Network (“TIRN”) opened in 2008 as the second legal incubator program in the United States. Funded by the George Kaiser Family Foundation, TIRN is staffed by its director, Professor Mimi Marton, and a fellow. The TIRN fellow is a recent law school graduate licensed to practice law.
TIRN provides direct representation in immigration proceedings to noncitizens of Tulsa, as well as information on immigrant rights, law and process to both the noncitizen community and to those who provide services to this com
munity. TIRN complements the Immigrant Rights Project, TU LAW’s immigration clinical, and the two programs often collaborate on cases and community advocacy.
In 2016, TIRN launched two new programs to increase services provided to underserved populations. The Tulsa Law Co-op is a second legal incubator for new solo attorneys committed to social entrepreneurship. TLC attorneys run their practice out of TIRN’s offices with TIRN providing training, networking opportunities and practice consulting. The Solo Practice Clinic is a legal clinic for students interested in opening a solo practice committed to decreasing the access to justice gap.
TIRN operates downtown in the Oxley College of Health Sciences, sharing space with the Hurricane Health Clinic and the University of Tulsa’s graduate school of psychology.
Law student volunteering with interpreter at TIRN’s Spring Break Intake Clinic.
“I decided to volunteer with TIRN because I am always looking for opportunities to keep my Spanish language skills sharp and to actually help people in a meaningful way. Although many times the clients have harrowing and sad stories about their journey toward citizenship in the US, they are also incredibly inspiring and courageous. Helping out at TIRN usually leaves me feeling hopeful about the resiliency of the human spirit and inspired to use the practice of law to impact real people and seek justice for all.” Leslie Briggs, J.D. Candidate 2019