Richard Kelley, Managing Attorney for the DC Volunteer Lawyers Project (DCVLP) Child Advocacy and Immigration Programs, was recently appointed to a part-time faculty position in the university’s new Villanova Interdisciplinary Immigration Studies Training for Advocates (VIISTA) program . Designed by an interdisciplinary team of leading faculty, lawyers, and NGO’s, VISTA tackles “justice gap” for immigrants. Through an online platform, VIISTA students train to become immigrant advocates. Students come from many backgrounds and fields, including: retirees, recent college graduates, policy workers, pro bono lawyers, pastoral workers and paralegals.

In his volunteer time, Richard works with Center Global on behalf of LGBTQ asylum seekers and Whitman Walker through their name-change clinic. He received his J.D. and LL.M in International Business and Economic Law and LL.M in Civil Justice from Georgetown University Law Center and his Bachelor of Arts degree from Harvard University.