Dr. Niels Frenzen

Biography

Niels Frenzen is the Sidney M. Audrey M. Irmas Endowed Clinical Professor of Law and Director of the Immigration Clinic at the USC Gould School of Law. He has been teaching at USC since 2000 and has been practicing law since 1985. His Immigration Clinic allows students to represent clients in various projects, including the LGBT Asylum Project and the Immigrant Detention Rights Project. The clinic focuses on providing legal representation for transgender, gay, and bisexual immigrants seeking asylum protection under the Convention Against Torture. Additionally, students engage in advocacy research projects aimed at improving conditions for detained immigrants through comprehensive inspections and interviews. Frenzen's experience prior to joining USC includes practicing nonprofit law, directing the Immigrants’ Rights Project at Public Counsel in Los Angeles, and serving as a supervising attorney at the Haitian Refugee Center in Miami, as well as being a legislative coordinator for the ACLU in Iowa. He has represented asylum seekers in federal court and litigated immigration court cases involving national security issues.

Research Interests

Experience