Law grad guides immigrants through U.S. legal system

Early in his career, Tulane Law School graduate Duncan Fulton has found a foothold in a dynamic, specialized practice that’s filling critical needs. Fulton works on “everything from humanitarian political asylum to family-based immigration to securing work visas for businesses’ employees,” he says.

As an associate at Ware Immigration in Metairie, Louisiana, his work includes a mix of client interviews, legal research, drafting motions and briefs, and arguing before immigration courts.

“In this increasingly globalized world, it is imperative that we align public policy to support the transnational movement of the world’s most important and valuable resource — people,” Fulton says.

“I feel fortunate to have found something I really feel passionate about and enjoy doing.”

Duncan Fulton, Tulane Law School class of 2012

Because federal immigration law is constantly evolving, he said, it can be challenging to navigate without an attorney’s help. And he can see the direct impact of his work.

“There’s always a client you’re helping at the end of the day,” he says.

Fulton started law school eager to explore immigration practice. He majored in Spanish in college, interned with an immigration attorney in Nashville, Tennessee, and spent a year doing community development work in Ecuador. By honing in on immigration opportunities during law school, he gained meaningful experience that prepared him for a career in the field.

After his first year at law school, Fulton interned for the South Texas Pro Bono Asylum Representation Project, a nonprofit providing legal aid to political refugees and unaccompanied children on the U.S.-Mexico border.

The following summer, he completed a fellowship with Immigrant Law Group, a private firm specializing in human rights and immigration law in Portland, Oregon. Those experiences helped him develop connections in a tightly knit practice early on.

After graduating in 2012, Fulton clerked with the U.S. Immigration Court in Atlanta, then for U.S. District Judge Eldon Fallon in New Orleans before joining Ware Immigration.

Ali Mansfield is Tulane Law School’s communications and marketing coordinator.