Philip L. Torrey

Phil Torrey is the Managing Attorney of the Harvard Immigration and Refugee Clinical Program, and a Lecturer on Law. At HLS, he directs the Crimmigration Clinic and he teaches a course concerning the intersection of criminal law and immigration law. The Crimmigration Clinic engages in cutting-edge litigation and policy advocacy concerning issues ranging from criminal bars to immigration relief to sanctuary city policies. The Clinic also provides advice to criminal defense attorneys around the country concerning the immigration consequences of criminal charges. Torrey’s research focuses on the crime-based grounds of removal and immigration detention, including the private prison industry, and the immigration system’s mandatory detention regime.

Prior to joining HLS, Torrey worked as an attorney in the Immigration Unit of Greater Boston Legal Services and as a litigation associate at the law firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP. He received his B.A. from Colgate University and his J.D. with honors from the University of Connecticut School of Law.

Clinic Work

Phil directs the Crimmigration Clinic at the Harvard Immigration and Refugee Clinical Program. In the Crimmigration Clinic students work on cutting-edge issues regarding the intersection of criminal law and immigration law. Previous projects have included representation of clients in appellate proceedings in administrative and federal courts, as well as representation of clients seeking release from immigration detention via habeas corpus petitions. Students also advise criminal defense attorneys on the potential immigration consequences of criminal charges, and draft policy memoranda for public defender offices and other nonprofit organizations.