Professor Heger is Clinical Associate Professor and Director of the Immigrant Rights Clinic at Texas A&M University School of Law, where she leads the clinic's direct representation and impact litigation on behalf of immigrants seeking humanitarian protection. In her clinic, students advocate for immigrants before U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services, the Executive Office for Immigration Review, the Board of Immigration Appeals and federal appellate courts.
Heger brings deep experience coordinating high-volume pro bono immigration work and mentoring attorneys and students nationwide. Prior to joining Texas A&M Law, Heger served as the Pro Bono Immigration Attorney at Akin, where she managed the immigration docket within their award-winning pro bono practice. Previously, as an Equal Justice Works Fellow hosted by Human Rights Initiative of North Texas, she launched a pioneering project to secure asylum for survivors of gender-based persecution and helped shape national amicus efforts before the BIA and the Fifth Circuit. Heger was introduced to immigrant communities and their legal needs through her earlier career in nonprofit and social enterprise leadership, where she focused on creating economic opportunities for marginalized women worldwide. She frequently speaks and writes on immigration and pro bono partnerships, including CLEs and national panels.
