Michael Kagan

Michael Kagan is the Joyce Mack Professor of Law and Director of the UNLV Immigration Clinic at the William S. Boyd School of Law. He teaches administrative law, professional responsibility, and immigration law, and is one of the most widely cited immigration law scholars in the United States. He is also the author of the award-winning memoir The Battle to Stay in America: Immigration’s Hidden Front Line (2020).

• B.A., Northwestern University (cum laude)
• J.D., University of Michigan Law School (cum laude)

Prof. Kagan’s research focuses on immigration law, administrative law, and human rights, with notable works on free speech intersections, Fourth Amendment issues in immigration enforcement, Chevron deference, and empirical analysis of immigration litigation. His recent articles address asylum adjudication reforms and prosecutorial discretion in immigration cases.

His contributions to legal scholarship have earned recognition, including:

• Advocacy for People Impacted by Discrimination Award (ACLU of Nevada, 2024)
• Named among the ten most-cited immigration law faculty in the U.S. (Leiter Law School Reports, 2021)

He has played a pivotal role in expanding immigration legal services in Nevada through initiatives like the UNLV Immigration Clinic’s Community Advocacy Office and University Legal Services program. Prof. Kagan has also held teaching positions at Tel Aviv University and the American University in Cairo and worked extensively on refugee legal aid in the Middle East and Asia.