Practical Skills for Representing Asylum Seekers Before the Asylum Office

This interactive half-day workshop will help prepare legal representatives to successfully represent a client before the asylum office. The workshop is intended for those with little to no experience in the representation of asylum seekers. We will begin with a basic overview of the legal elements required for an applicant to be granted asylum. We will then move on to a small group breakout session involving a mock interview with a client. We will discuss and troubleshoot common issues that can arise when interviewing a client who has suffered trauma. We will then discuss the practicalities of appearing before the asylum office. Next, we will conduct a mock asylum interview and ask for participants’ feedback on how to handle challenging situations that might arise during an asylum interview. We will end with participants drafting a closing argument before the asylum office and asking select participants to present their closing arguments to the group.

Workshop Day

Workshop Time

12:30 pm ~ 04:00 pm

CLE

No