Description
For those of you who missed our online conference, "Legal Remedies for Immigrant Survivors: Introductory Seminar Series – Part II: Preparing The Case," the recordings are now available for purchase. The online conference is composed of four separate sessions. You can buy all four sessions togheter or individual sessions.
In Part II of our skills-based introductory seminar series, participants will learn to effectively prepare survivor-based petitions for immigration status. Participants will have the opportunity to practice these skills through interactive discussions and hands-on activities. Some homework will be required.
This course is intended for legal advocates at agencies that serve domestic violence and sexual assault survivors, new immigration practitioners, and legal staff. Speakers include ASISTA’s national experts.
See below the general agenda of the online training:
Session 1: Forms, Forms, Forms: In most instances, USCIS decides an immigrant survivor’s request for immigration status based only on what is submitted in writing. This means you have no opportunity to engage the adjudicator in conversations about the nuances of your client’s eligibility, history, or character. As a result, meticulous preparation and accuracy are paramount when preparing your client’s request for immigration status. In this interactive session, participants will learn best practices and common pitfalls when preparing USCIS forms. We will cover the best uses for client intake forms, your filing checklists, and USCIS initial evidence lists.
Speakers: Laura Flores Bachman & Cecelia Levin Friedman
Session 2: Developing Your Legal Theory: Developing a theory of the case is an essential step in case preparation because it helps the practitioner to organize the facts and evidence around a cohesive theory of why the client qualifies for the benefit sought. In this session, participants will learn how to develop a theory of the case for proving U, T, and VAWA self-petition eligibility by using common legal issues and hypothetical facts.
Speakers: Amy Cheung & Cecelia Levin Friedman
Session 3: Do You Have a Cite for That?: Legal Research in Survivor-based Cases: Have you ever felt frustrated when looking for the answer to a legal question? Have you ever felt confused about the interplay between immigration statutes, regulations, and policies? In this session, we will discuss one of the most critical legal skills for assessing and preparing a case: legal research. Participants will learn how to find and use the Immigration and Nationality Act, the Code of Federal Regulations, DHS policy guidance, and administrative cases to research legal issues.
Speakers: Amy Cheung & Laura Flores Bachman
Session 4: Evaluating Evidence & Successful Case Framing: In this interactive session, participants will identify key elements of successful survivor declarations and supporting affidavits, explore common evidentiary issues (e.g. evaluating inconsistencies in documentary evidence or when documents may contain prejudicial information), and strategize how to create clear and effective case framing documents like cover letters and indices.
Speakers: Amy Cheung, Cecelia Friedman Levin & Laura Flores Bachman
