Asylum is a form of protection available to people fleeing persecution in their home countries due to their race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group. This training session is intended to prepare pro bono attorneys who encounter more advanced issues in their asylum cases and to prepare for defensive asylum cases in removal proceedings.

Topics include: credible and reasonable fear interviews, asylum based on social group including gender claims and gang claims, and alternative forms of fear-based immigration relief, such as withholding of removal and protection under the Convention Against Torture. Practice before the Immigration Court and the Board of Immigration Appeals will also be discussed. The faculty will include experienced immigration practitioners, an immigration judge (invited) for a mock asylum hearing and a member of the Board of Immigration Appeals (invited).

This training is appropriate for attorneys, paralegals, and law students. Attendees must agree to accept a case for pro bono representation from a sponsoring organization within a year of attendance, and therefore must be admitted to practice in some U.S. jurisdiction and have their own malpractice insurance. Attorneys working for the government should check with their ethics committee regarding conflicts before registering.