Esperanza Immigrant Rights Project

Organization Description:

Esperanza is a non-profit organization that serves vulnerable low-income immigrants in detention. Esperanza advocates locally and nationally for the just and fair treatment of all immigrants in detention.

Since access to legal resources in detention is limited and most immigrants in detention cannot afford an attorney, Esperanza provides free legal orientations to large numbers of detained immigrants. In these legal orientations, Esperanza teaches about immigration law, legal rights, and what happens in the immigration court system so that people can prepare to represent themselves.

Esperanza represents a small number of detained immigrants in Immigration Court and works to place cases with pro bono attorneys. In addition, Esperanza periodically provides continuing legal education to attorneys interested in immigration law, especially criminal defense and pro bono attorneys.

  • County(s) of Volunteer Opportunity: Los Angeles
  • Area of law: Immigration & Naturalization
  • Populations Served: Asylum Seekers, Children, Communities of Color, Domestic Violence Victims, Immigrants, Lesbian, gay, bisexual & transgender, Low Income, Nonprofits, Prisoners/Criminal Defendants, Working poor and unemployed
  • Opportunities For: Interpreters, Law school clinic, Law Students, Lawyers, Mentors, Mentors/consultants, Nonlitigation Projects, Paralegals, Senior Lawyers
  • Need for non-English services: Haitian Creole, Spanish
  • Hours for Pro Bono Opportunities: Flexible
  • Malpractice insurance is provided for volunteers: No
  • Training Provided: Yes
  • Training Required: No
  • CLE credit for trainings: Yes
  • CLE credit for pro bono: Yes
  • Mentoring or supervision offered: Yes
  • Volunteer lawyers need to meet a caseload or hours requirement: No
  • Types of projects in need of Pro Bono help: Litigation: Trial/Direct Representation, Mentor volunteer lawyers or law students
  • Long Distance Opportunities: Conduct Research, Draft or Translate Legal Documents, Mentor Volunteer Lawyers
  • Volunteers may participate long-distance: Yes
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