Pro-Bono Legal Assistance

Date: Thursday, February 27, 2003 9:38 AM

H-1B and JOB DESTRUCTION NEWSLETTER

www.ZaZona.com

It's not unusual for me to get emails to ZaZona from American workers
that were replaced by cheap foreign workers. They can't afford lawyers
because they are unemployed so they want to find out who in the
government can help them to get legal assistance. This web page is
unusual because the links go outside the Federal Government website.
The page is a real cornucopia of organizations that are willing to give
free legal service.

As you will see, our federal government is going all out to make it
easy to find legal assistance - for aliens wishing to take American
jobs!

*** Here it is, pro-bono legal assistance by the U.S. Department of
Justice ***

http://www.usdoj.gov/eoir/probono/probonoassist.htm

Programs that provide help to indigent immigrants in need of
immigration information and volunteer legal assistance.

Archdiocese of Detroit -
http://www.usdoj.gov/cgi-bin/outside.cgi?http://www.immlegalsrv.com For
more than 25 years, the Archdiocese has been committed to the
immigrants and refugees of the Detroit metropolitan area by providing
immigration legal services, as well as resettlement and acculturation
assistance to those in need.

Asylumlaw.org -
http://www.usdoj.gov/cgi-bin/outside.cgi?http://asylumlaw.org. This is
a free website run by an international consortium of agencies that help
asylum seekers. Over 95% of the content on this site is open to the
public, including asylum seekers from any country and the lawyers or
advocates who represent them.

Asian Pacific American Legal Center -
http://www.usdoj.gov/cgi-bin/outside.cgi?http://www.apalc.org APALC is
a nonprofit agency which has become the largest organization in
southern California that provides Asian and Pacific Islander and other
communities with multi-lingual, cultural sensitive services and legal
education. The Immigration and Citizenship Unit provides immigration
and citizenship assistance to individuals and their families, educates
the public on important immigration issues, and advocates for fair and
sensible immigration law and policies.

Catholic Charities, USA -
http://www.usdoj.gov/cgi-bin/outside.cgi?http://www.catholiccharitiesusa
.org Catholic Charities encourages people to help themselves by
learning to advocate for their rights. By providing leadership,
technical assistance, training and other resources, this national
agency enables local offices to better devote their own resources to
serving their communities. The site contains a list of Catholic
Charities offices throughout the country that offer refuge and
immigration assistance.

HIAS - Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society -
http://www.usdoj.gov/cgi-bin/outside.cgi?http://www.hias.org. The
oldest international migration and refugee resettlement agency in the
U.S., HIAS provides information and a broad program of services at all
stages of the migration process for refugees and migrants, and
advocates for fair and just policies on their behalf.

Human Rights Initiative (HRI) - http://www.hrionline.org/ This
organization is dedicated o the promotion of international human rights
and services to immigrants and refugees who have suffered human rights
abuses. Legal Services provides consultation and representation before
the INS, the EOIR, and the BIA for those seeking asylum. HRI also
provides other services to individuals once they are granted asylum.

Lawyer's Committee for Human Rights -
http://www.usdoj.gov/cgi-bin/outside.cgi?http://www.lchr.org. LCHR
works to protect and promote fundamental human rights, including the
protection of refugees through the representation of asylum seekers and
by challenging legal restrictions on the rights of refugees in the
United States and around the world.

The Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service.
http://www.usdoj.gov/cgi-bin/outside.cgi?http://www.lirs.org or
http://www.usdoj.gov/cgi-bin/outside.cgi?http://www.elca.org/dcs/lirs.ht
ml LIRS is the national agency set up by Lutheran churches in the
United States to carry out the churches' ministry with uprooted people.
LIRS programs include: refugee resettlement, foster car for refugee
minors, assistance for political asylum seekers, immigration training
and consulting, legislative advocacy, and public education.

Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs and Language Services -
http://www.usdoj.gov/cgi-bin/outside.cgi?http://www.nyc.gov/html/imm/hom
e.html This site contains information for and about immigrants in New
York city, and a listing of resources and city agencies that provide
assistance to immigrants. Promotes the interest and needs of immigrants
and provides language-related services to immigrants and others with
limited English language skills. The Office also works with
community-based organizations to improve city services to immigrants.

NYANA - The New York Association for New Americans, Inc -
http://www.usdoj.gov/cgi-bin/outside.cgi?http://www.nyana.org NYANA
Works to help those new to this country, and those who have been here
for some time, fashion a roadmap for accomplishing their goals and
dreams. NYANA provides a comprehensive array of immigration-related
legal assistance, including preparing and filing applications for
asylum, permanent residency, work authorization, replacement of lost
documents, and family reunification.

Office of Refugee Resettlement-
http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/orr/geninfo/index.htm ORRs mission
is to assist refugees and other special populations in obtaining
economic and social self-sufficiency in their new homes in the United
States. To do this, ORR funds and facilitates a variety of programs
that offer, among other benefits and services, cash and medical
assistance, employment preparation and job placement, skills training,
English language training, social adjustment and aid for victims of
torture.
Effective June 15, 2000, asylees are eligible for refugee assistance
and services beginning on the date that they are granted asylum. The
date that the individual is granted asylum is considered his or her
"entry" date for the purpose of computing the ORR benefits eligibility
period. Frequently asked questions regarding asylee eligibility for
Refugee Assistance and Services can be found here:
http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/orr/faq/asylees.htm

Refugee Law Center -
http://www.usdoj.gov/cgi-bin/outside.cgi?http://www.refugeelawcenter.org
. The Refugee Law Center is devoted to strengthening the human rights
of refugees and immigrants through legal representation, research,
educational initiatives, and policy development. The Center works in
collaboration with other human rights and refugee policy and legal
representation organizations in the United States and other countries,
and provides position papers, amicus curie (friend of the court)
briefs, legal support, human rights and country conditions
documentation, and legal representation on issues relating to refugee
protection.

VIVE La Casa - (Buffalo, NY)
http://www.usdoj.gov/cgi-bin/outside.cgi?http://vivelacasa.org/ Vive La
Casa assists asylum seekers who are making their way into Canada. VIVE
provides food, shelter, medical, legal, and other services to refugees
who would otherwise be homeless in the city of Buffalo.

Washington Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs -
http://www.usdoj.gov/cgi-bin/outside.cgi?http://www.washlaw.org. The
Committee represents both individuals and groups regarding their civil
rights cases, employment, housing, public accommodations, claims based
on discrimination, and assists immigrants seeking asylum and other
help. The Committee's litigation efforts have become nationally known
for landmark court victories, record judgements and precedent-setting
consent decrees.

LAW SCHOOL IMMIGRATION CLINICS

Georgetown University Law Center - Center for Applied Legal Studies
http://www.usdoj.gov/cgi-bin/outside.cgi?http://www.law.georgetown.edu/c
linics/cals/ The Law Center represents refugees seeking political
asylum in the United States because of threatened persecution in their
home countries, and whose asylum requests have already been rejected by
the U.S. government.

The George Washington University Law School- The Jacob Burns Community
Legal Clinics - Immigration Clinic -
http://www.usdoj.gov/cgi-bin/outside.cgi?http://www.law.gwu.edu In this
clinic, aliens subject to deportation or exclusion orders in
immigration courts are represented by students under faculty
supervision.

St. Marys University School of Law - The Immigration and Human
Rights Clinic Course
http://www.stmarytx.edu/law/index.php?group=program&page=immigration
Rights.phpStudents advocate on behalf of clients before immigration and
federal courts, representing refugees applying for asylum, defending
claims to US Citizenship, seeking permanent resident status for
undocumented individuals with strong ties to the US, and applying for
waivers of removal for immigrants with lengthy US residence.

Villanova University School of Law - The Clinic for Asylum, Refugee and
Emigrant Services -
http://www.usdoj.gov/cgi-bin/outside.cgi?http://www.law.villanova.edu
CARES students represent refugees who seek asylum in the United States
because of threatened persecution in their home countries.

Hamline University located in St. Paul, Minnesota
http://web.hamline.edu/law/acadprogs/clinics.htm - Immigration
ClinicStudents work with clients under the supervision of Susan
Koberstein at the law offices of Centro Legal. Case types include
family-based petitions, naturalization, adjustment of status, Violence
Against Women Act, and others.

Southern New England School of Law - Immigration Clinic
http://www.snesl.edu/legalclinic/clinic.htm - This clinic provides
students with intensive training in various immigration law issues
under the supervision of a faculty member and attorney/field supervisor
chosen from the South Coast legal community.

The University of California Hastings College of the Law - THE
IMMIGRANTS' RIGHTS CLINIC
http://www.uchastings.edu/clinical_01/inhouse.htm - The clinic
provides four to six students who are taking or have taken the
substantive immigration law course with direct experience in
representing clients facing removal by the Immigration and
Naturalization Service, seeking U.S. political asylum, or applying for
citizenship.

The University of Houston Law School http://www.law.uh.edu/clinic/ -
Immigration Clinic Law students learn about immigration law through
actual representation of indigent immigrants and refugees before the
Immigration Court and the Immigration and Naturalization Service.

University of Idaho - College of Law - Tribal and Immigration Clinic
http://www.law.uidaho.edu/clinics/Tribal.asp - In the Clinic's
Immigration track, second -and third-year students work on cases before
the Immigration and Naturalization Service, administrative courts, the
Board of Immigration Appeals, and Federal Courts.

The University of Maryland
http://www.law/umaryland.edu/clinic/clinic_immigration-program.asp -
School of Law -Immigration Clinic Students will prepare asylum claims,
which will include extensive client interviewing, international fact
investigation, brief writing, and asylum interviews before Immigration
Service adjudicators. They will appear before Immigration Judges and
address issues of asylum and detention of immigrants.

University of Minnesota Law School
http://www.law.umn.edu/students/lawclinics/immigration_clinic.php -
Immigration Clinic The Immigration Law clinic is designed to offer
legal assistance to low-income immigrants who have come to the United
States seeking a safe haven from political, religious or ethnic
persecution.

The University of Southern California - The Law School - Immigration
Clinic http://lawweb.usc.edu/admissions/bulletin/clinics.html - Law
students in the Immigration Clinic represent clients before the
Immigration & Naturalization Service (INS), the Immigration Court, and
certain law enforcement agencies. The clinic handles cases ranging from
asylum claims to claims for relief from deportation filed by people
being held by the INS at regional detention centers.

The University of Texas - School of Law - Immigration Clinic
http://www.utexas.edu/law/academics/clinics/allclinics/html#ilc -
Students represent low income immigrants before the immigration courts
and the Immigration and Naturalization Service, including bond and
deportation hearing, asylum applications, VAWA cases and applications
for discretionary relief. Students will interview clients, develop
case strategy, prepare witnesses and present cases before the court and
the agency.

The University of Washington - School of Law - Immigration Clinic
http://www.law.washington.edu/LawSchool/clinics/immigration.html -
After a seminar culminating in mock hearings, students are based at the
Northwest Immigrant Rights Project, where they represent clients in
immigration proceedings. The practice includes client interviewing and
counseling, case theory development, fact-gathering and discovery,
identifying and obtaining expert witnesses, preparing documentary
evidence, and participating in hearings before immigration judges.
*To add your own agency or other useful resources to this list, please
contact the Coordinator, Steven Lang, at Steven.Lang@usdoj.gov.

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