Why you should attend
With more than 300,000 deportation and removal cases initiated by U.S. immigration authorities each year, immigrants in the United States are in need of competent and knowledgeable representation in this important area of law. Over half of those facing removal proceedings are unrepresented, and studies have shown that those without legal representation face a significantly higher risk of deportation, regardless of eligibility for relief. In response to the acute need for trained attorneys to defend the record number of immigrants facing removal, prominent members of the bar and bench have called for more pro bono work to be done to fill the gap.

This program will provide panels of nationally recognized experts imparting a comprehensive, nuts and bolts overview of how to most effectively defend immigrants facing removal proceedings.

What you will learn
• Immigration Reform - will Congress pass legislation that impacts your client in removal proceedings before the 2012 Presidential election?
• The nuts and bolts of Cancellation of Removal
• The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) and the unique issues that arise in representing children in removal proceedings
• Ethical issues implicated in representing clients facing removal
• Establishing the required elements of asylum and withholding, how to document your case
• Practical examples of ethical problems in removal practice
• Tips for more efficient appellate practice
• How does Padilla effect your client? Representing clients with criminal convictions
• Pitfalls for applicants, firm resettlement, and the time bar for filing asylum claims

Who should attend
This program will benefit lawyers who represent immigrant clients facing removal proceedings.

Cost: $395*

PLEASE NOTE:

*Full scholarships to PLI's live seminars and webcasts are available to judges, judicial law clerks, law professors, law students, attorneys 65 or older, law librarians, attorneys who work for nonprofit organizations, legal services organizations or government agencies, and unemployed attorneys. Attorneys in private practice who seek to learn skills that will assist them in pro bono activities are encouraged to apply.

Please contact Leonard McKenzie at 212-824-5826 for additional information.