Humanitarian relief for survivors of domestic violence, trafficking, and other serious crimes involves unique procedural hurdles and lengthy wait times. This session provides an advanced toolkit for handling T-visas, U-visas, and VAWA self-petitions. Topics include strategies for obtaining law enforcement certifications, responding to complex Requests for Evidence (RFEs), and utilizing the Bona Fide Determination (BFD) process to secure work authorization for clients earlier in the process. We will also discuss the "Wellness" aspect of this work, focusing on how staff can maintain high-quality representation while managing the secondary trauma inherent in survivor advocacy.
Coalition building with a varied set of legal and non-legal partners in the Texas Panhandle has seeded the environment for a legal desert bloom in this region. This session will cover the successes and lessons learned during the Texas Immigration Law Council’s ongoing Panhandle Project, including practical guidance for coalition building with legal and non-legal partners. This session will cover ethical boundaries of engagement and addressing unauthorized practice of law. Presenters will provide frameworks for coalition building and measuring impact, including what organizations should consider when engaging partners, and deciding on structure of the coalitions. Attendees will leave with a stronger understanding of the coalition building model and concrete examples to utilize in their own work.
Marcela brings a breadth of professional experiences and a multifaceted lens that she applies to her work. Marcela has focused her legal practice on providing stability, security, and education for her clients and communities. Marcela has held various leadership roles at Kids in Need... Read More →
Kids in Need of Defense (KIND) is a national non-profit organization dedicated to serving unaccompanied children in the immigration system.
The Children’s Immigration Law Academy (CILA) is an expert legal resource center created by the American Bar Association (ABA), dedicated to helping legal practitioners stay up to date on frequent changes in immigration law and policy related to unaccompanied children.
Panelists from KIND and CILA will conduct a detailed training on legal representation of unaccompanied children in removal proceedings and the humanitarian forms of relief available to them. Attendees will learn about how a child is designated an unaccompanied minor, the process of obtaining legal relief and the importance of providing valuable pro bono legal representation for a vulnerable child facing removal. The training will also review the practical and ethical considerations of working with children, while exploring interactive hypothetical case issues with the audience.
Laura Egan is a Managing Attorney for Pro Bono and Communications with the Children's Immigration Law Academy (CILA). CILA is a project of the American Bar Association's Commission on Immigration. She has been a part of the CILA team since 2019. Laura has practiced in two areas of... Read More →
