Seeking Volunteer Attorneys to Represent
Pro Se Detainees Before the BIA!

The Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) has approved a new pilot project that  will work to increase the level of pro bono representation to detainees  without representation before the BIA. The goals of the project are to  increase representation to otherwise pro se detained respondents and to  reduce the disproportionately large number of precedent decisions from  detained pro se appellants, which will help create better case law. The  Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. (CLINIC) and the D.C. Capital Area  Immigrants' Rights (CAIR) Coalition are coordinating the 6-month  pilot project, which will begin December 1, 2000. The American Immigration Law Foundation (AILF) is assisting the project in recruiting pro bono attorneys to take cases.

The project will work to pair pro bono attorneys with pro se detained minors, pro se detainees whose cases are being appealed by the INS,  and pro se detainees whose cases involve Immigration Judge certifications.  Detainees in such cases have much at stake and would greatly benefit from  representation. Ultimately, the project hopes to expand to include other  types of cases. 

Once a week, a core group of volunteer attorneys will work together with the EOIR to screen and review cases that meet the preselected requirements of the  pilot project. Redacted case summaries of the cases will then be forwarded,  via e-mail, to attorneys who indicate an interest in participating in this  project (i.e. taking on a pro bono case for representation). The summaries  will also be posted to a non-confidential computer bulletin board/forum.  Those interested in accepting a specific case for representation would then  contact the NGO coordinator for the program, Molly McKenna, at CLINIC, who  will facilitate initial contact with the detainee, including mailing of the  E-27 and explanation of the pilot project to the detainee. 

As part of the pilot project, once a pro bono attorney enters an E-27, the  initial briefing period will be reset. The new briefing schedule, copy of  the record of proceeding and transcript will then be sent to the pro bono attorney. 

At this time, limited resources prevent the project from providing training  or mentoring to volunteer attorneys. The web address for the electronic bulletin board will be posted on AILA InfoNet as soon as it becomes available. In the meantime, those interested in receiving further information about the project, including the weekly case summaries, should e-mail mmckenna@cliniclegal.org with the following information:

• Name
• E-mail 
• Firm/Organization
• Address, Phone and Fax
• Specific types of cases you are interested in handling that do not meet the  pilot project's initial requirements. (This information will be tracked for  purposes of project expansion). 

Molly can also be reached by phone at (202) 635-2567.