Lodging Clinic with Casa Marianella

Students will assist Casa Marianella Immigration Legal Services (CMILS) clients at a one-day "lodging" clinic. Students will interview asylum seekers and help them fill out basic asylum applications. These applications then will be "lodged" with the immigration court clerk. Asylum seekers currently are facing very long delays in obtaining court hearings; the "lodging" process allows them to work legally in the United States while their asylum applications are pending and while they wait for a hearing date.

Organization

Casa Marianella Immigration Legal Services

CMILS serves immigrants, asylum-seekers, asylees, and female victims of crime in Austin, Texas. CMILS helps newly arrived immigrants residing in the Casa Marianella and Posada Esperanza shelters, as well as other immigrants below the poverty line, in applying for work permits, renewing green cards, seeking asylum, petitioning for family members, preparing applications for U Visas, and dealing with other immigration legal matters.

Project Details

Project Date

Saturday, November 7

Project Time
9am-1pm
Approximate hours of work requested
4 hours, including a 1-hour training session
Training
A 1-hour training session will be held on Saturday, November 7 at 9am, immediately before the clinic
Skills used
Client interviewing/intake; document preparation
Project location
Casa Marianella, 821 Gunter Street
Address
821 Gunter Street, Austin, TX 78702
Number of student volunteers requested
10
Class year preference
1L, 2L, 3L, LLM
Required skills
Language: Spanish, French, or Nepali helpful but not necessary
To Apply
Submit email stating interest and indicating if you have any foreign language skills to Sarah Sedgwick at ssedgwick@law.utexas.edu