Students will assist Casa Marianella Immigration Legal Services (CMILS) clients at a one-day clinic to assist asylum applicants in taking advantage of a newly available "lodging" method. Students will interview asylum seekers and help them fill out basic asylum applications. These applications then will be "lodged" with the immigration court clerk. The "lodging" process allows the clock to start ticking on work-authorization eligibility and thus allows asylum seekers to work legally in the United States while their asylum applications are pending.
Organization
Casa Marianella Immigration Legal Services
CMILS serves immigrants, asylum-seekers, asylees, and victims of crime in Austin, Texas in understanding their rights and the services available to them. CMILS has served clients from around the world as they navigate the often confusing and complicated U.S. immigration system. CMILS helps newly arrived immigrants residing in the Casa Marianella and Posada Esperanza shelters in applying for work permits, renewing green cards, seeking asylum, petitioning for family members, preparing applications for U Visas and T Visas, and dealing with other immigration legal matters. CMILS staff work closely with Casa Marianella and Posada staff as well as other immigrant legal service providers to provide quality legal representation to immigrants, both newly arrived and those living below the poverty line.
Project Details
- Website
- http://www.casamarianella.org/
- Project Date
Saturday January 30th
- Project Time
- 9am-12pm
- Approximate hours of work requested
- 3 hours, including a 30-minute training session
- Training
- A 30-minute training session will be held on Saturday, January 30 at 9am, immediately before the clinic
- Skills used
- Client interviewing/intake; document preparation
- Project location
- Casa Marianella, 828 Gunter Street
- Address
- 821 Gunter Street, Austin, TX 78702
- Number of student volunteers requested
- 20
- 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