Perfecting a Winning Strategy for Asylum Applications (Update)

Each year people come to the United States seeking safe haven from different grounds of persecution. The numbers of asylum applications EOIR and the USCIS Office receive each year continue to increase, setting an unprecedented volume of backlogged cases. After you've experienced several affirmative or defensive asylum cases, you've learned the fundamentals of the process. This intermediate-level session, updated to reflect changes in 2020, will address drawbacks that you might encounter after you proceed deeper into your asylum practice, and offers practical tips on how to address them when they arise.

In this program, immigration attorney Ruby Powers will provide an update on hot topics in an asylum, discuss creative approaches for addressing common pitfalls, and review other relevant topics. She will also provide innovative ways to help attorneys strategically plan ahead and develop a strong asylum case.

Learning Objectives:

1. Identify potential credibility issues and how to avoid them

2. Address the one-year filing deadline and exceptions

3. Recognize bars to asylum and how to identify if there are any exceptions

4. Discuss best practices for filing, preserving the record, and preparing your client