Welcome to Centro Legal’s pro bono page. On this page registered pro bono attorneys will find:
Calendar of upcoming individual hearings available for observation
Sample briefs, declarations, and country condition indexes
Sample filings before the Immigration Court and Citizenship & Immigration Services
Training materials, manuals, and additional resources for attorneys
*We update this site routinely, please check back periodically for new materials and resources.
FAMILIES SEEKING ASYLUM
Upcoming Hearings:
Centro Legal is happy to offer partnering pro bono attorneys the opportunity to observe an Individual Calendar Hearing. This calendar allows pro bono attorneys to see upcoming hearings available for observation. If you would like to observe a hearing, please contact Karem Herrera at kherrera@centrolegal.org to coordinate.
General
- Immigration Court Practice Manual
- United States Courts for the Ninth Circuit: Immigration Outline
- Credible Fear/Reasonable Fear Interview Training
- Timeline for Defensive Asylum Case
- Post Individual Hearing Asylum Grant Steps
- Drafting a Declaration for Asylum Relief
- Sample Asylum Declaration: Family Membership, Cartel Persecution
- Sample Witness Declaration: Family Membership, Cartel Persecution
- Sample Mental Health Evaluation [EV1]
- Sample Mental Health Evaluation [EV2]
- Country Conditions Experts: U.C. Hastings Center for Gender and Refugee Studies
- Guidelines for Referrals to the Highland Hospital Human Rights Clinic
- Asylum Questionnaire English
- Asylum Questionnaire Spanish
- Step-by-Step Defensive Pro Se Asylum Guide (English)
- Step-by-Step Defensive Pro Se Asylum Guide (Spanish)
Resources
- Asylum and Removal Defense Training
- EOIR Electronic Registration and Filing Form EOIR-28 Instructions
- Redacted Cover Letter to EOIR: Initial FOIA Request
- Redacted Motion for Change of Venue to San Francisco
- Redacted Motion to Substitute Council to Pro Bono
- Redacted Motion to Exchange Individual Hearing Dates
- Redacted Motion to Consolidate Two Cases
- Redacted Motion for Continuance to Individual Calendar Hearing: No Opposition from DHS
- Redacted Motion to Issue Written Decision
- Sample Asylum Witness List
- Sample Motion for Bond Redetermination
- Sample Motion for Telephonic Testimony of Expert
- Sample Motion for Telephonic Testimony of Relative
- Sample Motion to Accept Late Filing for Individual Hearing
- Sample Motion to Advance Deprioritized Asylum Case for Pro Bono
- Sample Motion to Advance Master Calendar Hearing or set to Individual
- Sample Motion to Change Venue of Proceedings
- Sample 15 day pre-individual calendar hearing filing
- Sample Q & A for Mental Health Expert and Sample Cross Examination for Individual Hearing
- Sample Text Q & A for Respondent Testimony: Family/Cartel Case
- Sample Q & A Text for Respondent Testimony: Domestic Violence, Child Abuse
- Sample Cover Letter Addressed to Immigration Judge for Pre-Individual Hearing Filing
- Sample Direct & Cross Examination of Country Conditions Expert (Sample for Guatemala Expert on Violence Against Women)
- Sample Direct & Cross Examination of Country Conditions Expert (Sample for El Salvador Expert on Domestic Violence)
- Sample Direct & Cross Examination of Country Conditions Expert (Sample for El Salvador Expert on Gang Violence)
- Redacted Motion to withdraw [S1]
- Redacted Motion to withdraw [S2]
- Ninth Circuit Immigration Outline
- New OCC E-Service Instructions
- Form Filing Tips from USCIS
- Redacted C8 I-765 Cover Letter
- Redacted A5 I-765 Cover Letter
- Redacted C8 I-765 Filing
- Redacted Initial C8 I-765 No Photo ID Cover Letter
- Sample cover letter to USCIS: Fee in Defensive Asylum Application
- Instructions for Defensive Asylum Application fee in with USCIS
- Sample Cover Letter to USCIS: Initial FOIA Request (Form G-639)
- Sample Cover Letter to USCIS: Track 3 FOIA Request (Form G-639 Expedited)
- Sample Cover Letter to USCIS: FOIA Response Appeal
Post Asylum Grant Samples
- Redacted Asylum Brief, PSG: Political Opinion, Gang Witness
- Redacted Asylum Brief, PSG: Child Abuse, School Abuse, Political Opinion
- Redacted Asylum Brief, PSG: Child Abuse, Domestic Violence Witness, Family Abuse (Reinstatement)
- Redacted Asylum Brief, PSG: Girls Viewed as Property
- Redacted Asylum Brief, PSG: Female Head of Household, Women Unable to Leave Relationship, Gender Based Claim
- Redacted Asylum Brief, PSG: Family Abuse, Sexual Abuse
- Redacted Asylum Declaration, PSG: Political Opinion, Religion, Family Abuse, Gang Witness
- Redacted Asylum Declaration, PSG: Family Abuse, Sexual Abuse
- Redacted Asylum Index, PSG: Political Opinion, Religion, Family Abuse, Gang Witness
- Redacted Asylum Index, PSG: Family Abuse, Sexual Abuse
- [Humanitarian Asylum Part 1] Respondents Brief in Support of Eligibility for Asylum
- [Humanitarian Asylum Part 2] Index of documents in Support of Asylum, Withholding of Removal and CAT
- [Humanitarian Asylum Part 3] Response to DHS Brief
- [Humanitarian Asylum Part 4] Respondents Supplemental Brief
- [Humanitarian Asylum Part 5] Respondents Supplemental Brief-Exhibits (unpublished-IJ decisions)
- [Humanitarian Asylum Part 6] Redacted decision from Judge Greene
Country Conditions
- Redacted Pre Individual Hearing Index Filing: PSG: Family Group [S1]
- Redacted Pre Individual Hearing Brief, PSG: Child Abuse, Rape, Family Abuse
- Redacted Pre Individual Hearing Brief, PSG: Domestic Violence, Gender, Child Abuse
- Redacted Pre Individual Hearing Brief, PSG: Family Group Claim [S1]
- Redacted Pre Individual Hearing Declaration of Lead Respondent [S1]
- Redacted Pre Individual Hearing Brief, PSG: Family Membership, Assault, Sexual Exploitation [S3]
- Redacted Pre Individual Hearing Index, PSG: Family Membership, Assault, Sexual Exploitation [S3]
- Redacted Pre Individual Hearing Declaration, PSG: Family Membership, Assault, Sexual Exploitation [S3]
- Redacted Pre Individual Hearing Letter of Support, PSG: Family Membership, Assault, Sexual Exploitation [S3]
Country Conditions