IRAP Berkeley works with pro bono attorneys, IRAP Headquarters, and IRAP chapters across the United States and Canada to advance legal pathways to safety for refugees and other displaced people. We do so through a variety of means such as supporting cases directly, contributing to litigation matters and novel research, and working on policy advocacy. Through IRAP, students can develop legal research, policy advocacy, and client communication skills. Projects from this past year included leading (virtual) client intake interviews, assisting with family reunification applications, drafting FOIA requests and complaints, updating IRAP’s Attorney Practice Guide on SIVs for Afghans and Iraqis, and engaging in advocacy work with members of Congress as part of IRAP’s Congressional Advocacy Week. This year, we envision students being able to participate in much of the same work with the opportunity to participate in both direct client services and substantive research and policy work.
In 2024-2025, students will also be working with Project ANAR. Through Project ANAR, Berkeley students will complete substantive casework on defensive asylum applications for detained Afghan migrants, conduct client intake screenings, and engage in fact-finding for humanitarian parole, adjustment of status and work authorization applications. Students will have the opportunity to meet their clients in-person at the end of the semester at one of our asylum workshops co-hosted with Project ANAR. With IRAP and the Afghan-American Foundation (AAF), Berkeley students will contribute to both organizations’ policy advocacy campaigns and impact litigation lawsuits on behalf of refugees and asylum seekers, particularly for Afghan and Iraqi SIVs.
Supervision: Students will receive training from and provide pro bono legal services under the supervision of attorneys at the International Refugee Assistance Project, the Afghan-American Foundation (AAF), and Project ANAR.
Time Commitment: The time commitment may vary depending on the project and the semester, but will likely be around 20-30 hours per semester, including casework, training, IRAP meetings, and other related activities.
For more information, please contact the student leaders at irap@berkeley.edu.