CLASS REGISTRATION
Immigration Court Training
| Immigration Court Class Syllabus |
| Video set from the December 2012 Class |
When
The classese were offered on: Dec. 5 (2012), Jan 22 (2013), and Feb 19 (2013). Each class was completely booked -- these dates have now passed. Information is left on the site for reference purposes only.Where
A Hilton or Sheraton in Northern Virginia (right outside of Washington, DC). We might be able to handle it in our office conference room (downtown DC -- it is quite large), but that depends on how many folks are live, and whether the building Internet connections supports sufficient streaming speed. This will be clarified before each class.Cost
The class will be $275 per participant. This strictly covers the overhead of preparing and delivering the class for participants. If someone has a problem affording the $275, let us know. We can arrange either a payment plan, or reduced amount. I'm not interested in putting folks in the poor-house; it is more important to provide the training. I pondered making the webinar/web-cast version less (cost). However, in the end, I would rather encourage people to attend in person (if the price is the same, goes the reasoning, you might as well attend in person).Duration
The class will run all day (hey! As an added bonus, I'll include lunch). The material is about 3-4 hours worth. The practice session and mock court operations are the remainder of the time (we will spend a LOT of time on that). There is also a practice session on preparing submissions to the court. The more people, the longer that will run, and better the examples and practical, hands-on session will be.Scope (i.e. what is being taught)
The class is broken into three sections -- 1. Advising a client in removal proceedings (types of relief, types of clients, and how to work with the initial intake - including the initial call and NTA discussion).
- 2. Preparing for court (motions (including bond ops), forms, submissions, formatting, etc. Note: Emphasis is on asylum/withholding/CAT and cancellation of removal applications)
- 3. On your court date (Discussion of what to expect and what will happen when you arrive. The hearing process. Oral arguments. Evidence rules.)
All sections will include both lecture as well as practice - you will actually prepare memos for presentation to the court (following all required guidelines) such as continuance, venue change, late evidence submission, bond, etc. For section 3, you will practice both an MCH and an IC. Each person will do this, and then be critiqued by the group. Part 1 practice includes the bad client, and how to assess the value of an asylum based claim when there simply is no other relief.
The purposes of this class first and foremost is to familiarize the practitioner with how the immigration court works. This is designed to be hand's on. When you complete the class, you should be absolutely confident on what will happen at your hearing, what you need to discuss with your client, the traps/pitfalls to avoid, how to present to the judge, what DHS will ask and do, and exactly when/where you need to sit and stand. The class will also challenge you. You will pushed when it is your turn for MCH/IC practice. DHS is generally (but certainly not always) unfriendly. Get it right! Especially when your client is watching.
I'm a lot less interested in teaching law (although that will obviously be covered). There are plenty of courses for that. This is much more focused on practical "how-to".
Webinar/Web-cast
Based on prior experiences, you will be given a login and webinar address for something like GoToWebinar. A good part of the cost is handling the IT component of this. We will have a video camera connected that will pitch the presentation to the world. Each class date will have the capability.Hand-outs
Besides the food (smile), you will get sample pleadings and motions, a sample asylum/withholding/CAT response, and a distillation of format rules for the court. You will also get various other summaries and discussion outlines. It should be noted, though, this is really focused on being a hands-on course, so hand-outs are not the key point of the presentation. All Hand-outs will be emailed in advance of the class (soft copies).Certification
All participant will receive an attendance certificate, complete with gold foil seal. However, those folks that participate in person and complete the hands-on portion (client interaction, brief/motion submissions, and court practice) will get certified as trained in immigration trial practice. Suitable for framing and bragging rights!
Note: Payment must be made at the time of registration via charge card. We need to know exactly who is coming/attending so we can plan accordingly.
You may enter your information below to reserve your slot, or call 571-572-8567 (contact phone for our Practice Manager, Charlet Herr) to provide the information over the phone.
There is a maximum of 25 people per class. Otherwise, there is no practical way to provide the one-on-one review that will be done with each participant (especially important for the mock-trial aspect). Enroll early to ensure your slot is secured.
Registration Form
