NITA-NIPNLG “Advocacy in Immigration Matters” Virtual Training (Nov. 2023)

Application Deadline is October 10, 2023 at 11:59PM ET
 

The National Immigration Project is pleased to partner with the National Institute for Trial Advocacy (NITA) to offer a virtual court skills training for immigration court advocates. This training is ideal for advocates who have some court background and want to improve their skills through an intensive experiential experience with meaningful critique from experienced practitioners, including retired Immigration Judges.

The program encompasses and requires attendance at the following:

• A 2-hour session on case analysis from 12-2 PM ET on Friday, November 17, 2023
• The court skills program from 12:30 PM to 5:30 PM ET on Wednesday, November 29, 2023 through Friday, December 1, 2023

There are a few reasons for the strict attendance requirements. First, NITA will seek CLE credit on your behalf so long as you attend every aspect of the program. Second, you will be assigned to a small group of participants for the skills workshops, and any changes to the small group participant number will impact the schedule timing. Third, this program builds on prior lessons so, if you miss one lesson, your learning and skills will be incomplete as you move forward. If you have a scheduling conflict, please apply for the next NIPNLG-NITA program. 

Prior to court skills program starting on August 21st, participants are expected to:

• View a series of recorded NITA videos on trial skills
• Review training materials, including the asylum case file and trial skills practice advisories
• Complete a case assessment exercise

To apply, please complete the application form found-HERE. Applications are due on Tuesday, October 10, 2023 at 11:59 PM ET and NIPNLG will give priority to its members.
 

NIPNLG will inform applicants of their status by Friday, October 13, 2023. If the application is approved, the applicant must submit the registration fee to NIPNLG and sign a certification affirming an understanding of the attendance requirements.

Failure to complete these requirements by Wednesday, October 18th at 5PM ET will result in the selected participant forfeiting their spot in this training.

Selected participants should expect to spend approximately 15 hours preparing for the program in addition to actively participating in the 2-hour case assessment session on Friday, November 17th and the entire court skills program from Wednesday, November 29, 2023 through Friday, December 1, 2023.
 

Please consider and be realistic about this time commitment— for both preparation for the program and the program itself— before applying.

This is an intensive, but rewarding program, provided you put in the time and effort. As one past participant put it, “ I have had a few trials since [the NITA-NIPLG court skills training], and the training was invaluable in prepping for them….I think I would have been drowning if not for the NITA training. But instead, I think I felt confident enough, which I think was helpful for my clients, and I think we got out the testimony we needed in both cases.”

If you have any questions, please email Michelle Mendez at mmendez@nipnlg.org.