CILA Issues 2023 Pro Bono Guide

CILA’s updated Pro Bono Guide: Working with Children and Youth in Immigration Cases is now available! Download a copy for free on CILA’s website here!  

CILA regularly updates this resource to reflect ongoing changes and trends in children’s immigration law. This latest version includes new resources, legal updates, and new sections on assessing forms of relief and drafting tips. We also added an index to make the Guide more user friendly. CILA’s Pro Bono Guide was initially published in August 2020 and last updated in October 2021.

This latest update of the Guide coincides with the National Celebration of Pro Bono from October 22-28, 2023. Read more about CILA’s ongoing celebration of pro bono work here.

For those new to CILA’s Pro Bono Guide, this 148-page resource is designed for pro bono attorneys but may be useful for any practitioners looking for information and resources related to working with children and youth in immigration matters. The Guide covers important skills, including trauma-informed lawyering and interviewing tips and strategies, as well as key forms of relief, researching tips, and practicing before USCIS and in immigration court. Each section includes an overview of the applicable substantive law along with practical tips and links to learn more.

Want to get involved? CILA hosts a platform Pro Bono Matters for Children Facing Deportation that includes available cases nationwide for immigrant youth in need of pro bono representation. Make a difference in the life of a child by working on a case!

CILA is here to help! CILA provides numerous resources and recorded trainings on CILA’s website to support pro bono attorneys. Legal technical assistance and social services technical assistance is also available for certain pro bono attorneys, including those who take a case through CILA’s Pro Bono Matters for Children Facing Deportation platform. If you are interested in accessing more CILA resources, sign up for a free membership.