The information in this blog post is current as of April 1, 2026.
The CILA team is excited to announce the publishing of two revamped resources in its Core Curricula – No. 4 Special Immigrant Juvenile Status and No. 6 Crime Survivors (U and T Visas). CILA first developed its core curriculum in 2018 and 2019. CILA created the set of resources to assist managers and supervising attorneys train and onboard nonprofit attorneys and staff to provide legal services to unaccompanied immigrant children.
The core curriculum is composed of seven modules focused on different practice areas: (1) Practicing Before the Asylum Office; (2) Practicing Before EOIR; (3) Ethical Considerations in Representing Unaccompanied Children in Texas; (4) Special Immigrant Juvenile Status; (5) VAWA & Family Petitions; (6) Crime Survivors (U and T Visas); and (7) Working with Unaccompanied Children. CILA’s core curriculum is intended to help new attorneys, DOJ Accredited Representatives, and pro bono attorneys onboard when just beginning to work on an immigration case to help an unaccompanied child. The resources can be used as an onboarding tool for organizations to provide a solid foundation on various topics.
Overall, the core curriculum contains an overview of eligibility requirements, practice tips, sample materials, activities to test knowledge, and additional resources. In 2025, CILA began the process of revamping the core curriculum set of resources to be a self-led training tool that advocates can study and learn from at their own pace—rather than being a tool for managers to walk through with new staff.
As the seven modules are updated, CILA is adding the resources to CILA’s website, and they are available to practitioners with a CILA account. If you have any questions about CILA’s core curriculum, contact CILA at cila@abacila.org for more information.