Integrating Social Work in Asylum Cases Placed with Pro Bono Attorneys

This presentation was part of day 2 of the ABA CILA & COI Pro Bono Symposium.

Public Counsel is the largest Pro Bono legal services provider in the nation. We have integrated social work into our in-house direct legal services for over 30 years. Our interdisciplinary advocacy model of law and social work allows for holistic and trauma-informed legal representation to our clients. Most recently, Public Counsel’s Pro Bono Asylum Team implemented a new policy for social work integration with pro bono-placed family asylum cases. The goal of the new policy is to provide guidance on the services that the social worker can provide and enhance collaboration between the pro bono, social worker and client. As a California-based organization, the policy also provides guidance on how the social worker will navigate intersection of the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act (“CANRA”) and attorney-client privilege.