CBA Record February_March 2016

YLS Special Issue l THE COMPLETE LAWYER

law and reviewing statutes. Yet most of the information we gave to clients was instruc- tion about their case and the process they would be going through. If we did not know the answer to something, we relied on the team and a network of volunteers online. We shared information and offered help finding answers. Varied backgrounds of volunteer attorneys from all over the country made for a rich learning environ- ment and made us all more effective. No matter the type of law you practice, you can have a huge impact by going to the people who need help. The opportunity to work in the visitation trailer at the camp, where we could directly interact with the women and children, was unique and rewarding. Imparting information to clients without access to any other resources meant we could connect and help directly. Many of these women had no family or friends, and the volunteer attorneys were the only people they could talk to. When help is needed, “on the ground” assistance is best. Incorporate your clients’ stories into solu- tions for their futures. Many women flee- ing violence in Central America start the dangerous journey to the United States by paying smugglers. Frequently, smugglers become human traffickers and abuse the people who hired them. One client stands out in our memory for having fled violence in El Salvador, only to suffer violence during her trip to the United States. Upon arrival, she was detained in Dilley. She was visibly hurting and could no longer bring herself to talk about her experiences. We needed to incorporate all of the elements of her story into the plan for her asylum case, even if seemingly indirectly related. The journey became as important to her case as the violence she suffered in her home country. Taking the time to listen and strategize allowed us to make a stronger case for her. Wear several hats: attorney, counselor, teacher. We were attorneys, certainly, and appeared at bond hearings and hearings before immigration judges telephonically. We filed motions and briefs, yet our real impact in Dilley was the education we

tion came into the detention trailer, she was upset about something the volunteers were doing. Tess spoke with the official about her previous career in Chicago. A polite conversation helped us communicate like people, not just adversaries. We were in a challenging environment with insufficient resources, but the rules that apply to the courtroom applied to the volunteer trailer inTexas. Respect for clients, civility toward the opposing party and a good attitude helped make each day successful–and our clients were better served for it. An empowering environment brings out the best in all of us. The team in Dilley empowered us to do our best work. Renae had never conducted a bond hearing in her career. And yet she walked into the courtroom and successfully advocated for minimum bond amounts for almost all of the women she represented. She credits the team for cheering her on, supporting her, and empowering her to succeed. Don’t forget the gummy bears. It was easy to get caught up in hearings and filings while we worked long hours in the deten- tion facility. We had constant reminders that our clients had young children also detained in that harsh place. Tess’s young- est client was 16 months old. Connecting with the children living in the detention facility was a reminder that our casework would have to wait when a toddler needed a break, or when a ten-year-old wanted to chat about the playground at the camp. The highlights of our trip were not the victories in the courtroom, but the laughs, tears, and crayons shared with our littlest clients. Filing deadlines would be met later in the day; snack time could take priority. It’s a good thing we packed extra gummy bears with our legal pads. Renae Yoo focuses her solo practice on full-service immigration. Tess Feldman practices family-based immigration and removal defense at the Law Office of Robert Ahlgren & Associates.

imparted. Victories in the courtroom were satisfying, but when we helped a woman understand the process she was going through, we knew she might better navigate the next few years of her life. The women departing the facility left with a knowledge of their rights, the immigration process, an understanding of how their case should proceed and, in many cases, connections to pro-bono attorneys in their destinations. Mainstream news overlooks the plight of asylum-seekers at the border. Mainstream media’s coverage of immigration at the border usually avoids mentioning the women and children seeking asylum. Many of these women, and their children, have survived attempted murders, brutal rapes, extortion, threats, and more. Yet the process for women with their children seeking asylum in the United States cur- rently involves mandatory detention in a for-profit camp. Approximately 90% of these incarcerated women are found to have a credible fear of persecution in their home countries; regardless, these asylum seekers are not a significant part of the mainstream media’s broader dialogue covering immigration at the border. As a small population detained at the border, many of these people are unable to com- municate beyond the facility in which they are detained. We learned important lessons in empathy. The United States has a policy to detain women and children who are not charged with any crimes if they are apprehended at the southern border and originate from a country in Central or South America. Before going to Dilley, we read about the facility and the program of jailing women and chil- dren refugees. Though we were informed, we came to know these women and children as people and began to sense the profound way that detention compounds these women’s suffering at physical and psychological levels. Understanding family detention more deeply has made us better advocates and more empathetic lawyers. A great team can accomplish anything. When a powerful official from Immigra-

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