This advanced course offers a rigorous, practice-oriented exploration of U.S. asylum and refugee law, with special focus on emerging legal, policy, and procedural developments in humanitarian protection. Students will examine the statutory framework under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), the Refugee Act of 1980, international refugee conventions, and evolving case law shaping asylum, withholding of removal, and protection under the Convention Against Torture (CAT).
The course emphasizes hands-on legal training through simulations, strategic case development, mock hearings, and complex analysis of evolving claims, including those involving gender-based violence, gang-related persecution, political dissent, environmental displacement, and intersectional identities. Practical exposure to asylum interviews, EOIR proceedings, and federal appeals prepares students to effectively represent clients or advise institutions in this rapidly shifting legal field.
Course Objectives
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
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Analyze statutory, regulatory, and international frameworks for asylum and refugee protection in the U.S.
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Develop and litigate asylum claims in affirmative, defensive, and expedited contexts.
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Apply evolving legal standards for nexus, protected grounds, and credibility assessments.
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Anticipate and respond to emerging trends such as expedited removal, third-country transit bars, and firm resettlement.
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Construct compelling evidentiary records and client declarations for humanitarian relief.
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Represent clients in mock asylum interviews, immigration court, and appellate settings.
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Evaluate strategic implications of asylum policy shifts on institutional and individual decision-making.
