BIA Pro Bono Project
Without legal representation, detained immigrants have little hope of winning their cases before the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA), the nation’s highest administrative appeals court for decisions made by Immigration Judges. Immigrants are often detained in areas far from legal resources, face language barriers, and lack familiarity with the U.S. legal system. Without a lawyer it is almost impossible to overcome these barriers and present a legal claim to relief to remain in the country. The CLINIC Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) Pro Bono Project was created to address these challenges.
One of the nation's most successful pro bono initiatives, the BIA Project partners with more than 400 
attorneys and law school clinics to provide pro bono legal representation to indigent immigrants. Through a network of committed volunteers, trainers, and mentors, the BIA Project facilitates access to justice, a critical component to safeguarding the rights of vulnerable asylum-seekers and long time lawful permanent residents. Since the Project’s inception in 2001, it has secured representation for more than 550 individuals. The Project regularly surfaces cases that result in significant decisions, including favorable, published BIA decisions, as well as Federal and Supreme Court decision. In a published study, the Department of Justice found that immigrants who had been provided representation through the Project were up to four times more likely to win a favorable decision before the BIA. For more information contact CLINIC staff attorney Lauren Graham Sullivan at lsullivan@cliniclegal.org.
Related Resources:
BIA Pro Bono Project Newsletter