ABA pro bono immigration pilot project in San Diego
To promote due process, clearer decision-making

The American Bar Association is launching an innovative pro bono immigration pilot project in San Diego in the fall of 2007 as part of a seed grant from the ABA Enterprise Fund.

The project's mission is to promote due process and access to justice at all levels of the immigration and appellate court system by providing pro bono services to immigrants and asylum seekers in the San Diego area.  The pilot will serve both detained and non-detained individuals seeking asylum and other forms of relief.

The project will also involve the recruitment, training and mentoring of volunteer lawyers and law students who will represent clients.  Another result of the project will be a study to evaluate its efficacy, along with its impact on the immigration court and appellate process.

Many of those appearing in immigration court represent themselves, due to their lack of government-funded counsel and a high poverty rate among their population.  This pro se representation has a dramatic consequence on the process, especially for those individuals fleeing persecution, suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and those who may be facing cultural or linguistic barriers.
  
The project also expects to benefit the judicial system because clients with legal representation have higher appearance rates.  In addition, they receive more fair, efficient and consistent decisions.  More than 50 percent of immigration appeals are handled by the Ninth Circuit, which serves San Diego, alone. 

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