May 01, 2023

Professor Jocelyn DyerCatholic Law's Visiting Clinical Assistant Professor Jocelyn Dyer joined colleagues from University of Maryland and American University's law schools on April 28, 2023, in presenting at the American Association of Law Schools (AALS) Clinical Conference on Finding Hope in Each Other: Capacity-Building through Cross-Clinic Collaborations and Community Partnerships. They reported on a collaborative effort to prepare local Afghan refugees to represent themselves in Asylum Office interviews. In partnership with a local refugee resettlement agency, students in Catholic Law's Immigrant & Refugee Advocacy Clinic (IRAC) held three workshops for Afghans during the 2023-2023 academic year, serving nearly 100 asylum seekers resettled in Virginia. During the workshops, IRAC students prepared and delivered information sessions and conducted mock interviews with attendees. The University of Maryland and American University cooperated in a similar partnership for Afghan refugees in Maryland. The conference session focused on this model of clinic collaboration as well as the workshop designs. Conference attendees were encouraged to consider how they could collaborate with other law schools' clinics to address critical local needs.