Essentials of Asylum Law

This publication provides an overview of asylum law for advocates new to representing asylum clients, as well as seasoned practitioners needing a thorough review of current standards. Combining innovative legal arguments on currently developing issues and decades of expertise from accomplished practitioners who have successfully represented clients through the years, Essentials of Asylum Law offers an expansive explanation of the legal theories and rules underpinning current asylum claims.

Highlights

This updated edition addresses the whirlwind of policy changes that have impacted the asylum process in recent years. These new policies, which began under the Trump administration and continue under the Biden administration, have upended an asylum framework that has been in place for decades. This manual gives a comprehensive account of the current state of asylum law in light of these changes while highlighting active legal challenges to these attempts to limit the asylum process. 

New in this Edition

• Up-to-date overview of the landscape of asylum case law, including the current state of claims based on particular social group in the wake of the Attorney General's vacaturs of previous A.G. decisions;
• Information on the new Asylum Merits Interview process;
• Detailed information and resources on working effectively with clients who are seeking asylum using a client-centered and trauma-informed approach;
• New chapter covering the latest updates on policy changes affecting access to asylum at the U.S. border, including the ending of Title 42 and implementation of the “lawful pathways” asylum ban;
• Updates on the current state of the affirmative and defensive asylum processes, as well as work authorization eligibility following the vacatur of the 2020 asylum EAD rule.