New Year, New Site!

Hello Law Students!

Now that we’ve got the first month under our belts, it’s time to start working on the Asylum Law Project.  This year’s ALP board decided to start a fresh website, so please forgive the delay and the time it takes to work out all of the kinks.  The site link is https://sites.google.com/site/umnasylumlawproject/home.

Since we’re just starting out, we don’t have a great deal of information for this year’s trips.  In the meantime, check out the old posts from this website and look for updated posts on the new site.  If you have any questions, email us at umn.asylumlawproject@gmail.com.

Welcome to ALP!

ALP Spelling Bee

This Thursday, March 8, the Asylum Law Project will hold a drunk spelling bee to raise funds. The spelling bee will be at 7 p.m. at the Republic. Come get a break from legal studies by drinking with friends and showing off your spelling skills. The entry fee is $10. Asylum Law Project will pay the winner’s bar tab. Participants can sign up at the ALP table over the lunch hour. Hope you can make it!

ALP Valentine’s Day Bake Sale

On Valentine’s day from 12 – 1:30 p.m., stop by the tables in the subplaza to purchase some goodies for your Valentine from the Asylum Law Project bake sale. Proceeds will go exclusively to the Asylum Law Project.

Spring Volunteers’ GAPSA Grant Deadline Approaches

For ALP volunteers participating in the spring break trips, the deadline for GAPSA travel grants is February 2nd. It is a short application, and GAPSA awards up to $200. So far, our ALP applicants have had good results obtaining the grants.

The online application form and other information can be found at http://www.gapsaumn.org/?page_id=19.

Here are a few materials to help you with your applications:

• GAPSA Grant Handout
• GAPSA Grant Evaluation Matrix

If you have any other questions, please contact Board member Ariel Tazkargy at tazka001@umn.edu.

ALP Miami

The week two Miami Asylum Law Project is well under way. Good to know the ALP participants have managed to get some beach time into their busy schedules! Thanks to Miami V.P. Dustin Wayne for the photos.

Dustin Wayne, Sandra Pierzchala and Michelle Oswald at Wet Willies in South Beach, FL.

Dustin Wayne, Sean McNary and Josh Devaney at the beach.

ALP Miami volunteers at the Miami Beach Boardwalk.

ALP Palo Alto

Sarah Hewitt sharing her experience with Asylum Law Project in Palo Alto, CA:

“We’re at a clinic called Community Legal Services of East Palo Alto (CLSEPA). The attorneys here are great, and they’ve done a fantastic job making this a truly educational experience for us. Tomorrow we’ll be observing an immigration hearing in San Fran and then touring a juvenile facility called Hillcrest. We’ll also be attending a clinic on domestic violence and restraining orders.

The work we’re doing involves helping immigrants from El Salvador renew their Temporary Protected Status designations. Today we’ve been working on writing and translating a phone script, and we’ll be using it Thursday to talk to Salvadorans who have used the services here in the past.”

Jack McFarland at the Community Legal Services of East Palo Alto

ALP Bay Area Experiences Begin

From left to right: Sarah Hewitt, Jack McFarland, and Meredith Leake at the Golden Gate Bridge

The first of this year’s ALP participants are beginning their experiences in the San Francisco Bay area. Several dedicated 1Ls even agreed to fly out on New Year’s Eve to start their training. Thanks guys – looks like it was worth the sacrifice!