Outstanding Collaborative/Group Pro Bono Award: Afghan Asylum Project
The Afghan Asylum project began in March 2022 when Pisgah Legal Services learned from local refugee resettlement agencies in Asheville that dozens of Afghan newcomers in the community had no legal help to navigate the complex asylum process and submit applications within one year of their arrival in the United States (August 2022 for most). Twenty-two Western North Carolina attorneys and eleven Parker Poe attorneys signed on to help Pisgah Legal’s immigration team. Originally volunteers were asked to commit 10 hours of their time to assist with asylum applications, but Pisgah staff and project volunteers quickly discovered that the cases would be much more complex than anticipated. The project was led by Jacob Oakes (Pisgah Legal Services), Tiffany Burba (Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein), Rob Lamb (Hatchrockers Law), and Bill Hoffman (King & Spalding). Volunteers navigated challenges posed by significant language barriers, literacy issues, and fundamental cultural differences relating to the calendaring of dates and the marking of life’s milestones such as birthdates and marriage dates. As volunteers worked with the clients, it became clear that the clients could not navigate the asylum interview process without legal representation. Pisgah Legal Services decided to help as many Afghan clients as possible and volunteer attorneys stepped up to help, with many of the volunteers who completed asylum applications agreeing to represent their client at their asylum interview. Ultimately, volunteer attorneys represented 35 Afghan clients through their asylum application and interviews, contributing more than 1,700 hours of pro bono services.