Week 9: The Weight of Words

This was one of my busiest weeks yet, full of last-minute assignments, tight deadlines, and quick pivots. I was pulled into urgent country conditions research, helped draft an affidavit as we actively learned new details from the client, and contributed to data analysis for the Court Watch Program. It was hectic, but it also felt like I had finally hit a rhythm... just in time for my second-to-last week.

Amid the rush, I found myself reflecting on the significance of country condition reports and affidavits in asylum cases. Country reports provide essential context. They situate a client’s story within broader systemic issues, showing that their experiences of violence or persecution are not isolated events, but rather part of a pattern of danger within their country. They help answer the judge’s unspoken question: Is this plausible?

Affidavits, meanwhile, are often the first document a judge reviews. They form the foundation of the client’s narrative and shape the lens through which all other evidence is considered. Every word matters. The impression you leave in an affidavit can set the tone for the entire case.

This week reminded me of the complexity of asylum work; how many moving parts there are, and how each one plays a role in building a case. From urgent research to careful drafting, every task contributes to telling a client’s story in the strongest, most truthful way possible. And though the pace was exhausting, I felt grateful for the chance to contribute, even in small ways, to work that carries so much weight.