Inaugural Fourth Circuit Asylum Law Conference Examines Recent Developments in Asylum Law and Practice
On Friday, March 11, practitioners, advocates, and students from across the country gathered on Zoom for the Inaugural Fourth Circuit Asylum Law Conference.
The Conference brought attorneys from all practice areas and backgrounds to learn about recent developments in asylum law and policy, as well as best practices for preparing expert affidavits and testimony.
The Conference was cosponsored by the Immigration Clinic, Immigrant Justice Corps, and the William & Mary Center for Racial and Social Justice.
Speakers included: Aaron Reichlin-Melnick of the American Immigration Council; Steven Schulman, Pro Bono Partner at Akin Gump; Dr. Mary Ellsberg, Director of the Global Women’s Institute at the George Washington University; and retired Immigration Judge Paul Wickham Schmidt. William & Mary Alumni Andrew Pecoraro J.D. '17, and J. Nicole Alanko J.D. '18 and Immigrant Justice Corps Fellow in the Immigration Clinic, each moderated panels for the Conference.
"With expert practitioners from private practice, law school clinics, and nonprofit organizations, what was clear is that across the Fourth Circuit we have an extraordinarily deep well of knowledge and dedication in this complex area of law," said Stacy Kern-Scheerer, Director of the William & Mary Law School Immigration Clinic. "Practicing asylum law and representing asylum seekers is demanding by every measure. Our Immigration Clinic is proud to convene this Conference so that practitioners and law students across our region feel more prepared to meet those demands and take on the challenges of practicing asylum law, particularly at a time when greater access to representation is desperately needed."
You can read more about the Conference and see a full list of speakers on the Immigration Clinic’s blog.
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