Think Immigration: A New Resource for Effective Immigration Court Advocacy

What inspired you to write Trial Skills for Immigration Court: A Practical Guide to Effective Strategies and Tactics?

We have been offering trial advocacy skills training for more than five years to give practitioners hands-on instruction on how to conduct various aspects of immigration court hearings. We wanted to provide a written companion piece to those training sessions and have a reference available for immigration practitioners whether or not they attend the in-person training. We believe it will be very helpful for practitioners to have a resource to look at as they are doing their trial preparation.

What are the biggest challenges attorneys face when advocating in immigration court, and how does your book address them?

Many immigration attorneys go into this field because they want to help people, not because they had a specific interest in being litigators. As immigration court has become more adversarial, it’s very important for practitioners to have all the tools at their disposal to provide the best possible representation for their clients.

Are there parts of the book that you think readers will find especially helpful?

This book is intended to be a practical resource, not an academic one. Throughout the book we include scripts to illustrate good courtroom techniques as well as common pitfalls. We also think the appendices with annotated samples will be especially helpful.

Who do you think will benefit most from this book and how should they use it in their practice?

We think that anyone who practices in immigration court will benefit from this book. There are many practitioners who are taking on their first removal defense case who will greatly benefit from understanding what will happen in court at each step of the hearing. But even practitioners who have conducted many hearings can use the book to better understand rules of evidence, how to make the best use of expert witnesses, and how state and federal court trial techniques like refreshing recollection can benefit immigration court practitioners.

Why do you think it’s important for immigration lawyers to further develop their trial skills, especially given the current environment and upcoming Trump Administration?

The incoming Administration has stated unequivocally that it intends to deport as many noncitizens as possible. Immigration practitioners have a unique role to play in the coming months and years to ensure that noncitizens receive due process during immigration court proceedings. In some cases, the key will be to make the best possible record for future appeals, and this book will help provide practitioners valuable tools to get testimony and documentary evidence into the record.

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