What’s New with LIA
October 2022 Updates
DOJ Accreditation
Last month, LIA’s office recieved the exciting news that our very own Laura Ramirez and Vidal Sequeira-Cortez are officially Department of Justice (DOJ) accredited representatives! This means that the DOJ has recognized their education level and experience in immigration law, authorizing them to represent clients in immigration proceedings. LIA also received accreditation from the DOJ as an organization that provides quality, low-cost legal services to the community. This is a major step toward increasing LIA's capacity to provide affordable legal services to the West Michigan Community. Congratulations, Laura and Vidal!!
Winter Internships
Applications are open for Winter Internships! Join our incredible team of interns by applying with this link. To learn more about our intern program, click here.
Volunteer-a-thon: Translation!
Volunteer as a document translator! LIA is seeking volunteers who are bilingual in Spanish and English to assist in the translation of legal handouts. If you are interested, visit volunteerhub to sign up or email David Lee at dlee@lia-michigan.org to learn more.
New American Legal Clinic & Asylum Clinic Update
New American Legal Clinic
LIA’s NALC team has served 368 clients through the intake process (including 12 newborn babies). 305 of these clients are eligible for Asylum, and over 90% of applications have already been mailed. Many clients have already had or been scheduled for their Asylum interviews, and we expect to begin receiving results from those interviews in the next few weeks.
For all NALC volunteers — mark your calendars for November 18th, 5:30pm - 8:30pm! LIA’s NALC team will be hosting an open house event to celebrate you and your commitment to our NALC clients. Keep an eye on your email; more details are on their way.
Asylum Clinic
While we continue working with our Afghan clients through the New American Legal Clinic, LIA has also initiated an Asylum Clinic for clients all around the world, not just from Afghanistan. This program has completed 14 consultations, 5 of which have become active cases with LIA. There are 36 asylum-seekers remaining on the consultation waitlist.
New Merch Coming Soon
It’s time for some fresh ways to represent LIA, and we need your input. Submit your own design to dlee@lia-michigan.org by November 14th for a chance to win a prize! If you’re not feeling too creative, we still care what you think: click here to vote on existing designs.