The Advocates for Human Rights connects asylum seekers at all stages of the legal process with volunteer, pro bono attorneys.

Interested in Volunteering?
To represent asylum seekers, an attorney:

• Must have a current bar admission in any U.S. state;
• Does not need any specialized knowledge or experience in immigration law or asylum law;
• Agrees to represent an asylum seeker throughout the person’s asylum proceeding.

Our asylum clients are located in Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota, and all hearings are venued in Bloomington, MN.

Volunteer orientation sessions for asylum attorneys are held on the third Tuesday of each month. Sessions take place at noon at The Advocates' Minneapolis office. Remote participation is available. To volunteer as a pro bono attorney with The Advocates, please complete the Volunteer Attorney Registration form.

Existing Volunteer Attorneys
If you have an update on a client's case, complete the Case Update form.

If your client's case has concluded, complete the Case Closing form.

Training for Volunteer Attorneys
The Advocates provides training, support, and resource materials to our pro bono attorneys. Resources include:

• The Advocates’ Asylum Manual and other publications;
• Interpreters and translation;
• Training sessions led by The Advocates’ staff (upcoming trainings are posted on our Events Calendar);
• Recordings of our trainings and webinars.
• Malpractice coverage under The Advocates’ policy (volunteers seeking coverage for a current or future case must fill out the Volunteer Attorney Agreement form);
• Other resources at Immigration Advocates Network and probono.net

You are also always welcome to engage with our organization with our other volunteer opportunities.