Frequently asked questions
What will I do to volunteer?
The wide variety of volunteer services that ALP members provide depend on the needs of the host organization. These services include assisting organizations with client intake, completing and updating asylum applications, drafting client declarations, and researching country conditions. Students may visit detainment facilities and immigration court to accomplish this work. We offer a broad range of experiences, including remote, local, and onsite.
What else do I do as a member of ALP?
In addition to pro bono legal services provided over Winter and Spring breaks and Spring semester, members may also participate in opportunities over the course of the school year. Fundraising opportunities include the yearly Silent Auction and Give to the Max Day campaign. Other opportunities for service have included tutoring Afghan refugees, assisting at court clinics, and submitting comments to legislators.
Do I have to speak Spanish to volunteer with ALP?
No. However, some of the organizations require at least a couple of Spanish-speaking students on each trip because volunteers provide client-facing services and organization resources are limited. Therefore, Spanish-speaking students have the most flexibility in choosing which trip to attend.
There are many asylum seekers that do not speak Spanish. If you speak another language, for instance Somali or French, these language skills are also in demand in certain locations.
How can I prepare for my volunteer experience?
ALP provides informational sessions with University of Minnesota Law faculty to introduce students to the complexities and challenges they will face in the course of their work. Some community organizations will provide additional training to students prior to volunteering.
Any additional questions?
Feel free to email asylumlp@umn.edu or reach out to individual board members.
Previous volunteers’ Experiences
“Observing detainees and their interactions with the Judge at Immigration Court had a significant impact on me. Oftentimes the human element of legal advocacy can be lost or temporarily forgotten while in law school, and having the opportunity to connect academic experiences with individual faces and stories reinforced the values that brought me to law school in the first place.”
“I learned a lot of the nitty gritty that goes into practicing immigration law. This includes filling out forms and all the research that goes into the work. I had an idea of this, but I also saw first hand how incredibly overwhelmed places that do immigration law are. The sheer number of cases the organization had was staggering, and they had to turn people away often. However, the attorneys we worked with were all very passionate about their work and they were great to learn from. We also had the opportunity to go to immigration court in Chicago and see how those courts are run. Our client just had a quick scheduling hearing, but afterwards we went around to different courtrooms and had the opportunity to observe different kinds of proceedings in immigration court.”
“The primary skill I learned was client counseling. I was incredibly fortunate to be with an organization that allowed us the opportunity to meet with clients and represent them in court. On a more human level I learned how strong the human spirit can be. Meeting with individuals fleeing horrific situations, only to encounter the slow, confusing, and potentially incredibly disappointing, US immigration system, yet are able to maintain strong and hopeful outlooks was incredibly moving.”