🇺🇸🗽⚖️👍 REPORT FROM KANSAS CITY! — The Sharma-Crawford Clinic Immigration Court Trial Advocacy College Reaches New Heights!

Rekha Sharma-Crawford writes in Linkedin:

The Clinic at Sharma-Crawford Attorneys at Law Immigration Court Trial Advocacy College Faculty, 2024. Kick ass trial lawyers sharing their wisdom and knowledge to elevate the practice before the immigration courts. Blessed to call them all friends! Thank you my friends!! 🙏🏽🗽⚖️💕 

 

Paul Schmidt Lory Rosenberg Elina Magaly Santana Erich Straub Michael Sharma-Crawford Kelli Stump Lindsay Gray David Bell Kelly Driscoll Nathan Dayani Davorin Odrcic Michelle Saenz-Rodriguez Sarah Owings Genevra Alberti Susan Roy Patrick Lewis Angel Marie Graf

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Immigration Court Trial Advocacy College Defensive Asylum Day 2! 

 

It’s incredible to witness the dedication and passion of our attendees as they dive into the world of defensive asylum cases.

 

#TheClinicSCAL #KansasCity #TrialCollege …see more

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Immigration Court can, quite intentionally on the part of its “political handlers,” be intimidating, particularly for newer litigators.

Among the many “user unfriendly/due process denying features:”

• Arbitrary, “make ‘em up as you go along” rules that apply to individuals, but not to DHS or EOIR;
• Cosmically inconsistent adjudications;
• Lack of universal asylum expertise among judges at both the trial and appellate levels;
• Institutional bias against asylum seekers and failure to follow generous precedents such as Cardoza-Fonseca and Mogharrabi;   
• Shifting political priorities driving “Aimless Docket Reshuffling” and creating unmanageable backlogs;
• Permissive lack of discipline at DHS in intentionally overloading system; 
• Grotesque overemphasis of “bogus productivity” over due process, quality, and fundamental fairness; 
• One-sided “disciplinary procedures” that give DHS counsel a “free pass;” and
• A “permissive culture” of racial bias and “any reason to deny” decision-making.  

Yet, despite this intentional, unethical “tilting of the playing field’ against migrants, particularly asylum seekers of color, and their representatives, well-represented individuals win their cases against the odds at all levels of this system every day! 

The faculty of the Sharma-Crawford Immigration Court Trial College is a unique blend of experienced, hard-nosed, gutsy, immigration advocates, criminal defense attorneys, former prosecutors and judges, teachers, and coaches. We teach skills and instill fearless attitudes that have proven to be successful in criminal, civil, and immigration litigation!

 The Trial College now has more the 150 “alumni” nationwide who are using their enhanced talents to force due process on a reluctant system, save lives, and “build America,” one case at a time!  The “Class of 2024” was larger than usual and showed exceptional seriousness, dedication, creativity, and commitment to changing the course of American Justice for the better at the oft-ignored but existentially important “retail level.”

I was particularly pleased to be “reunited” on the faculty with my colleagues and “EOIR Alums” retired Judges Lory Rosenberg, Sue Roy, and “new recruit” Ed Kelly! I also appreciate the courtesy of Assistant Chief Immigration Judge Jayme Salinardi and the  Kansas City Immigration Court in arranging for the students and faculty to observe some Master Calendar hearings.

I am privileged to be part of this amazing and inspiring multi-disciplinary effort! Thanks to Rekha Sharma-Crawford, Michael Crawford, Genevra Alberti, and the Clinic Staff for their leadership in making this happen!😎

🇺🇸 Due Process Forever!

PWS

04-27-24