Immigrants in America need more help now than ever. The Trump Administration has launched a broad-based assault against them, targeting the most vulnerable through arbitrary detention, procedural barriers, and the destruction of due process. Aside from harming non-citizens and their loved ones, these efforts have eroded the rule of law and have helped the President and his allies accrue unprecedented power.

It's difficult to know how to respond to the Administration's attacks, but one powerful approach for lawyers is to represent non-citizens pro bono (without charge). This is a way to help an individual and also stand up for the rule of law. What's more, representing non-citizens pro bono has concrete benefits for the lawyer, in terms of learning new skills, expanding your network, and building or growing your legal practice. I know this because my own pro bono work helped me build and maintain my law practice for more than two decades.

There are lots of altruistic reasons to engage in pro bono work, including that it can be life saving for the client. However, today, I want to discuss the tangible benefits to the lawyer of taking on a pro bono case.

First, taking pro bono cases is a great way to build or expand your law practice. That is exactly how I built my own law firm. I took a few asylum cases pro bono or for a very low fee. Those clients referred other clients, which led to still other clients. Over time, I raised my fees so I could afford to hire some help and pay myself a reasonable (though not terribly great) salary. Indeed, for 20 years I operated my own firm and it all began with a few pro bono cases.

To build a practice this way required some strategic thinking. I knew that my area (Washington, DC) had a large Central American population, and so I took six months to study Spanish prior to opening my own firm. What I did not realize was that there were already many lawyers who were fluent in Spanish, and that six months was not enough time for me to learn Spanish (but it was enough time to nearly exhaust my savings). As a result, I didn't fare too well in my search for Spanish-speaking clients. Luckily, there are people from many countries in Washington, DC, and I managed to meet people from Ethiopia and Afghanistan who needed asylum but who did not have a lot of money. I represented a few of these people pro bono and over time, this grew into a successful law practice. In short, what I lacked in strategic thinking, I made up for with good luck!

And so if you can think strategically about who you want as your clients, you can focus your pro bono efforts in that direction. This is a great way to start a new firm or to add new practice areas to an existing firm.

Taking cases pro bono is also a great way to expand your network and make friends. When you work on pro bono cases, you invariably meet other lawyers who can assist you in many ways. These include mentorship and referrals, and in some cases, employment. In fact, I was hired at my current job, at TASSC International, because the organization's leadership knew me through my volunteer work. Expanding your network is also beneficial for your mental health. The practice of law--and in particular, the practice of immigration law--can be quite stressful. It is incredibly beneficial to have friends who understand what you are going through, and who can support you in difficult times (i.e., all the time).

In addition, pro bono work allows you to try new practice areas under the supervision of an experienced attorney. Non-profit organizations provide training, model pleadings, mentoring, and support for attorneys who take cases pro bono, and so it's a great way to learn new lawyering skills. For younger attorneys, it's also a great way to have more control over your own case--you come up with a plan (in consultation with your partner organization) and can largely make your own decisions about how to present the case.

Finally, although pro bono cases require a time commitment, I find that taking such cases can actually help avoid burnout by letting you try something new in a safe context. Representing a person in a new type of case can be energizing, since the work is so meaningful and because variety is the spice of life.

Many people went to law school because they want to help others. Representing an asylum seeker pro bono is a manageable way to change someone's life and to stand up against the Administration's deportation machine.

If you are an attorney and want to learn more about assisting an asylum seeker pro bono, please email me at Jason@TASSC.org. I would be happy to give you more information and discuss the types of cases that are available.

Originally posted on the Asylumist: www.Asylumist.com.