AILA Afghan Response Task Force

An Update on Providing Aid to Afghans

from Our Afghan Response Task Force

AILA members have expressed an outpouring of concern and desire to support Afghans. As a part of our response to support these efforts, AILA has established an Afghan Response Task Force (ARTF), including a Pro Bono Team, to help coordinate this immense legal need. 

ARTF Pro Bono Team’s Ongoing Projects 

• Coordinating with other non-profits to help find lawyers to meet the needs of Afghans. For those who are interested in providing pro bono services, we have posted several opportunities on our Resources for Assisting Afghan Clients page. You can also use our online Afghan Allies Assistance form to add your name to our list of AILA members willing to take on Afghan clients on a pro bono basis. 
• Helping place some cases through our Afghans in Need of Immigration Assistance page, where members can briefly review and claim pro bono cases. 
• Assessing the needs of members who are assisting with Afghan cases and planning to serve as an “on the ground” resource and clearinghouse. 
• Preparing to organize and host virtual clinics in the coming weeks for Afghans in the United States who need to understand their current legal status and what steps to take next. 
• Coordinating with refugee service providers, including Human Rights First and USCCB/CLINIC at military bases, and with other groups to help with legal service processing, although a limited structure is currently in place.  

How You Can Help

If your AILA chapter is helping locally, please contact the ARTF Pro Bono Team Chair Christopher Cheney at chaney@usavisaway.com to see how we may be able to help. You can also reach out to ARTF directly through our Report a Trend page.
 

If you don’t have time to donate legal services, there are other ways that you can help, many of which are listed on the AILA Afghan Response page.

Staying Up to Date

Keep an eye on AILA8 and other AILA communications to learn more about these upcoming national and chapter events.

Taking Care of Yourself

In the meantime, despite the urgent and often heart-breaking work created by this crisis, the recent devastation in Haiti, and the hurricane in Louisiana and its surrounding areas, we encourage you to take some time to de-stress and center yourself. The AILA Lawyer Well-Being Center has many resources including short meditations, secondary trauma prevention videos, and other techniques to help you become a better, more refreshed lawyer. For your convenience, we have curated many of these resources in our recent practice success tip Maintain Your Well-Being During a Crisis. 

Sincerely,

AILA National