Frequently Asked Questions

Technical Assistance Overview

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What is CGRS’s technical assistance (“TA”) program?

CGRS’s technical assistance program focuses on claims involving asylum, withholding of removal, and Convention Against Torture (CAT) protection and encompasses several components: (a) resource development; (b) dissemination of resources; (c) individualized consultations; and (d) outcomes tracking and analysis. CGRS develops litigation support resources, including practice advisories, country conditions research reports, expert declarations, and sample case documents, which we disseminate through our technical assistance program. We also provide unpublished immigration judge and Board of Immigration Appeals decisions. 

What kind of mentorship does CGRS provide?

CGRS receives funding to provide more in-depth individualized phone or email consultations for certain legal services networks and their pro bono affiliates to discuss legal theory and strategy, and procedural and evidentiary issues. If you are working on a case funded by the Vera Unaccompanied Children Legal Services Subcontract, San Francisco Immigrant Legal Defense Collaborative, California Department of Social Services, or working at a Qualified Legal Service Provider (QLSP) organization funded by the California State Bar, please contact us as indicated below if you would like to access these services. 

On a limited basis, we review and provide feedback on draft asylum applications, declarations, briefs, and other submissions. We strive to make consultations available to other TA program users to the extent we have the capacity and the cases are aligned with our litigation priorities. Unfortunately, we are not always able to accommodate more in-depth consultation requests, but will always provide tailored assistance resources through our online TA program. If you would like to request a consultation, please email us at CGRS-TA@uchastings.edu with your case number in the subject line and a brief overview of the assistance you are seeking. Consultations are by appointment only; please do not call CGRS if you do not have not scheduled an appointment. 

How can I support CGRS’s work?

Donations are essential to sustaining our work and keeping our TA program free and accessible to all. Any amount helps! Support CGRS by donating here.

Practitioners can also support our TA program by reporting outcomes and sending us redacted sample materials. You may either upload case documents (decisions, briefs, or other sample materials) while reporting a case outcome or submit documents for inclusion in the TA Library by filling out this form. Many of the sample briefs, decisions, and country conditions indices are provided by practitioners who have utilized our TA program.

We encourage you to redact any identifying information in case documents before sending them to CGRS. On a limited basis, we may be able to assist with redaction, but due to limited staff capacity, we encourage you to redact all documents before sending.