Immigration Advocates Launch New Website on Unaccompanied Minors

NEW YORK - Jan. 21, 2015 - PRLog -- The Immigration Advocates Network (http://www.immigrationadvocates.org) and the American Bar Association, in partnership with Pro Bono Net (http://www.probono.net), are pleased to announce the launch of a new website, the Unaccompanied Children Resource Center (www.uacresources.org).  The site shares trusted legal information and referrals with advocates, children, and their guardians.  It was created in response to the influx of unaccompanied immigrant children seeking refuge in the United States.

The Unaccompanied Children Resource Center brings together the country’s leading bar association, pro bono lawyers, and resources from leading immigrants’ right organizations to increase access to justice and reduce barriers for children navigating the deportation process.

“The ABA is pleased to partner with IAN and Pro Bono Net to provide critical legal resources to pro bono attorneys, legal service providers, and unaccompanied minors and their families," said ABA President William C. Hubbard. "It is our intention to provide accurate, up-to-date legal information to lawyers and legal representatives who will be assisting children and their families in applying for legal relief and navigating complex removal proceedings. We hope this information will help lawyers and advocates speak up for immigrant and refugee children in our communities.”

The Resource Center features training manuals, webinars and practice advisories to help nonprofit legal staff and pro bono attorneys represent children in proceedings. It also includes a national directory of volunteer opportunities for pro bono lawyers, links to key resources, and up-to-date news and events. For the families and guardians of unaccompanied children, the site offers basic legal information, including videos on what to expect in immigration court, and plain language materials on immigration law and procedure. Children and their guardians can search for legal help through a national directory of nonprofit legal service providers. The website is updated regularly with news, upcoming trainings and events, new developments in the law, plain language materials, and highlights on initiatives and partnerships that share information, match children to counsel, and more.

“We created the site to provide trustworthy information and legal referrals to children and guardians; and, to support the important work of the practitioners who are taking these cases," said Matthew Burnett, Director of the Immigration Advocates Network (IAN). "As the largest network of nonprofit and pro bono immigration advocates in the country, IAN is proud to partner with the American Bar Association and Pro Bono Net to ensure that children and advocates anywhere in the country have ready access to timely, relevant, and free resources on the law and process."

Contacts:
Matthew Burnett, Director, Immigration Advocates Network
Phone: (212) 760-2554 X481 Email: mburnett@immigrationadvocates.org

Meredith A. Linsky Director, American Bar Association Commission on Immigration
Phone:  (202) 662-1006 Email: meredith.linsky@americanbar.org

About Immigration Advocates Network

Immigration Advocates Network (IAN) is a collaborative effort of leading immigrants’ rights organizations designed to increase access to justice for low-income immigrants and strengthen the capacity of organizations serving them. IAN promotes more effective and efficient communication and collaboration among immigration advocates and organizations by providing free, easily accessible and comprehensive online resources and tools. IAN’s partners include the ACLU Immigrants' Rights Project, American Bar Association Commission on Immigration, American Immigration Council, American Immigration Lawyers Association, ASISTA, Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Immigrant Legal Resource Center, Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, National Immigration Law Center, National Immigration Project of the National Lawyers Guild, Pro Bono Net, and the Advocates for Human Rights. For more information, visit www.immigrationadvocates.org.

About the American Bar Association

With nearly 400,000 members, the American Bar Association is one of the largest voluntary professional membership organizations in the world. As the national voice of the legal profession, the ABA works to improve the administration of justice, promotes programs that assist lawyers and judges in their work, accredits law schools, provides continuing legal education, and works to build public understanding around the world of the importance of the rule of law.

About Pro Bono Net

Pro Bono Net is a national non-profit organization dedicated to increasing access to justice for the disadvantaged. Through innovative technology solutions and expertise in building and mobilizing justice networks, Pro Bono Net transforms the way legal help reaches the underserved. Comprehensive programs including www.probono.net, www.lawhelp.org and www.lawhelpinteractive.org, enable legal advocates to make a stronger impact, increase volunteer participation, and empower the public with resources and self-help tools to improve their lives.