Thinking Like an Advocate by Jen White

In this video, Jen White, an immigration lawyer and Adjunct Professor in VIISTA (Villanova Interdisciplinary Immigration Studies for Advocates) teaches us about advocacy in the immigration courtroom.

As an advocate for your clients, you have a huge responsibility to be their voice in the immigration court before an immigration judge. As advocates for our immigrant clients, we need to be prepared to respond to decisions that we may not agree with. Psychology teaches is that we have 3 responses to conflict - fight, flight, or freeze. What is your typical response? Does that natural tendency align with the role you want to play as an advocate?

How would you prepare yourself to become the best advocate for your client before a judge? What would you do if a judge did not grant your motion for an asylum seeker client? How can you practice the skills you need to gain the confidence and grounding to make an argument and defend your client's position?

Watch this video to prompt your reflection.

To learn more about becoming an immigrant advocate, visit immigrantadvocate.villanova.edu