For attorneys
You do not need an immigration practice. You need the right training.
The Counsel Corps Academy is a national program that prepares capable attorneys to competently represent Afghans and allied partners. Free to participants, backed by ongoing technical support, with Battle Buddies and expert witnesses available on request.
Announced October 10, 2026 · Training coming soon
Attorneys in any practice area willing to learn a specific body of law, veteran attorneys, in-house counsel, solo and small-firm immigration practitioners, law school clinics, and firms with existing immigration or veterans practices. Prior immigration experience is welcome but not required.Law students and paralegals: tell us too. We are scoping a supporting track.
Request training
Six sessions. Pick the ones you need.
The first Counsel Corps Academy sessions are being scheduled now. Request any of them and we will send you dates before they are announced publicly.
Removal defense
How Afghan allies end up in proceedings, the anatomy of a Notice to Appear, master calendar and individual hearings, relief, evidence, and appeals.
Habeas corpus petitions
Challenging unlawful detention in federal court: when habeas is available, how to draft and file quickly, and what has worked for detained Afghans in 2026.
Asylum: defensive, affirmative, applications, and more
The I-589 from both sides, the one-year deadline, the July 28 referral rule, withholding and CAT, and how the Dorcas litigation changed the landscape for Afghan applicants.
Afghan-specific case types
Special Immigrant Visas, Chief of Mission withdrawals and appeals, parole and re-parole, family reunification and follow-to-join, and the travel ban. The cases no general immigration training covers.
What to expect in immigration court
Taught by a former immigration judge and a former asylum officer. What adjudicators look for, how credibility is decided, and what experienced practitioners do differently.
Other Counsel Corps offerings
Reading an Afghan immigration file, representing Afghan clients well, working with Battle Buddies and expert witnesses, and the Counsel Desk. Tell us what you need and we will build toward it.
For firms and pro bono programs: a full day, built for you
If you run or sit inside a law firm pro bono program, we will design a full-day training for your attorneys, drawn from the sessions above and tailored to the cases your market is seeing, and stay with your attorneys through their first Afghan case. Check the box on the request form and we will reach out to scope it.
If the form does not load, open it directly at forms.fillout.com/t/mNFFP9ZcL8us or email info@afghanevac.org.
The curriculum
Six modules.
Built with the field, not around it
Doctrinal modules are adapted from established immigration legal training partners with permission and attribution. AfghanEvac builds what only AfghanEvac can teach: the relocation system, SIV and Chief of Mission mechanics, and the view from inside the room.
How we got here
Afghanistan and the U.S. mission, the 2021 withdrawal, Operation Allies Refuge and Allies Welcome, Enduring Welcome, and the policy environment since. Not history for its own sake. Context that explains why the cases look the way they do.
The case-type map
Special Immigrant Visas, Chief of Mission approval and revocation, refugee pathways, affirmative and defensive asylum, parole and re-parole, family reunification, adjustment of status, work authorization, and naturalization. A map of the system before you evaluate a single file.
How to read an Afghan immigration file
The most practical module in the program. Who is this person, how did they enter, what status did they receive, which agency has jurisdiction, what deadlines exist, what relief is available, what documents should exist and are missing. Worked through anonymized sample files.
Removal defense, detention, and habeas
How allies end up in proceedings, the anatomy of an NTA, master calendar practice, removability, relief including asylum, withholding, and protection under the Convention Against Torture, evidence development, and appeals. Plus detention and bond, and when and how to file a habeas corpus petition in federal court. A gap in most existing Afghan-specific trainings.
What to expect in the room
Taught by a former immigration judge and a former asylum officer. What adjudicators are actually looking for, how credibility determinations get made, what undermines a case before you say a word, and what experienced practitioners do differently. This module does not exist anywhere else in this field.
Representing Afghan clients well
Trauma-informed interviewing, working through interpreters, naming and transliteration, inconsistent dates of birth, evacuation-era records, military and employment verification, digital security, family still abroad, and setting realistic expectations. Competence, not cultural awareness.
What you get, what you give
A clear trade.
The Counsel Corps is designed so that a lawyer without an immigration practice can take one of these cases responsibly.
- Training
- Six modules, delivered online, free. Sessions on removal defense, habeas, asylum, Afghan-specific case types, and immigration court are coming soon; request the ones you need.
- Ongoing support
- The Counsel Desk: practice library, continuously updated state of play, litigation alerts, and monthly office hours.
- Context
- Country conditions, relocation-system expertise, and guidance on what records exist and where to look for them.
- Battle Buddies, on request
- American veterans, frontline civilians, and evacuation volunteers who can support your case, plus access to expert witnesses. You request them; they are not assigned.
- A network
- Other Counsel Corps attorneys working the same problems in other jurisdictions.
- Representation
- You are counsel of record. You hold the client relationship and full professional responsibility for the matter.
- Time
- The Academy runs roughly 8 to 12 hours across six modules. A case commitment is separate and voluntary.
- Placement
- Cases are placed through partner legal organizations, not by AfghanEvac. We will connect you to the partners in your market.
- Candor
- Tell us what is not working. The Counsel Desk improves on what attorneys report back.
Bottom line AfghanEvac helps you understand everything surrounding the case. You handle the case.
Set expectations
What joining does not mean.
- It does not create an attorney-client relationship between you and AfghanEvac, or between AfghanEvac and anyone you represent.
- It does not obligate you to accept a case. Training and representation are separate decisions.
- It does not make AfghanEvac co-counsel, supervising counsel, or responsible for your professional judgment.
- It does not mean AfghanEvac will send you clients. Placement runs through partner legal organizations.
Frequently asked questions
Before you add your name.
When does training start?
The first sessions are being scheduled now. Request the sessions you want and you will receive dates before they are announced publicly. Firm pro bono programs can request a full-day training and we will scope it with you.
How much time does the training take?
Roughly 8 to 12 hours for the full six-module Academy, delivered online and asynchronously where possible so you can complete it around a practice. Individual sessions run 60 to 90 minutes. A firm training runs a full day.
Do I have to take a case?
No. Many attorneys will complete the training to be ready, to supervise others, or to spot issues in work they already do. Taking a case is a separate, voluntary decision made with a partner legal organization.
What if I get in over my head on a case?
That is what the Counsel Desk is for, and knowing when to ask for help is part of competent representation. If a client is detained, the habeas session and the Counsel Desk are built for exactly that moment. A rapid specialist consultation service is planned for a later phase. Until then we will connect you to experienced practitioners in the network.
I am a veteran and a lawyer. Is there a role for me?
Yes, and you are the person we most want to hear from. Veteran attorneys are the core of this program. You may also be the right Battle Buddy for another attorney’s case, even if you never take one yourself.
I am a veteran but not a lawyer. Can I help?
Yes. Battle Buddies are American veterans, frontline civilians, and evacuation volunteers who can support a case when an attorney requests it. Use the same form and tell us how you served or volunteered.
Is my firm’s participation public?
Only if you want it to be. Tell us your preference on the form.
Will AfghanEvac send me clients?
No. AfghanEvac does not refer individuals to attorneys and does not maintain a referral list. Cases are placed through partner legal organizations, and we will connect you to the partners in your market.
Get involved
Request training.
It takes two minutes, commits you to nothing, and puts you first in line as sessions are scheduled. Firms: tell us you want to talk about a full day for your pro bono program.
Related
AfghanEvac is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice or legal representation. Nothing on this page is legal advice, and nothing here creates an attorney-client relationship. The AfghanEvac Counsel Corps trains and supports attorneys and provides community legal education. It does not represent individuals, does not accept cases, and does not match individual people to individual lawyers. People seeking representation should contact a licensed attorney or an accredited representative directly. Information on this page is current as of the date shown and may change.