Practising Law Institute is offering a virtual one-hour program entitled Portable Justice in Protection Cases: Transnational Evidence Collection From Mexico & Central America for Asylum & Other Protection Claims in the U.S. on March 4, 2026 from 1:00 PM-2:00 PM Eastern.

Registration: $25

Full scholarships and discounts to attend PLI programs are widely available to attorneys working in nonprofit/legal services organizations; pro bono attorneys; government attorneys; judges and judicial law clerks; law professors and law students; senior attorneys (age 65 and over); law librarians and paralegals who work for nonprofit/legal services organizations; unemployed attorneys; and others with financial hardships.

All eligible attendees are urged to complete and submit a PLI Scholarship Application.
https://www.pli.edu/probono/pbscholarship

Building strong asylum and protection claims in the United States depends on credible facts and well-documented evidence. Yet many people fleeing persecution are forced to leave their home countries abruptly, without the time, resources, or safety needed to gather critical documents. Once in the U.S., obtaining records from abroad—specifically from Mexico and Central America—can be complex, slow, and legally challenging.

This program explores the practical and legal realities of transnational evidence collection in protection cases. It is designed to equip advocates with concrete tools to obtain civil registry documents, criminal and police records, medical files, and sworn statements, as well as to arrange remote testimony from foreign witnesses. Emphasis is placed on navigating country-specific procedures, avoiding common evidentiary pitfalls, and ensuring that evidence gathered abroad is legally sound and usable in U.S. proceedings.

What You Will Learn

Topics to be covered include:

• Introduction: What Is “Portable Justice”? (5 minutes)
  • Defining portable justice in the context of protection cases
  • Why cross-border evidence collection is often decisive
• Documentary Evidence (35 minutes)
  • Civil Registry Documents
  • Criminal and Police Records
  • Powers of Attorney and Notaries
• Fact Investigation and Evidence Gathering in Challenging Political Contexts (5 minutes)
  • Conducting investigations safely
  • Collecting declarations and corroborating evidence amid repression or instability
• Remote Testimony and Depositions (15 minutes)
  • Immigration Court (EOIR)
  • Federal Court

Who Should Attend

Who Should Attend: Legal aid and nonprofit attorneys, pro bono counsel, legal services advocates, and allied professionals seeking practical guidance on cross-border evidence collection in asylum and other protection cases.