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Complete our online training!
In Fall 2023, the Vermont Asylum Assistance Project partnered with Vecina, a Texas-based nonprofit founded with the mission to “empower immigrant justice advocates through mentoring attorneys, educating communities, and mobilizing volunteers.” We are excited to share that Vecina has designed two online training modules that are available to VAAP pro bono attorneys. The first module is an overview of affirmative asylum and the second trains attorneys to conduct in-depth asylum client intakes. We are so grateful to Vecina for these resources and look forward to sharing them with pro bono attorneys who are interested in volunteering with us. Please email us for details on how to access these trainings.
Join us at the Vermont Bar Association's Mid-Year Meeting!
We are looking very forward to attending the VBA's spring conference on March 29 in Burlington, which offers several CLE sessions directly on point:
Leveraging Collective Care & Social Work Strategies to Address Workplace Trauma & Stress (1.5 MCLE wellness), 8:30am - 10:00am, Speaker: Cassie Gillespie. Attorneys and legal professionals are exposed to stress, human suffering, and secondary trauma every day at work. The impact of this exposure can be significant. Nevertheless, many people who work in the legal profession have not been supported to address workplace trauma exposure or have only been asked to address it at the individual level with self-care practices. Self-care is not solving the problems of workplace stress, trauma, and burnout. Leveraging the power of teams and professional relationships is the next frontier in tackling workplace impact. This session will explore workplace trauma exposure and how we can think differently about preventing it.
Take an International Tour (1.5 MCLE general), 10:30am - 12:00pm, Speakers: Kristen Connors, Molly Gray, Mark Oettinger, Maya Tsukazaki, and Nathan Virag. Got cabin fever? No passport needed. Let the VBA’s International Law & Practice Section (ILP) take you on a tour of current topics in international law. Molly Gray and Nathan Virag will describe the legal challenges facing Vermont’s immigrant population…and what they are doing to help. Spoiler alert! They’re looking for help. Then, Kristen Connors and Maya Tsukazaki will discuss the related topic of Immigration Relief for Young Vermonters. Even if you’ve never considered handling a case with cross-border characteristics, you need to be able to spot cross-border issues when they arise. And yes, there are more pro bono opportunities available. And speaking of issue spotting, the final third of the event will feature Moderator and ILP Chair Mark Oettinger addressing International Law Issue Spotting for the Vermont Practitioner, and providing a brief update on the status of Supranational Courts. We don’t see as much international law in Vermont as one might in a place like New York City or Los Angeles. That said, the world is becoming a smaller place, and some would argue that we are witnessing a convergence between common law and civil law systems. In Vermont, we share a border with a French-speaking civil law jurisdiction. Are you comfortable when a long-standing client wants to export…or import…or wants to hire a non-U.S. citizen…or can’t travel to Canada because of a DUI conviction from college. The potential fact patterns are endless. And they’re unusual…and hence fun! Join us in exploring current events in the context of international law.
US Supreme Court Update (1.0 MCLE general), 2:00pm - 3:00pm, Speaker: Rod Smolla, President, VLGS Vermont Law and Graduate School. Rod Smolla will present an update on the evolving constitutional jurisprudence of the U.S. Supreme Court, focusing principally on those areas of constitutional law that are currently undergoing major change. The topics will include discussion of the Court’s reshaping of the meaning of the Religion Clauses, the Equal Protection and Due Process Clauses, separation of powers principles, and doctrines circumscribing the powers of administrative agencies. The update will include as a theme the Court’s increasing emphasis on textualism and originalism as driving approaches to constitutional interpretation.
Everything You Wanted to Know About Ethics But Were Afraid to Ask (now's your chance!) (1.5 MCLE ethics), 3:30pm - 5:00pm, Speakers: Mike Kennedy and Stuart Teicher. Okay, maybe that’s slightly overselling it. The program won’t be about absolutely everything. But it’s going to cover a lot of ground…and you’ll be able to ask questions! Join Vermont’s Bar Counsel Michael Kennedy and his guest, educator Stuart Teicher, as they take your questions on the ethics issues you’d like to talk about. Plus, they have some words of their own. We’ll be discussing the latest in artificial intelligence, issues about conflicts, and more!
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