U.S. Asylum Law

SLN #: 82693
Course Prefix: LAW-691
Course Section: 017
Credit Hours: 2
Instructor(s): Cruz
Course Books: View List of Books

Course Description:
This course explores U.S. Asylum Law and the overall phenomenon of forced migration to the United States. The primary focus is 8 USC ยง1158, which controls Refugee status eligibility in the United States. Class sessions cover grounds of eligibility, statutory definitions, group persecution, fact-finding/evidentiary challenges, bars to asylum, procedures, and some select current hot topics in the field. Students are graded based on a combination of their scores on an appellate moot court brief co-written with a moot court teammate plus their individual performance scores at a one day on-campus Board of Immigration Appeals oral argument moot court that takes place during finals reading week. The course is only offered every other year.

Additional Information:
Credit Hours: 2
Grading Option: Letter Grade Only
Written Assignment: Co-write with moot court teammate a 25-page asylum appellate brief
Graduation Writing Requirement: No
Flexible/Upper-Level Writing Requirement: Yes
Skills Requirement: No
Simulation Course: No
Experiential Learning: Yes
Seminar: No
Special Withdrawal Course: No
Limited Enrollment Number: 20
Final Exam Given: No
Mid Term Or Other Exam: No
Paper Or In-Class Presentation: Students required to partake in a graded appellate asylum moot court
Participation Points: Yes
Attendance Policy: Per Statement Of Student Policies
Additional Attendance Policy: No

* The law school has a policy that is used to calculate credit hours. Please see the Statement of Student Policies.