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The South Texas Pro Bono Asylum Representation Project (ProBAR) is a national effort to provide pro bono legal services to asylum seekers detained in South Texas by the United States government. The project recruits, trains and coordinates the activities of volunteer attorneys, law students and legal assistants. ProBAR is a joint project of the American Bar Association, the State Bar of Texas and the American Immigration Lawyers Association. The Texas Access to Justice Foundation provides support to this project.

25th Anniversary Video

State Bar of Texas Pro Bono Award

Employment Opportunities

ProBAR is currently looking to fill several positions. For these and other career opportunities at the American Bar Association, please visit the ABA Career Center. All ProBAR positions are available in Harlingen, Texas.

Volunteer Opportunities

There are a number of ways in which interested attorneys, law students, recent law graduates, legal assistants, and interpreters may participate:

1. Long-term attorney volunteers stay in South Texas for a period of two weeks, a month, or longer, and handle a number of cases in immigration court. Living and travel stipends may be available to qualified persons;
   
   
2. Short-term attorney volunteers are assigned one or more asylum cases in advance and travel to South Texas to represent detained asylum seekers at their immigration court hearings;
   
   
3. Law students, recent law school graduates, legal assistants, and interpreters, under attorney supervision, help complete applications, develop supporting documentation and legal memoranda, and prepare applicants to testify at their hearings. Proficiency in the Spanish language is preferred, but not required;
   
   
4. Volunteer attorneys outside of South Texas represent on appeal applicants denied asylum in the immigration courts, or assist persons applying for asylum in their own communities; and
   
   
5. Experienced immigration attorneys present training seminars and serve as attorney mentors to ProBAR volunteers.

For more information, please contact us.

A project of the
American Bar Association
State Bar of Texas
American Immigration Lawyers Association