Episode 3: Can Non-Lawyers Offer Relief and Expertise in Deportation Cases?

June 30, 2025 00:16:26
Episode 3: Can Non-Lawyers Offer Relief and Expertise in Deportation Cases?
Proof Over Precedent
Episode 3: Can Non-Lawyers Offer Relief and Expertise in Deportation Cases?

Jun 30 2025 | 00:16:26

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Show Notes

Cartoon depicting non-lawyer legal services in agency immigration litigationImage by Courtney Chrystal, J.D. candidate, Harvard Law School


With a growing backlog of deportation cases, overwhelmed U.S. immigration courts are struggling to deliver due process. In this first Student Voices podcast episode of Proof Over Precedent, Harvard Law School student Michael Pusic proposes a possible solution for the 86% of immigrants detained without a lawyer: Enable non-lawyers with specialized training and experience to represent individuals facing deportation. It’s passed observational tests; now, he says, it’s time for a randomized control trial.

Read the corresponding blog post.

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Proof Over Precedent cover art by Courtney Chrystal, J.D. candidate, Harvard Law School

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