Lawyering in the Asylum System: An in Depth Review

Over the last three presidencies, the asylum system has dramatically changed. Join Carlos and Karina and their guest Lauren Kostes.Lauren grew up in Connecticut, the daughter and granddaughter of Italian immigrants. She received her BA from Bucknell University in 2011 for International Relations, with a focus on international human rights, and graduated with her J.D. from the University of Connecticut School of Law in 2015. While at UCONN Law, she focused on human rights, with a particular focus on immigration law. She interned at Human Rights First and Catholic Charities, where she primarily worked on asylum cases. In 2016, she moved across the country to do removal defense in Arizona at the Florence Immigrant and Refugee Rights Project (Florence Project), where she worked giving Know Your Rights presentations in detention centers, and representing immigrants in removal proceedings, primarily representing them in asylum and appeals cases. After nearly six years in Arizona, she returned to New York to become Coordinating Attorney at the New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG), where she coordinates and provides universal representation under the New York Immigrant Family Unity Program (NYIFUP) to immigrants in removal proceedings in New York. In her spare time, she loves cooking, hiking, and traveling. Follow her instagram: @ThePastattorney