Legal Services

About our Legal Services Program

TASSC’s Legal Services Program provides high-quality, survivor-centered, pro bono legal representation to asylum seekers and immigrants in the Washington DC Metro area. 

Our unique interdisciplinary model allows us to collaborate with colleagues in social services, psychosocial support services, career services, and advocacy to ensure that we are treating the whole survivor and coordinating care. TASSC addresses the unique barriers that low-income immigrants in the Washington DC Metro area face in accessing trauma-informed legal services by providing culturally appropriate information, language access, and experienced, empathetic counsel.

We offer a wide range of services, including:

  • Asylum: We represent clients in both affirmative and defensive asylum cases.

  • Temporary Protected Status (TPS): We assist clients in obtaining and maintaining TPS.

  • Family-based immigration petitions: We help clients file petitions to reunite their families.

  • Adjustments of status: We guide clients through the process of adjusting their immigration status.

  • T visas and U visas: We represent clients seeking T visas for victims of human trafficking and U visas for victims of certain crimes.

  • VAWA-related services: We provide immigration-related legal assistance to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, or other qualifying abuses.

  • Work authorization and renewal: We assist clients in obtaining their initial work authorization documents and subsequent renewals.

“It is helpful to be able to call a lawyer at TASSC. It turns out they are not only our lawyers, they are our friends and families. We share our pain, we cry, we laugh together.”

— TASSC Survivor

Our Commitment to Care

Due to growing backlogs in the asylum process, many survivors wait years to receive decisions in their cases. As a result, they experience prolonged separation from family, leading to ongoing traumatic stress and heightened psychological symptoms. TASSC’s legal team delivers compassionate services in a supportive, caring environment.

Pro Bono Trainings

In addition to our legal services, TASSC offers regular training for pro bono attorneys interested in serving immigrants and asylum seekers in the DC metro area. These training sessions provide valuable insights into the unique challenges faced by our community and equip attorneys with the knowledge and skills needed to effectively represent them.