Citizenship Day is an annual event offered to the immigrant community by Florida Coastal School of Law on its campus off Baymeadows Road.
Citizenship Day is supported by The Jacksonville Bar Association’s Law Day Committee, Jacksonville Area Legal Aid and the American Immigration Lawyers Association.
This year’s event will be 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. April 9.
Pro bono attorneys may staff the morning shift (9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.) or the afternoon shift (12:30-3:30 p.m.).
While the morning shift is well-staffed, a few additional pro bono attorneys are needed for the afternoon shift. Immigration expertise is very helpful, but not required.
The goal of Citizenship Day is to assist eligible legal permanent residents with becoming United States citizens.
At the event, attorneys and law students assist permanent residents with completing their N-400 naturalization applications. Each year 80-100 applicants are helped.
Participating attorneys will receive a three-hour naturalization webinar via email prior to Citizenship Day.
Attorneys who do not practice immigration law must view the webinar prior to before April 9.
There is no time for training in the substantive issues on the day of the event so it’s very important that attorneys prepare in advance by watching the webinar and getting their questions answered.
Immigration attorneys are available to answer questions prior to April 9 and will be at the event to assist with application review.
Participating attorneys will counsel applicants about legal issues that may arise and whether additional legal assistance is warranted.
Attorneys will conduct a final review of the documents with the immigrants and ensure all applicants are eligible to apply for citizenship.
For some, the attorney will inform the immigrant of the potential risks of filing the application.
When the attorney determines the application is ready for submission, a Florida Coastal student will submit the application.
Attorneys interested in assisting with Citizenship Day 2016 or future events should contact Para at [email protected]
This worthwhile event changes lives and strengthens our community. Join the effort.