Help Strengthen Asylum Research and Safeguard Fair Decision-Making
Asylos is seeking experienced US-based asylum lawyers or immigration legal advisors to join our Research Standards Support (RSS) Team as volunteers.
About Asylos and the RSS Team
Asylos is an international network of volunteers who conduct Country of Origin Information COI research to support people seeking protection. Since 2019, the Research Standards Support (RSS) team has played a crucial role in ensuring that the research we provide meets the highest standards of quality, accuracy, and relevance.
The RSS team brings specialist legal expertise into Asylos’ research process, ensuring that requests are well formulated, aligned with the US asylum framework, and produce research that can make a real difference in protection claims.
What RSS volunteers do
RSS volunteers act as the bridge between legal practice and research, helping Asylos’ coordination and research teams to:
– Review and refine incoming US-based research requests to ensure they are legally relevant and clearly structured.
– Advise on how COI is used in US asylum, human rights, and protection cases.
– Provide peer review of selected research reports to ensure COI quality standards.
– Share insights to improve volunteer training and support Asylos’ engagement with referrers (lawyers, NGOs, caseworkers).
This work does not involve providing direct legal advice to clients or referrers, but focuses on improving the standard and impact of our research work.
Commitment
– Approximately 2–4 hours per week at most, depending on volume.
– Flexible, remote volunteering — contribute from anywhere.
– Most communication is via email (transitioning soon to a new platform).
Who we’re looking for
We welcome applications from immigration and asylum practitioners with:
– At least 3 years of experience in US asylum or human rights work (OISC Level 2+, solicitor, or barrister).
– Solid understanding of COI and how it is applied in US decision-making.
– Strong analytical, writing, and communication skills.
– A collaborative spirit and commitment to supporting high-quality, fair asylum processes.
– Experience in reviewing case materials, drafting or assessing COI, or mentoring junior practitioners.
Why volunteer?
– Contribute to fairer and more evidence-based asylum decisions.
– Join a diverse, international network of legal experts, researchers, and human rights advocates.
– Gain insight into global COI methodologies and contribute to systemic quality improvements.
– Use your expertise to train and empower others in the sector.
How to Apply
Please send a short statement of interest (max 300 words) and your CV to: carolina.albuerne@asylos.org
Please include “RSS Volunteer Application – US” in the subject line.
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.
Thank you Immigrant ARC for your support with this! 🧡