B ASIC P ROCEDURAL M ANUAL F OR

The project is now one of the leading asylum representation programs in the country, handling hundreds of affirmative and defensive asylum cases every year before the Chicago Asylum Office, the Chicago Immigration Court, the U. [...] • To inform NIJC of any transfer of representation within the firm or of the addition of attorneys to the legal team assigned to the case. [...] If the client was referred to the court from the asylum office, was subject to a credible fear determination upon entry to the United States or has previously applied for any immigration benefits or given statements to immigration officials, the pro bono attorney should request a copy of the client’s government immigration file through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). [...] Finally, when determining whether harm rises to the level of persecution, the adjudicator must consider the age of the applicant at the time the harm occurred. [...] At that point, the burden shifts to the government to establish by a preponderance of the evidence that conditions in the country of origin have changed such that the applicant no longer has a well-founded fear, or that it would be reasonable for the applicant to move to another part of the country to avoid persecution.