As an AMICA legal court observer volunteer and notetaker for immigration court (virtually), I took notes on cases from a detained Master Calendar Hearing docket. Each time I've done the court observation I've understood more and more the legal terminology (in both English and Spanish) and how the different applications or appeal processes work. I learned a lot of legal terms in Spanish through this experience and, again, the important of translators in these spaces. Each volunteer experience I've had with AMICA, the court observation and and detention center visit, has also made me seen with my own eyes the importance of the work that AMICA does, so I am very glad to be able to participate in AMICA's volunteer opportunities.
As an AMICA legal court observer volunteer and notetaker for immigration court (virtually), I took notes on cases from a detained Master Calendar Hearing docket. It being my second time, I knew more of what to expect with how the MCH docket runs and the names of the applications and processes. The notetaking became easier as I knew exactly what things I should specifically be making sure to note.
I attended the Q&A with the Children’s Team event with Amica. I listened to volunteers as questions to Taylor and Caroline. They discussed immigration law, what it is like to be an attorney for kids (vulnerable youth who need to be protected from abuse), and the impacts of current and past administration. It was a really inspiring way to immerse myself in a new organization. I hope to get more involved with Amica in the near future.
This was my first time being a legal court observer and notetaker for immigration court (virtually). I took notes on cases from a detained Master Calendar Hearing docket. It was an eyeopening experience in which I learned how the immigration court process functions and learned a lot about the different immigration documents/applications. It was also difficult at times to hear detainees' personal stories. Regarding pairing this volunteer experience with my Spanish Linguistics class, it was interesting to see how Spanish translation works in immigration court and the importance of having a translator.
