Truth, Lies and Circuit Splits: Credibility and Well-Founded Fear in Asylum Law

An asylum applicant’s credibility is the decisive issue in most cases. The REAL ID Act made the line between truth and lies more consequential. Although REAL ID establishes a uniform statutory framework, circuit courts diverge sharply on how credibility is determined—creating circuit splits that affect whether you win or lose. This CLE course examines the well-founded fear standard with a practical focus on how courts assess inconsistencies, omissions, demeanor, and plausibility under the “tot... More Info