Dvora Walker ’16 and Hyunjoo Ahn ’15 won a grant of asylum at a January 2015 hearing before the DHS Asylum Office for their client J—, who was persecuted in his African homeland because he is gay. When family members learned he was in a relationship with a man, community elders summoned J— and demanded that he end the relationship. Shortly after that, a mob surrounded his home and threatened to burn it down. J— and his partner moved repeatedly to other cities, but homophobic violence chased them. When attending a family wedding, J—’s drink was poisoned, making him severely ill. One day, he and his partner were confronted outside a bar by a vigilante militia that beat them with clubs and whips. J— went into a severe depression and spent a long time in and out of treatment. Eventually, he obtained a visa to visit his sister in the U.S. Once here, he came to the realization that his homosexuality should not be a source of shame, and decided to apply for asylum. The students worked with country, medical and mental health experts who prepared expert witness reports showing that J—bears physical and emotional scars consistent with his account of persecution, and continues to face severe risks of homophobic violence in his home country. In multiple preparation sessions, they helped J— overcome his anxieties so that he could testify effectively.