📝 The Best Way to Format a Country Conditions Index? The Analytical-Thematic Format

I’ve come across a lot of index formats for presenting country conditions evidence in asylum cases.
 
I love discussing format with immigration attorney clients, helping them weigh the pros and cons of their approach.
 
I thought it might be useful to share a few general observations on how to best format your index.
 
So far, I’ve seen 4 main index formats.

1️⃣ Format arranged by source type: sources are grouped according to the type they belong to, i.e., government, NGO, news media, etc.
 
2️⃣ Chronological format: newest source comes first, then then the second-oldest, then third, etc.
 
❌ My key takeaway on these two: Source-type and chronologically organized indices can easily bury the key sources or statements that support your client’s claim. 
 
3️⃣ Thematic format: sources are grouped under themes of persecution, including human rights violations, gender violence, etc.
 
✅ In my experience, this format is the best, since it presents the material in an order which clearly:

✳ Separates out the different grounds of persecution and how those are supported by the evidence.
✳ Highlights the most salient and concrete information that addresses the client’s particular claim.
 
But at some point I felt I needed to add a twist to the thematic format, into a version I call the:
 
4️⃣ Analytical-thematic format.
 
✴ This format arranges the material thematically.
✴ In addition, it very carefully analyzes the information in light of the asylum seeker’s purported grounds and any other relevant statements.
 
Why?
 
➡ Essentially to be able to craft the index to give “objective” backing to the client’s statements as expressed in their sworn declaration + to identify and mitigate any potential adverse information or seeming inconsistencies.
 
Basically, this format allows the client’s statements to be accompanied by the country conditions evidence as closely as possible.
 
🤓 Yes, it does require close, careful, and critical reading and analysis. But when someone’s life is literally at stake, I think it’s warranted, and over time, as you learn how to do it methodically, you become more effective and efficient at it.