Immigration lawyer/attorney, Hasan Abdullah, provides his personal insights on the political asylum process in the United States. Link to Immigration Judge Reports: https://trac.syr.edu/immigration/reports/judgereports/
Here’s a link to a GAO report showing applicants with legal representation have twice the approval rate as those without legal representation, yes it is an old report, but should still be considered relevant. Hiring a professional can make all the difference between approval and denial: http://www.gao.gov/products/GGD-87-82FS