Cynthia Castillo

Associate, Litigation

Baker Botts LLP

Q: Why did you join Tahirih’s Pro Bono Network?: A: A few of my colleagues at Baker Botts had already taken a case for a Tahirih client and they wanted a litigator to join the team. After learning about the client, who had suffered domestic abuse, had been a victim of sex trafficking, and who had been unable to obtain help from police in her country due to her status as a woman and racial minority, I felt compelled to help in any way I could.
Q: Share a highlight from a pro bono case with Tahirih.: A: The highlight of our case was definitely our client’s hearing before the Immigration Judge. Our client had tried for years to report stories of her abuse to the police in her country, but she never received any help. On the day of the hearing, she courageously told her story before the Immigration Judge and did not back down when cross-examined by the government. I was so proud of her strength and composure.
Q: How has your pro bono service impacted you?: A: My pro bono service has strengthened my skills as a litigator and an advocate. I’ve been able to get the kind of courtroom experience that many young lawyers at big firms don’t get in their first years practice. But most importantly, my experience with Tahirih has opened my eyes to the global issue of violence against women and the courage that it takes to escape that violence. I’m hoping to be able to continue to help women facing violence to find safety.

Meghan Leibold Lidster

Staff Attorney

Richards Kibbee & Orbe

It has been humbling to work with a client who, despite extreme hardship in her past, has been able to increasingly open up to me.
Lindsay Wright Brett

Associate Attorney

Baker & McKenzie LLP

The women and children I've worked with over the years inspire me to take on new cases.
Alicia Balthazar, Deborah Wei, Maria A. Arboleda, & Marta Thompson

Hogan Lovells US LLP

Realizing the impact of the case’s outcome not just for our client but for her son, shows how these cases can be completely life changing for a family’s future.

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