Leigh Goodmark

Professor

University of Maryland Carey School of Law

Q: Why did you join Tahirih’s Pro Bono network?: A: My clinic at the University of Maryland Carey School of Law provides direct legal services to people subjected to gender-based violence. We wanted to expand our work into immigration. Tahirih has been an amazing partner for my students and me as we’ve learned to handle these cases.
Q: Share a highlight from a pro bono case with Tahirih.: A: One of our clients was abandoned by her abusive U.S. citizen husband. Watching her gain the self-confidence to move forward with her adjustment of status and to take on a number of things that her husband told her she’d never be able to do, like get a driver’s license and work towards her professional license in the US, has been so gratifying. She’s an amazingly strong woman, and we’ve been able to use our legal skills to help her firmly establish her life here.
Q: How has your pro bono service impacted you?: A: Although my students have an academic understanding of the challenges faced by immigrant women subjected to abuse, working with Tahirih clients exposes them to the day to day hardships these women face. My students have learned a great deal from these cases, ranging from the nuts and bolts of immigration law to how to work with women from other cultures, to overall empathy. The students benefit tremendously from the experience of working with Tahirih’s clients – and hopefully will go on to provide pro bono services to Tahirih clients after they graduate.

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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