meet a pro bono partner
Andrea Mangones
Associate
Latham & Watkins LLP
- Q: Why did you join Tahirih’s Pro Bono Network?
- A: I worked at Tahirih for a year as volunteer attorney before starting at Latham & Watkins LLP, and I was committed and excited to continue my work with Tahirih clients as a pro bono attorney.
- Q: Can you share a highlight from a memorable case?
- A: I successfully assisted a woman from the Democratic Republic of the Congo with her application for asylum and subsequent green card application. Before fleeing the DRC, she had never had the opportunity to learn to read or write. After receiving asylum, she started going to school for the first time here in the U.S. After signing her asylum application with only an X [because of her illiteracy], when it came time to submit her green card application a year later, she was so proud that she could write her own name. I will always keep the hand-written thank you card she sent me because I know how much she went through to be able to write just a few words.
- Q: How has your pro bono service impacted you?
- A: On a personal level, I love working with Tahirih clients who always show such amazing strength and resilience in the face of unimaginable challenges. Their courage helps me maintain perspective in both professional and personal situations. As an attorney, I have benefited immensely from the rigorous witness preparation and brief drafting processes that are part of Tahirih cases. In addition, working with Tahirih has given me the opportunity to meet with and build a network of like-minded colleagues that support Tahirih’s mission across the public and private sectors.ross the public and private sectors.
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Please join us as a pro bono partner or volunteer today! Your time and talents can truly make a difference.meet more pro bono partners
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Meghan Leibold Lidster
Staff AttorneyRichards Kibbee & OrbeIt 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 AttorneyBaker & McKenzie LLPThe 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 LLPRealizing 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.
