meet a pro bono partner
Julie Stephenson
Associate, Real Estate Development and Investments
Winstead PC
- Q: Why did you join Tahirih's Pro Bono Network?
- A: In 2013, I was a member of the Houston Young Lawyers Association Leadership Academy. As a group, we chose to raise funds to support Tahirih Justice Center’s work. As a result, I was given a unique opportunity to get to know the organization from the inside. I was not only touched and moved by the work that Tahirih was doing, but I learned that they provided the type of pro bono work that I was seeking. As a transactional lawyer, I was looking for an opportunity to do pro bono work that did not involve going into a court room, and Tahirih fit the bill perfectly.
- Q: Share a highlight from a memorable case.
- A: My client survived a brutal sexual assault. With the help of my co-counsel, her Tahirih attorney submitted a U visa application that would give her the ability to seek U.S. citizenship in the future. It was hearbreaking to see firsthand how this violent act had impacted my client's life and her children's lives. The highlight of this case was seeing how the hope of one day becoming a citizen gave my client a sense of stability and excitement for the future. This hope truly helped her heal from the wounds of the crime.
- Q: How has your pro bono service impacted you?
- A: Being a lawyer is a stressful profession, and it is very easy lose perspective. It is very important to me to give back to the community, but, equally as important, helping people in need gives me a reality check that makes me a better, more grounded lawyer and a better overall human being.
Do Something!
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.
