meet a pro bono partner
Luke Meisner
Associate
Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP
- Q: Why did you join Tahirih’s Pro Bono Network?
- A: I initially joined Tahirih because of the compelling facts of my first case, which involved a woman who was trafficked first from Ethiopia to the United Arab Emirates and then ultimately to the United States. I have continued taking case after case with Tahirih because of the outstanding support that the organization provides to me and the clients.
- Q: Can you share a highlight from a memorable case?
- A: I recently assisted a Bangladeshi client who had been abused by her U.S. citizen husband. The husband had not only abused the client in the United States, but he had also taken her back to Bangladesh. There, he attempted to abandon her because he knew she would have no recourse against him in that country’s legal system. The client bravely returned on her own to the U.S. We were able to remove the conditions on her permanent residence based on the extreme cruelty and abuse of her husband. Now, she has found stability and security in her life.
- Q: How has your pro bono service impacted you?
- A: I’ve grown tremendously as an attorney though my pro bono service. However, even more importantly, pro bono service has allowed me to develop meaningful relationships with individuals in our community with whom I would have otherwise had little opportunity to interact. For example, on December 24 last year, I received a card in my office from a former U visa client whose 13-year-old son we had brought over to the U.S. after winning him derivative benefits. In the card, the former client thanked me for bringing her entire family together for the very first time for Christmas. It was by far the best card I received last year.
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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.
