The Journey of a Pro Bono
It’s accepting a legal case that others have deemed unwinnable.
It’s working with a mentor attorney to strategize, review documents, prep for a trial and interview, and provide leads for experts, witnesses, and interpreters.
It’s recognizing the non-legal needs of your client such as emergency shelter, food and clothing, and healthcare.
It’s standing on the frontlines of battle for freedom and equality on behalf of women and girls fleeing violence.
THIS is the journey of a pro bono partner with the Tahirih Justice Center.
During National Pro Bono Week, we’d like to recognize four of our incredible pro bonos:
Kristen Brenchley
Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP
5 years in Baltimore Pro Bono Network
“Working with Tahirih and my client has given me the ability to see the intersection of the law and individual lives – something my primary practice does not often afford me. It has given me perspective on the significance, impact, and need for regulatory and statutory changes, because I can see the effects at the human level. It has also given me an up-close view of how women are treated in other parts of the world and the indifference and neglect that many women face when they turn to their government for protection.”
Amy C. Hoang
K&L Gates LLP
5 years in Greater DC Pro Bono Network
“Working with my client’s family has been one of the most impactful, rewarding, and humbling experiences of my career, culminating in an unforgettable day when an Immigration Court Judge declared my client an asylee of the United States. Though immigration law is outside of my day-to-day practice, Tahirih gave me tools and support necessary to provide the legal representation our client needed.”
Cara Vasquez
DLA Piper LLP
6 years in Houston Pro Bono Network
“Tahirih is a force in acknowledging all that truly matters in representing immigrant women and children. Their trauma matters. Their housing situation matters. Their missing police report proving proof of domestic violence matters. Their escape in the night after five failed attempts matters. Their trust matters. With Tahirih’s unique understanding of trauma-informed representation, we, as pro bono counsel, can provide more impactful, meaningful, and purposeful representation. That also matters.”
Angi Li
Covington & Burling LLP
1.5 years in San Francisco Pro Bono Network
“My pro bono work through Tahirih and other pro bono partner organizations reminds me of how many resources we have at our disposal at big law firms and how important it is to make those resources available to underserved clients. It is humbling to work with clients who reflect such hope and optimism in the face of hardship, and truly an honor to help them reach a better place.”
Through Tahirih’s Pro Bono Network, nearly 2,500 attorneys, doctors, psychologists, and other professionals donate their time and expertise to five local offices across the nation, serving more than 3,500 clients each year.
These compassionate change agents are vital to ensuring Tahirih’s delivery of free services needed for women and girls fleeing human rights abuses to achieve the immigration status to which they are entitled under U.S. law and rebuild their lives in the wake of violence. Because of our Pro Bono Network, Tahirih is able to multiply the impact of every dollar donated, dramatically increasing the capacity of our holistic model for protection which includes free direct services, bridge-building policy advocacy, and research-based training and education.
To all the professionals who selflessly stand alongside Tahirih staff to create a world where women and girls live in safety and with dignity, THANK YOU.
If you are interested in joining Tahirih’s Pro Bono Network, please visit tahirih.org/join-our-network.
