Promoting access to justice for those seeking safety in the US

Thousands of people seek refuge in the US every year, only to be faced upon arrival with the daunting task of navigating the complex US immigration system. in most instances, there is no right to free legal counsel in immigration cases; as a result, thousands of children, survivors of violence, and other vulnerable individuals are forced to assert their claims for protection alone. Unsurprisingly, grants of relief for those without counsel are quite low, while those with counsel are up to five times more likely to be successful, even in similar kinds of cases. DLA Piper attorneys are committed to promoting equal access to justice for those seeking safety in the US by providing pro bono support through a range of projects, from full representation before US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) or the Immigration Court, in limited scope clinics, and working for lasting change through advocacy and strategic litigation.

In much of our immigration work, we collaborate with our corporate clients to increase our impact. With Microsoft, for example, we have teamed up on cases referred by Kids In Need of Defense (KIND), a nonprofit legal organization co-founded by Brad Smith, President of Microsoft. With Pfizer, we have co-staffed immigration clinics and asylum cases. The firm also has collaborated several times with Zurich North America in Chicago to help migrants, collaborating on workshops to assist Afghan refugees in preparing pro se asylum petitions, working together to staff a clinic to help recent arrivals to the city obtain work permits, and assisting other migrants in preparing applications for asylum protection.

“Zurich North America is a terrific and enthusiastic partner in all of these initiatives. They are always willing to help, sending both lawyers and Spanish-speaking nonlawyer volunteers to work alongside us. We’re so grateful to work with them.”
– Annie Geraghty Helms, Director and Counsel of US Pro Bono Program, Chicago

Supporting asylum seekers fleeing gang-related and gender-based violence

Violence is a central driver of migration, and victims of gang-related and gender-based violence often struggle to win asylum protection under the US asylum statute. The statute was born out of the post-World War II Refugee Convention and is not always well-suited to address modern protection needs and the types of persecution that now compel people to flee. Despite these challenges, DLA Piper lawyers have successfully supported their clients in winning asylum.

For example, DLA Piper lawyers Yan Grinblat and Devin Carpenter (both Chicago), argued against the concept that gang-related and gender-based violence are merely personal. They were successful in convincing the court that the words and actions of their client’s persecutors had harmed their client. The court agreed and granted asylum, allowing the firm’s client and her son to continue building their lives in the US.

In another hard-fought battle spanning many years and involving proceedings before both the USCIS Asylum Office and the Immigration Court, Melanie Garcia (Washington, DC) and a team of DLA Piper attorneys won asylum for a young woman who fled gang-related violence in her home country at the age of 13. Over seven years, many lawyers – among them Harriet Lipkin, Mike Hazzard (both Washington DC), and Amanda McCaffrey (San Francisco) – joined Melanie in her efforts to convince authorities that the gang-related violence her client experienced qualified her for a grant of asylum.

Advocating for survivors of intimate partner violence

While DLA Piper lawyers often represent individuals fleeing violence in their home countries, sometimes migrants experience violence after arriving in the US. In those instances, there is a special form of relief for victims of certain crimes who cooperate with police and prosecution in bringing perpetrators to justice. Like asylum matters, these cases can take years but provide a path to legal permanent residence that can be life changing.

Recently, Kira Mineroff (Short Hills), Janet Katz (Austin), Emily Goodwin, and Maria Longoria (both New York) had the joy of notifying their client, who had been victimized in the US, that she had been granted U-nonimmigrant status and would have a path to permanent status. The team worked on this case for eight years and is now assisting their client in bringing her daughter to the US.

Reuniting families

Family separation is a common and painful reality for many people who are forcibly displaced. Even when an individual finally wins a grant of asylum or other lawful status, the next step in being reunited with their spouse and children is a long and frustrating administrative process that can take years.

After obtaining asylum for a client from an African nation, we worked for years to obtain derivative asylum for the client’s wife and children. After nine years of separation, during which the client’s family faced danger and health concerns, the family was finally able to reunite in the fall of 2023 and are living safely together in the US.

In it for the long haul

Asylum cases are difficult, often lasting many years and requiring hundreds of hours of work. The dozens of DLA Piper lawyers who take on these matters each year understand the importance of providing legal counsel to our neighbors when they are at their most vulnerable and the life-changing results they can achieve in collaboration with their clients.

Brooke Kim and Megan Kinney (both San Diego) know the importance of standing with their clients over the years and recently achieved victory for a family fleeing violence who had been seeking asylum since 2013. Although the family’s petition had clear merits, there were significant delays and setbacks. Throughout the process, the team remained steadfast in its commitment to the family.
DLA Piper is proud of our lawyers and business professionals who remain deeply committed to serving individuals and families around the world who pursue safety in the US.

“Pro bono work in immigration and family law reminds me why the firm is relentlessly dedicated to service for clients. For a juvenile client in a difficult custody dispute with intense personal stakes, bringing the same level of detail-oriented analysis and discipline is rewarding and gives me perspective on client service. I am grateful that I am able to devote time to critical pro bono work like this.”
– Ankur Desai, Associate, Washington, DC