BLANK ROME ’ S FIRST PRO BONO MONTH RESULTS IN 11 PERCENT INCREASE IN PRO BONO HOURS
In 2023 , we launched our first firm-wide Pro Bono Month in March , featuring a wide variety of trainings and clinics across our markets . Our goals were to highlight pro bono opportunities early in the year to kickstart our attorneys ’ and paralegals ’ participation and maximize their impact throughout the year . As always , we also sought out opportunities to partner with our clients on pro bono projects . Comparing March 2022 to March 2023 , we achieved an 11 percent increase in pro bono hours . We look forward to continuing this annual tradition .
Several of the pro bono projects that our colleagues , clients , and other inhouse counsel participated in during Pro Bono Month were :
• D . C . Bar Pro Bono Center Small Business Training
• Houston Volunteer Lawyers Veterans Clinic
• Legal Services NYC Housing Conditions Clinic
• Public Counsel Military Discharge Upgrade Training
• Homeless Advocacy Project Birth Certificate Training
• SeniorLAW Center and Villanova Law School Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Custody Clinic
• SeniorLAW Center Life Planning Documents Clinic
• Houston Volunteer Lawyers Legal Advice Clinic
• Nationalities Service Center Temporary Protected Status Clinic for Afghan Asylum-Seekers
• Legal Services NYC Public Benefits Application Training and Clinic
• DC Volunteer Lawyers Project Info Session
• Sanctuary for Families Parole Project Training for Incarcerated Victims of Domestic Violence
OUR IMMIGRATION-RELATED PRO BONO WORK
In 2023 , attorneys throughout the firm represented clients from various countries of origin seeking asylum in the United States as a path toward citizenship . Working with our pro bono partner , HIAS Pennsylvania (“ HIAS-PA ”), we had a continued strong focus on assisting Afghan asylum seekers fleeing the Taliban . More than 40 Blank Rome volunteers worked on Afghan asylum cases in 2023 and , to date , they have secured eight successful grants of asylum for their clients , and no denials . In April 2023 , HIAS-PA honored our firm with its highest pro bono award at its Golden Door Awards ceremony . We continue to take on new Afghan asylum cases through HIAS-PA . In the videos to the right , Blank Rome Los Angeles attorneys Natalie Alameddine and Arash Beral share their experiences as part of the firm ’ s Afghan asylum pro bono team .
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