Political Asylum/Immigration Representation Project (PAIR) Recognizes Goodwin Procter’s Efforts on Behalf of Asylum Seekers
BOSTON, June 2, 2008 - Goodwin Procter LLP announced today that the firm will be honored with the 2008 Pro Bono Law Firm of the Year Award, given annually by the Political Asylum / Immigration Representation Project (PAIR). The award will be presented on June 3 at 6 p.m. at PAIR’s annual dinner, in honor of human rights and immigrant advocacy, at the Boston Harbor Hotel. PAIR is a non-profit organization committed to providing legal services to secure the safety and freedom of asylum-seekers and to promote the rights of immigration detainees.
“Goodwin Procter is proud of our long history of working with the PAIR project. PAIR secures safety for people who attempt to exercise freedoms that we take for granted. By partnering with this organization, we are pleased to provide support to these individuals could not otherwise afford legal assistance,” said William P. Mayer, partner and co-chair of Goodwin Procter’s Pro Bono Committee.
During the fiscal year 2007, 30 Goodwin Procter attorneys dedicated over 750 hours of pro bono legal assistance working on behalf of 14 clients referred by PAIR. In one recent case, a team of Goodwin Procter attorneys worked with PAIR to win political asylum for a citizen of Cameroon who was imprisoned and beaten by Cameron police, because of his peaceful efforts to promote and defend the rights of English-speaking citizens of this country. PAIR matched the client with a team of Goodwin Procter attorneys, which included, Nula Droney, Robert Durbin, Karl Johnson, and Benjamin Wyatt. For nine months, the team gathered crucial documentation of the client’s political persecution, and represented the client during an interview before an asylum officer. The team’s tenacity and preparation resulted in the client being granted political asylum based on the merits of this individual’s situation.
“PAIR is pleased to recognize Goodwin Procter as our 2008 Pro Bono Law Firm of the Year. The strong support of the firm as a whole, and the enthusiasm, tenacity and skills of its individual attorneys are consistently exceptional. Together, they provide an invaluable resource to our program and the clients we serve,” said Sarah Ignatius the executive director of PAIR.
About Goodwin Procter
Goodwin Procter LLP is one of the nation’s leading law firms with more than 850 attorneys in offices in Boston, Los Angeles, New York, San Diego, San Francisco, Silicon Valley, and Washington, D.C. The firm’s core areas of practice are corporate, litigation and real estate, with specialized areas of focus that include financial services, private equity, technology, REITs and real estate capital markets, intellectual property, tax and products liability. Information may be found at www.goodwinprocter.com.