The Tahirih Justice Center is one of the nation's foremost pro bono legal advocacy organizations for women and girls fleeing human rights abuses and violence.  Through direct litigation and public policy advocacy, Tahirih protects women and girls seeking escape from gender-based persecution and cruelty such as forced female genital mutilation, torture, rape, trafficking, honor crimes, gender apartheid, forced marriage, and domestic violence.  In addition to providing pro bono legal services, Tahirih effects change through the litigation of precedent-setting cases, pioneering the utilization of new legal remedies under U.S. law to protect immigrant women from violence, and working with U.S. and U.N. agencies to improve the processes for assisting refugees and asylum seekers.  Tahirih works to transform policies, develop regulations, and establish precedent so that systemic change will ensure long-term protection of women and girls from violence.  Taking a holistic approach, Tahirih also offers a range of social and medical services referrals.  Through its services, Tahirih has assisted over 5000 individuals in finding justice.

Current Programs and Initiatives:

Legal Protection from Gender-Based Persecution:
The Tahirih Justice Center is a pioneer in the protection of women and girls from violence under U.S. immigration law. Through direct litigation and public policy advocacy, it encourages the development of laws to protect women and girls fleeing abuses such as female genital mutilation, honor crimes, forced prostitution, rape and incest, trafficking, gender-apartheid, and forced sterilization. Tahirih provides free legal representation in-house and, in an effort to maximize the number of women served, refers additional cases to law firms that have agreed to provide pro bono legal services to Tahirih's clients. Taking a holistic approach to serving its clients, Tahirih also offers a range of social and medical services referrals.

Campaign to Stop Exploitation by International Marriage Brokers: 
In recent years, the international marriage broker industry (commonly known as "mail-order bride agencies") has exploded in response to American men’s demands for “traditional wives.” Although some of these unions may work out, an increasing number of women are paired with abusive men. Often unfamiliar with the English language and the U.S. legal system, and told inaccurate information about their rights by agencies wanting to keep them in their marriages to protect successful matchmaking track records, many women are left in dangerously violent relationships. The Campaign advocates for legislative change, accountability of agencies, and protection of the women through litigation and public outreach.

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International Projects to Promote Legal Protection for Women and Girls:  

 At this historic time, when many countries are passing laws and engaging in efforts to protect women from violence, Tahirih works to define and expand legal protections for women and girls. Tahirih's efforts span the globe and include Ghana, Gambia, Kuwait, Brazil, Australia, and Germany. Its international activities include training adjudicators and legal advocates, promoting the development of legislation and regulations, fostering grassroots empowerment of women’s rights organizations, working with local law firms to promote a culture of pro bono advocacy, and engaging in media and public advocacy.

Initiative to Ensure Police Protection for Immigrants:      

In reponse to legislative efforts to compel state and local police enforcement of immigration law, Tahirih works on a national level to advocace on behalf of abused immigrant women to ensure their ability to obtain police protection without fear of being deported or placed in detention.  On a local level, Tahirih works to organize and build bridges between immigrants' rights groups and local police departments to raise awareness about the importance of preserving access to police protection for immigrant women who are victims of domestic violence, trafficking and other violent crimes.  

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Battered Immigrant Women Advocacy Project:
Tahirih provides free legal representation to immigrant women and girls before the Citizenship and Immigration Services and Immigration Court in obtaining U.S. Permanent Residency so that they are not forced to choose between deportation and remaining in an abusive relationship.  Many of Tahirih's cases are represented pro bono by attorneys at law firms in an effort to maximize the number of women served.

•  Arnold & Porter LLP
•  Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP
•  Jones Day
•  Covington & Burling
• Crowell & Moring
•  Hogan & Hartson LLP
•  Kirkpatrick & Lockhart
•  Mintz, Levin Cohn, Ferris, Clovsky & Popeo
•  Piper Rudnick
•  Greenburg, Traurig
•  Maggio Kattar
•  Wiley, Rein & Fieldberg
•  Cole, Raywind & Braverman
•  Foley, Hoag, & Eliot
• Marshfield Associates
• Patton Boggs
• Debevoise & Plimpton
• Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld
• Baker and Hostetler LLP
• O'Melveny & Myers LLP
• Paul Hastings
• Perkins Coie LLP
• Steptoe & Johnson LLP
• Hale & Dorr LLP
• Clearly Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton
• Shaw Pittman LLP
• Brand & Frulla
• Pederson Immigration Law Group, PC
• Patton Boggs
• Hunton and Williams
• Wiley Rein & Fielding

If you are interested in becoming a pro bono attorney, or if you would like more general information regarding our pro bono program, please contact Tahirih at justice@tahirih.org.

Criteria for Assistance
The Tahirih Justice Center focuses its efforts on cases that fall within the scope of the organization's mission. In particular, accepted requests must involve the protection of women from persecution--although men may be eligible for assistance in order to protect their female family members from abuse. In addition, women who wish to receive Tahirih's services free of charge must demonstrate that they are not able to afford to pay for such services. In those instances when requests for assistance fall outside the Tahirih's scope, staff members make every effort to locate other legal service providers who can offer the prospective client assistance.

A Holistic Approach
Tahirih approaches its service to clients from a holistic perspective, seeking not only to resolve the legal issues that clients face, but also to connect clients with other community resources that will assist them in living independent, safe, and healthy lives. Tahirih recognizes that the attainment of freedom from persecution is only the first step in helping women achieve well-being and a larger sense of justice in their lives. For many women, the process of dealing with the abuses they have suffered takes many years, and it can be compounded by the challenges of adjusting to their new lives in the United States. In an effort to assist clients with this process, Tahirih coordinates their access to social services, medical services, and psychological counseling through an extensive referral network.

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