meet a pro bono partner
Nkechi Okwodu
Attorney
Latham & Watkins LLP
- Q: Why did you join Tahirih's Pro Bono Network?
- A: I am of West African descent and come from a family of immigrants. As a result, immigration issues have always been of utmost importance to me.
- Q: Share a highlight from a pro bono case with Tahirih.
- A: I have been representing a woman from Mali who is petitioning for adjustment of status under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). The client and her two children suffered extensive domestic abuse at the hand of her husband, who then abandoned them and left them to fend for themselves. I worked hard to gain the client’s trust and obtain the details of the abuse and the circumstances of her case, which was very difficult for her to relay. After drafting a detailed declaration to USCIS with supporting medical records, police reports, and other documentation, I submitted the VAWA self-petition to USCIS along with a petition for adjustment of status and request for employment authorization. Within a few weeks after our submission, USCIS made a prima facie determination of the client’s eligibility and granted her request for employment authorization. A final determination on the VAWA self-petition and petition for adjustment of status is still pending, but I am hopeful that we will get good news from USCIS soon.
- Q: How has your Pro Bono service impacted you?
- A: My pro bono service has been extremely rewarding. It has been great getting to know my clients and earning their trust, but it is particularly fulfilling to see my hard work actually make a significant difference in their lives.
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Please join us as a pro bono partner or volunteer today! Your time and talents can truly make a difference.meet more pro bono partners
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Meghan Leibold Lidster
Staff AttorneyRichards Kibbee & OrbeIt has been humbling to work with a client who, despite extreme hardship in her past, has been able to increasingly open up to me. -
Lindsay Wright Brett
Associate AttorneyBaker & McKenzie LLPThe women and children I've worked with over the years inspire me to take on new cases. -
Alicia Balthazar, Deborah Wei, Maria A. Arboleda, & Marta Thompson
Hogan Lovells US LLPRealizing the impact of the case’s outcome not just for our client but for her son, shows how these cases can be completely life changing for a family’s future.
