This Pro Bono Appreciation Month, Tahirih is proud to name Steven H. Schulman of Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld our 2026 Pro Bono Leader of the Year, and to honor 13 more attorneys whose dedication has made a meaningful difference in our clients’ lives.
Tahirih serves immigrant survivors of gender-based violence, and our work would not be possible without pro bono attorneys who share our commitment to safety, dignity, and justice. In 2026, our pro bono partners helped survivors navigate complex legal systems, pursue immigration relief, and build safer futures for themselves and their families.
This year’s honorees did that work in three ways that matter deeply to our clients: they built trust, they stayed the course on difficult cases, and they answered the call when time was short.
2026 Pro Bono Leader of the Year: Steven H. Schulman
Partner and Leader of the Pro Bono Practice, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld
When Steven became Akin Gump’s first full-time pro bono partner in 2006, he set about building a firmwide culture of service. Today, Akin Gump attorneys average more than 100 pro bono hours a year.
Steven is also a dedicated advocate for asylum seekers and human rights, and he mentors future public interest lawyers through the Pro Bono Scholars Program. Through his leadership, service, and teaching, he continues to expand access to counsel and to justice.
We are grateful for Steven’s lasting impact, and for the Akin Gump attorneys who carry that commitment to our clients.
Outstanding Pro Bono Service Awards
Steven’s leadership shows what pro bono can look like across an entire firm. Our 13 Outstanding Pro Bono Service honorees show what it looks like up close, case by case and client by client.
Building trust
For survivors, sharing their story with a court or an asylum officer is one of the hardest parts of the process. These attorneys made sure their clients didn’t face it alone.
Carina McMillan and Emilee Karr, Morrison Foerster
Carina and Emilee went above and beyond to prepare a Tahirih client for removal proceedings. With thoughtful, trauma-informed advocacy, they helped her feel more confident sharing her story, and they worked closely with Tahirih staff to support her through significant family challenges along the way. She has told us again and again how much their care and commitment mean to her.
“As a human and as an attorney, I believe it is always important to help others. Pro bono service is the best way I can do this as an attorney, and I am very grateful for the opportunity to help people get the representation they deserve.” — Carina McMillan
“Pro bono matters to me because a client’s income should not be a barrier to justice and quality legal representation.” — Emilee Karr
Michael Patton and Sofia Michael, Kirkland & Ellis
Michael and Sofia represent siblings who came to the United States as unaccompanied children and are now seeking asylum. They have shown exceptional care in both their legal preparation and their relationships with the young people they represent, even traveling to Houston for their clients’ interviews. Because of them, these siblings are navigating a complex process with committed advocates by their side.
Staying the course
Some cases take years, and some are among the most complex we handle. These honorees committed to them for the long haul.
Daniel Raddenbach, Leah Saris, Toby Ma, and Anna Dunin-Underwood, Covington & Burling
For several years, Daniel, Leah, Toby, and Anna have represented a Tahirih client in a highly complex immigration case. Through strategic advocacy and persistence, they have moved the case forward through difficult legal and procedural challenges before immigration agencies and the court. Work like this demands patience, creativity, and resolve, and they have brought all three.
Tamara Fishman Barago, Hollingsworth LLP
Tamara has brought dedicated Hollingsworth associates into some of Tahirih’s most complex asylum cases in removal proceedings. She pairs exceptional litigation skills with a trauma-informed approach that helps clients feel supported throughout a difficult process. Just as important, she mentors the next generation of pro bono advocates, showing how law firm leaders can build a commitment to service that lasts.
“Pro bono work is to me both a privilege and an imperative. It has been enormously rewarding to be able to help our clients navigate a difficult system, share their stories, and gain their merited relief.” — Tamara Fishman Barago
Answering the call
Sometimes a case can’t wait. When time was short, these attorneys said yes.
Shannon Lankenau, Latham & Watkins
Shannon and her team had only just taken on an asylum case when an unexpected interview notice arrived, giving them less than two weeks to prepare a substantial filing. Shannon quickly mobilized her colleagues and worked closely with the client to build trust, making sure the client felt fully prepared. When the interview was postponed, the team stayed ready to keep advocating as the process continued.
Timothy J. Beavers, Goodwin Procter
Tim joined a Tahirih client’s case shortly before a filing deadline. He was responsive, diligent, and thoughtful in his trauma-informed work with her, and his extraordinary efforts, along with his team’s, paid off: the client and her three children were granted asylum. Thanks to Tim, a survivor and her family can now pursue safety and a future together.
“Our legal system only works if everyone can use it. Pro bono is how I do my part to make that true.” — Timothy J. Beavers.
Stephen O’Connor and Maria Nereida Jaimes, O’Connor & Associates
When a detained asylum seeker needed a habeas petition on extremely short notice, Stephen and Maria stepped in. They supported the filing, shared essential insight into local practice and legal strategy, and made it possible for two Tahirih attorneys to appear in the case. The petition succeeded, and the client was released in time to reunite with her family for the December holidays.
“Pro bono is a real gift, it is an opportunity to share knowledge and experience with nonprofits who give back in turn with their knowledge, background, and experience. Where would we be without the ground troops at these groups taking on the hard cases? It matters to give them every support possible, because they are the ones moving the needle on the current lawlessness. I would do it again in a heartbeat.” — Stephen O’Connor
“Pro bono work has never been more important. Immigrants and their families are facing an increasingly complex system and policies that target them at every turn, and not everyone can afford an attorney. As a private practice attorney, I am deeply grateful to the nonprofits and attorneys who provide pro bono services to this vulnerable community. The immigration bar is in a fight to defend the rights of immigrants, and every hour of pro bono work adds strength to that fight.” — Maria Nereida Jaimes.
Justice Is a Collective Effort
To Steven, Carina, Emilee, Daniel, Leah, Toby, Anna, Shannon, Michael, Sofia, Tim, Tamara, Stephen, and Maria: thank you. Your expertise, compassion, and partnership strengthen Tahirih’s ability to stand alongside immigrant survivors of gender-based violence as they pursue safety, stability, and a future free from violence.
As we approach Tahirih’s 30th anniversary in 2027, we’re creating new ways for pro bono attorneys to make a difference, including 30 on 30: 30 legal clinics in our 30th year.
If you’re an attorney ready to join this work, we’d love to hear from you at probono@tahirih.org. Together, we can help more survivors get the legal support they need to rebuild their lives and thrive.