By: Vikram Iyengar, Ph.D.; Rajendra Panwar, Ph.D.
Fenwick & West secured political asylum for a pro bono client of the firm—a minor fleeing violence in Guatemala—who suffered persecution and faced future persecution in his home country.
This victory represents one of the eight cases Fenwick has taken on through the Rural Immigrant Connect project established through the leadership of Fenwick-sponsored Equal Justice Works fellow Renée Schomp, a Senior Staff Attorney based at the nonprofit organization OneJustice.
Rural Immigrant Connect uses videoconferencing to connect pro bono lawyers in the Bay Area and Silicon Valley with immigrant clients in California's Central Valley, some of whom have fled violence in Central America and desperately need representation.
“It was a privilege to help our client find safety and a new life in the U.S.,” Schomp said. “The Fenwick team empowered the client to be his own best advocate. We’re thankful for Fenwick’s support on the project as a whole. It’s extremely encouraging to see a firm so dedicated to pro bono work.”
Read the full story on fenwick.com.