PORTLAND (December 17, 2009) – The Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project (ILAP) recently held its Annual Awards Dinner. ILAP presented awards for Pro Bono Firm of the Year, Pro Bono Attorney of the Year, and Community Volunteer of the Year.
As Maine’s only provider of free and low-cost immigration legal assistance for low-income residents, ILAP helps Maine’s immigrants keep their families together, gain protection from persecution and domestic violence, attain residency and work authorization, and become proud U.S. citizens.
At the awards dinner, Verrill Dana was honored as Pro Bono Firm of the Year. Ten Verrill Dana attorneys have been involved with the firm’s Pro bono Immigration Panel in the last year, handling 21 cases, and donating 1100 hours in the last year. Eight of those cases (seven asylum grants, one domestic violence victim granted residency) were successfully approved in 2009, and the others remain in progress.
Pro Bono Attorney of the Year honors went to Jennifer Archer of the firm Kelly, Remmel & Zimmerman. Jennifer has volunteered with ILAP since 2003, and this year donated over 330 hours to ILAP clients, winning all of her cases which received decisions. Anne Grimes of Durham, and Anthony Wilson Port Clyde were named community Volunteers of the Year, for their work assisting ILAP’s Immigration Clinic.
“Far more low-income Mainers need ILAP’s help each year with immigration issues than our limited staff can assist,” says ILAP’s Executive Director, Beth Stickney. “Without ILAP’s incredibly talented and dedicated volunteers, we would have to turn far more people away, resulting in many losing the opportunity to reunite with their families, gain safety from domestic violence or safe haven from persecution abroad. Our volunteers are a critical component of our ability to serve.”
To learn more about ILAP, please visit their site at www.ilapmaine.org.
