Erin Meyer
Pro Bono Counsel
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In recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month and Well-Being Week in Law, Proskauer’s Senior Manager of Wellness, Tracey Saliski, brought Brianne Gallo and me together for a discussion about finding purpose in life and work through participation in public service at Proskauer. It was a privilege to present on this topic with Brianne, who is … Continue Reading
The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) allows immigrant survivors of domestic violence to self-petition for legal status in the United States without relying on their abusive U.S. citizen spouses to sponsor their adjustment of status (i.e., “green card”) applications. VAWA self-petitioners must prove that they are persons of “good moral character” to obtain approval of … Continue Reading
More than 10 million people have fled their homes in Ukraine because of the Russian invasion. Yet we are still awaiting the designation of Ukraine for Temporary Protected Status to take effect upon the publication of a forthcoming Federal Register, and relevant U.S. agencies have not yet produced the logistical and operational plans necessary to … Continue Reading
Nearly six years after our pro bono client first filed his asylum application, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) finally granted him asylum in the United States. Our client is a gay man living with HIV who fled Uzbekistan because he had suffered anti-gay violence and feared he would be harmed again due to … Continue Reading
Transgender and nonbinary individuals are often among the most marginalized communities we serve as pro bono lawyers. In the US and abroad, transgender and nonbinary people have faced a history of discrimination in employment and housing, unequal access to healthcare, and violence. Indeed, as the Human Rights Campaign has reported, 2020 was the deadliest year … Continue Reading
On June 24, 2021, the Governor of New York signed into law the Gender Recognition Act, and Proskauer employees came together in celebration of LGBTQ+ Pride Month to support transgender equality and inclusion in all areas of public life. With special guest speakers Chris Mosier of Transathlete.com and Sasha Buchert of Lambda Legal, Proskauer associate … Continue Reading
Proskauer was privileged to host a panel presentation with Her Justice this month to raise awareness of economic and legal obstacles facing women who are living in poverty in New York City during the COVID-19 pandemic. The panel was moderated by Proskauer associate Elizabeth Siegel, a member of the Her Justice Junior Advisory Board, and … Continue Reading
In 2014, I had the privilege of representing two extraordinary young asylum seekers who had fled from Macedonia, where, because they are a gay couple, they had suffered extreme homophobic violence and sexual abuse at the hands of civilians and police officers. In 2021, I had the honor of helping them become U.S. citizens. In … Continue Reading
Recent studies show a great disparity in the number of U.S. patents issued to women and people of color. A 2020 report published by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) found that, despite making up more than half of the U.S. population, women only represent 12.8% of United States inventor-patentees. The Institute for … Continue Reading
When navigating routine experiences such as applying for jobs, traveling, accessing healthcare, and interacting with government agencies, many of us are able to present our identification documents or write down our legal names without a second thought. But for transgender individuals navigating these same spaces, having to use a legal name that is inconsistent with … Continue Reading
On October 2, 2020, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking governing the “Affidavit of Support” requirements under section 213A of the Immigration and Nationality Act. Certain immigrants seeking to come to the United States are required to submit an Affidavit of Support signed by a sponsor who agrees to … Continue Reading
On October 30, 2020, Proskauer filed an amicus brief on behalf of 25 leading colleges and universities in support of a preliminary injunction sought by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in the Northern District of California against Interim Final Rules issued by the U.S. Departments of Homeland Security and Labor. The new Rules substantially restrict … Continue Reading
As documented in numerous studies, the brunt of COVID-19’s impact has fallen most heavily on racial and ethnic minorities who have suffered higher hospitalization and mortality rates as well as unprecedented levels of unemployment as a consequence of the virus and government efforts to contain it. As a result, many low-income tenants—Black and Latinx, disproportionately—are … Continue Reading
Nearly one-third of transgender individuals experience homelessness at some point in their life, and 70% of those who have stayed in a homeless shelter have reported some form of mistreatment, including harassment and refusal of service, due to their gender identity. Transgender individuals are significantly more likely to end up homeless than the general population … Continue Reading
Many immigrant families in the U.S. live with the fear that their loved ones will be detained on very short notice during Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE) raids. Just this week, a Proskauer pro bono volunteer answered a call to the Immigration Helpline from a woman seeking help after her undocumented husband was arrested and … Continue Reading
This week we had the privilege of speaking with Michael Stanley, a professional community organizer with Manhattan Together and South Bronx Churches Sponsoring Committee (SBC), and Ray Lopez, the Director of Environmental Health Services of the Little Sisters of the Assumption Family Health Service (LSA), on the topic of pro bono lawyering for social justice … Continue Reading
In late June 2020, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced two regulatory changes intended to deprive asylum applicants of the ability to work lawfully in the United States while they await the adjudication of their asylum applications. By increasing the obstacles asylum seekers overcome to obtain an Employment Authorization Document, commonly known as a … Continue Reading
Pervasive anti-LGBTQ violence around the world causes many individuals to flee their countries of origin in search of safety. The past few years have been tremendously difficult for immigrants of all walks of life, but especially so for LGBTQ and HIV-affected asylum applicants who have fled to the United States to seek refuge from persecution … Continue Reading
On June 1 and 2, more than 45 volunteers across Proskauer’s US offices assisted voters in exercising their right to vote through a virtual Election Protection call center in partnership with the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. The Election Protection project strives to ensure that all voters have an equal opportunity to participate … Continue Reading
What is “media empathy” and what is the mission of the Media Empathy (ME) Foundation? To us, “media empathy” means portraying people with mental illness in a compassionate way that recognizes their humanity and their struggles and makes them relatable, rather than vilifying them or treating them comically. This empathy is often missing in the … Continue Reading
This week we had the privilege of speaking with Catherine Cole, the Executive Director of Grannies Respond, about the impact the “Grannies” have made through their efforts to advance immigrants’ rights, and how Proskauer’s pro bono work has supported the Grannies in their mission. Grannies Respond / Abuelas Responden, Inc. is a grassroots movement and … Continue Reading
Proskauer was privileged to host a panel presentation this month on the topic of representing victim witnesses in cooperating with law enforcement investigations and prosecutions of human traffickers. The panel featured Jane Kim, Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York; Jessica-Wind Abolafia, Director of Sanctuary for Families’ Anti-Trafficking Initiative; Lori Cohen, … Continue Reading
This post contains sensitive subject matter. We sat down with Michael Narain, the founder of Out My Closet, to talk about the vital role this nonprofit organization plays in the lives of at-risk LGBTQ+ youth and how Proskauer’s pro bono collaboration has helped to advance the organization’s mission. In your own words, what does Out … Continue Reading
It is either a crime or fundamentally unsafe to be LGBTQ in more than 80 countries around the world. For the LGBTQ individuals forced to flee such conditions, seeking asylum in the United States is an opportunity to lead authentic lives safe from emotional harm and physical violence. However, due to recent legal and policy … Continue Reading
Pro Bono as Ikigai: Finding Your Purpose through Public Service
By Erin Meyer on Posted in Pro Bono
Proving the Good Moral Character of VAWA Self-Petitioners with Convictions Connected to their Status as Domestic Violence Survivors
By Erin Meyer on Posted in Immigration, LGBT Civil Rights, Pro Bono
Ukraine Refugee Crisis: An Interview with a Ukrainian-American Pro Bono Client
By Erin Meyer on Posted in Immigration, Pro Bono
Asylum Victory for Gay HIV+ Immigrant from Uzbekistan
By Gail Port, Yena Hong and Erin Meyer on Posted in Immigration, LGBT Civil Rights, Pro Bono
Top 7 Best Practices for Representing Transgender and Nonbinary Pro Bono Clients
By Erin Meyer on Posted in LGBT Civil Rights, Pro Bono
Advancing Transgender Equality & Inclusion in Sports, Health Care and Public Life
By Erin Meyer on Posted in LGBT Civil Rights, Pro Bono
Legal Obstacles to Women Living in Poverty During the Pandemic: A Conversation with Her Justice
By Erin Meyer, Alexander Volpicello and Na Hye Kim on Posted in Court Reform, Family Law, Pro Bono
A Seven-Year Journey from Asylum to U.S. Citizenship: Reflections on LGBTQ Immigrant Justice
By Erin Meyer on Posted in Human Rights, Immigration, LGBT Civil Rights, Pro Bono
Patent Diversity Project: Addressing Racial and Gender Disparities in the U.S. Patent System
By Erin Meyer and Na Hye Kim on Posted in Pro Bono
Affirming Identity: Legal Name Changes for Transgender Immigrants
By Erin Meyer, Alexander Volpicello and Brandon Shi on Posted in Immigration, LGBT Civil Rights
Challenging Proposed DHS Rule Harmful to Lower Income Families
By Erin Meyer on Posted in Immigration, Pro Bono
Proskauer Files Amicus Brief on Behalf of 25 Leading Colleges and Universities Challenging New DHS and DOL Interim Final Rules Restricting H-1B and Other Visa Programs
By Erin Meyer on Posted in Immigration, Pro Bono
Proskauer Files Amicus Brief Urging Protection for Low-Income Tenants of Color Amidst COVID-19 and Impending Eviction Crisis
By Erin Meyer on Posted in Pro Bono
Advocating for Transgender, Intersex, and Gender Nonconforming People’s Equal Access to Homeless Shelters
By Erin Meyer on Posted in LGBT Civil Rights, Pro Bono
Know Your Rights: Proskauer Partners with The Legal Aid Society to Provide Information and Resources to Immigrants
By Erin Meyer and Theresa Madonna on Posted in Immigration, Pro Bono
Collaborating with Community Organizers for Social Justice: An Interview with Michael Stanley and Ray Lopez
By Erin Meyer and Olivia Jones on Posted in Pro Bono
DHS Rules Effective August 2020 Will Push Asylum Seekers Further into Poverty and Marginalization
By Erin Meyer and Angela Gichinga on Posted in Immigration, Pro Bono
Demanding Withdrawal of Proposed DHS Rule Harmful to LGBTQ and HIV-Affected Asylum Seekers
By Erin Meyer, Alexander Volpicello and Jennifer Qu on Posted in Human Rights, Immigration, LGBT Civil Rights, Pro Bono
Voting in the Pandemic: New Challenges and Solutions to Ensure Safe Access to the Ballot
By Erin Meyer and Karina Pantoja on Posted in Pro Bono, Voting Rights
Advancing Empathetic Portrayals of Mental Health Issues in the Media: An Interview with Helene Ellison of the Media Empathy Foundation
By Erin Meyer and Nikhil Lahiri on Posted in Pro Bono
Grannies Respond: Grassroots Activism for Immigrant Justice
By Erin Meyer and Na Hye Kim on Posted in Immigration, Pro Bono
For Lawyers Representing Trafficking Survivors: Best Practices in Cooperating with Law Enforcement
By Erin Meyer and Lillian Anderson on Posted in Anti-Trafficking, Pro Bono
Proskauer, Pro Bono and Pride: A Q&A with LGBTQ+ Nonprofit Founder Michael Narain
By Erin Meyer and Celine Zhu on Posted in LGBT Civil Rights, Pro Bono
Responding to New Challenges for LGBTQ Asylum Seekers
By Erin Meyer and Adam Snyder on Posted in Immigration, LGBT Civil Rights, Pro Bono
