Page 14 - Social_Impact_Report-5-6-19_Neat
P. 14
Brave (in a) New World – Social Impact Report 2018-19
Stephen J. Cullen, Principal Kelly Powers, Principal Leah Hauser, Associate
Brave (in a)
New World
Family Law Team’s Pro Bono
Efforts Refocus on Immigration
here is no doubt that the the Ronald McDonald House the Miles & Stockbridge family “We’ve had to recalibrate our allow the child to meet the cut-off of the evidence test should be
work our lawyers do across Charities of Maryland to offer law practice, principals Stephen attention due to the reality of for SIJS application. “The speed applied, they argued further that
T the board on a day-to-day families some semblance of Cullen and Kelly Powers, as current events,” Cullen adds. of this ruling was critical for the preponderance standard had
basis is impactful in ways big normalcy and comfort as they well as associate Leah Hauser— resolution of the SIJS issue and been reached in this case, based
and small; one of the more weather the storms of serious along with many other firm A recent victory in Maryland’s to ensure this individual a path to on the unrefuted neglect the
rewarding aspects we find time childhood illness—the direct colleagues—have leveraged their highest court highlights both citizenship,” asserts Powers. “That child had faced from his mother
and time again in the context of improvement of human life is world-renowned experience the high stakes involved and the is why you saw the quick issuance (the child’s mother had never
our colleagues’ pro bono efforts, the culmination of the stories with the Hague Convention immediacy of the team’s impact. of the one-page order, with the responded to outreach regarding
though, is the immediacy of the we are sharing. multilateral treaty to discreetly In December 2018, the Court full order still to come—the high the case, so no refutation had
impact of those efforts. Even in and effectively help clients of Appeals ruled in favor of a court recognized that time was of been recorded).
these pages—from the efforts Nowhere, perhaps, is that navigate international child young Guatemalan immigrant, the essence here.”
of the firm’s Expungement immediacy clearer than in the abduction, removal and retention allowing him to remain with his “The importance of this ruling
Team to help members of our work being done by our family cases around the world. Their father in Baltimore as he applies The Miles & Stockbridge is two-fold,” says Cullen. “First
communities turn their lives law practice group on the focus, though, had previously for Special Immigrant Juvenile team—recognized for their and foremost, it paves the way
around and get back on the right frontlines of the humanitarian been across the Atlantic, dealing Status (SIJS). The one-page order leadership and experience for this young man to achieve
track, to our support of the Judge crises developing along our with complex and emotionally- reversed lower court decisions in the field and dealing with citizenship and contribute fully
Alexander Williams, Jr. Center for southern border. The stakes fraught cases in Europe. That has that the father had failed to these issues specifically—were to the country that has been
Education Justice & Ethics to help involved are nothing short of changed drastically in the last prove imminent neglect if the recruited by the Court of Appeals his home for many years—and
craft comprehensive solutions life and death, and their efforts two years, with “more than fifty child were deported back to his to file a friend-of-the-court brief that’s a big deal! Secondly, as
to societal challenges and effect can literally be measured in percent of our pro bono child native country. Notably, the Court on the standards to be applied. a matter of first impression
real-time change through policy, lives saved. abduction cases now including of Appeals order requires that Though the Miles & Stockbridge in Maryland, it sets precedent
to the collaboration between a related immigration issue,” the lower courts “expeditiously” team agreed with the lower across the state.” Expanding
the firm’s labor group and For years, the co-leaders of according to Hauser. change its ruling—in order to courts that a preponderance from there, the ruling can be
13 14
