Akin Gump Expands Pro Bono DACA Clinic Through Partnership with Mississippi Center for Justice

(Washington, D.C.) – Akin Gump is pleased to announce that it has expanded its remote Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) clinic, which it launched last year, through a new partnership with the Mississippi Center for Justice (MCJ) that will serve immigrant youth in Mississippi.

In the fall of 2020, in anticipation of the restoration of the DACA program, Akin Gump, in collaboration with CASA de Maryland, launched a pro bono remote clinic to help undocumented youth apply for DACA status.  Shortly after the clinic launched, the DACA program was fully restored, allowing Akin Gump to help address the surge of DACA-eligible youth applying for relief from deportation. Since November 2020, Akin Gump legal teams have assisted more than 250 applicants through the clinic.

In addition to its partnerships with CASA and MCJ, Akin Gump has also partnered with multiple clients, including The Hershey Company, to provide assistance to undocumented youth through the remote clinic.

The remote clinic is meant to mirror an in-person DACA clinic. After being screened and referred by CASA or MCJ, the applicant completes a questionnaire and uploads supporting documentation to an online platform. Once the applicant completes this step, Akin Gump connects the applicant to a legal team that consists of an attorney and a business services professional. The legal team then organizes the applicant’s supporting documentation and completes the necessary immigration forms, sending the final packet back to the referral organization for final review and filing.

Adrian Palma, Akin Gump pro bono coordinator and himself a DACA recipient, commented, “Applying for and receiving DACA is a life-changing moment for immigrant youth. As a DACA recipient, I intimately understand the peace of mind that a lawyer can bring to the process of seeking relief from deportation. By embracing the use of technology through this remote clinic, Akin Gump is committed to securing DACA status for as many applicants as possible.”

Sonia Zeledon, head of privacy and compliance at The Hershey Company, stated, “We are thrilled to partner with Akin Gump on such a worthwhile initiative. In addition to being able to provide hands-on assistance to individuals in need, our participation presents opportunities to people throughout our organization to contribute and give back in a meaningful way.”

Lauren Connell, Akin Gump pro bono counsel, added, “We are excited to expand this clinic and are heartened by the strong engagement of Akin Gump lawyers and staff, as well as of our clients who have partnered with us on DACA matters. While this remote clinic model was born out of the pandemic, we are optimistic that we can utilize this model for a variety of immigration processes going forward.”

Last summer, Akin Gump authored an amicus brief on behalf of several organizations in the Supreme Court case Department of Homeland Security et al. v. Regents of the University of California et al., siding with the respondents. In the case, the Court ruled that the Trump administration may not immediately proceed with its plan to end the DACA program. More information about the firm’s pro bono work in that case can be found here.

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP is a leading international law firm with more than 900 lawyers and advisors in offices throughout the United States, Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

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