Tahirih Justice Center Honors Akin Gump as Law Firm of the Year
Contact:
(Washington, D.C.) – The Tahirih Justice Center has named Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP Law Firm of the Year in recognition of the firm’s commitment to pro bono work. The award was presented on September 27 at the Eleventh Annual Tahirih Justice Center Fundraising Benefit, which was hosted by Emmy-nominated actor Rainn Wilson, a generous supporter of Tahirih’s efforts. Her Majesty Queen Noor of Jordan served as honorary chair.
Steven H. Schulman, chair of Akin Gump’s pro bono practice, said, “Experienced, well-run and influential legal services organizations like Tahirih Justice Center are critical to the success of Akin Gump’s pro bono practice. Tahirih has given dozens of Akin Gump lawyers the opportunity to represent women seeking immigration benefits, such as asylum and protection under the Violence Against Women Act, and also to help develop policy by advocating for legislation such as the International Marriage Broker Act. Akin Gump looks forward to continuing our work with Tahirih to combat violence against women.”
Layli Miller-Muro, Tahirih’s executive director, added, “It is through the generous contributions of our pro bono legal partners that we are able to quadruple our capacity to save the lives of the women and girls that we serve. We applaud Akin Gump for its distinguished commitment to justice.”
In addition to honoring Akin Gump, Tahirih presented Rep. Jim Moran (D-VA) with the Pillar of Justice Award for his legislative and personal efforts to protect women and girls fleeing human rights abuses, the Trellis Fund with the Pushing the Envelope Award for its commitment to assisting survivors of violence, and Samar Al Rayyis with the Volunteer Service Award.
Founded in 1997, the Tahirih Justice Center enables women and girls fleeing from gender-based violence to access justice in the United States through high-quality pro bono legal services and bridge-building public policy advocacy. Tahirih embraces a holistic approach, providing a range of medical and social services referrals in addition to the legal services provided by its staff and network of pro bono attorneys. Tahirih’s public policy advocacy is directly informed by client needs and is designed to create systemic change to ensure that immigrant women and girls receive long-term protection from violence.
Founded in 1945, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, a leading international law firm, numbers more than 900 lawyers and advisors in the United States, Europe, Asia and the Middle East.
# # #
