This year, we bestow twelve Pro Bono Publico awards to exceptional attorneys who embody the spirit of Casa Cornelia by representing our clients with compassion, dedication and perseverance. In 2020, the effects of the pandemic and immigration policy restrictions impacted Casa Cornelia’s programs and the clients we serve. However, these challenges did not impede the active participation of volunteer attorneys, or [...]
Victoria’s* closest family growing up was her mother and her cousin, Gloria*, who was more like a sister to her. In the Democratic Republic of Congo – a country in central Africa – Victoria’s mother supported their small family by working as a shopkeeper. In addition to her day job, her mother was the president of a local women’s rights [...]
Emmanuel* never expected to have to flee his home country of Cameroon to save his and his family’s lives. He grew up in an Anglophone (English-speaking) region with his mother and sisters. His father died when Emmanuel was very young, so he eventually had to drop out of school to support his family. “I engaged in agricultural work with my [...]
As the third of four siblings growing up in Cuba, Leonardo* had a hard time gaining the support and education he needed. His family struggled financially and he eventually had to drop out of school at age 14. He says he did it, “In order to help my parents and siblings because we did not have enough money to eat.” [...]
