Human Rights First gives our Pro Bono Star award to attorneys who demonstrate extraordinary commitment to the cases for asylum or related forms of immigration protection that they take on a pro bono basis through our program. While we are grateful to all our pro bono attorney volunteers, these individuals have given extra time and care to their clients’ cases and we are grateful for the opportunity to acknowledge their hard work.

Previous Winners

2026

Shaimaa Hussein, Sarah Geiger, Ciara Sisco, Amanda Cort, Yudelka Peralta, Ahmad El-Gamal, Vishal Sharoff, Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP

Brooke O'Neal, Adam Phillips, Dimitri Portnoi, Zach Smith, Rachel Lee, Anna Guida, Alice Bishop, Lauren Oliveri, O'Melveny & Myers LLP

Jillian M Rogowski, Charlina J Ahn, Ruonan Song, Cooper Lerner, Alex Glazer, Allison Doherty, Michael A. Gregory, Paul Hastings LLP

2025

Rosa Morales, Crowell & Moring LLP

Bruce Zisser and Michael Nordon, Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP

Elora Mukherjee, Columbia Law School

Katharine Durante, Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP

Kandis Gibson, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP

2024

Anna Stancu, Stancu Law

Sona Rewari and Suzanne Haynie, Hunton Andrews Kurth

Evan Mayor, Disney

Alexis Gilman, Tai Williams, Lauren Fleming, and Amber Gonzales, Crowell & Moring

Jessica Case Watt, William McDaniel, Mayra Troendle, Edmund Nyarko, and Colin Kane, Ballard Spahr

2023

Sloan Ungerman, Carolina Bernal, Lila Rosenfeld, Brooke Padgett, Michèle Penzer, Latham & Watkins LLP

Brian Tully McLaughlin, Crowell & Moring LLP

Peter McGinley, Dechert LLP

Jeanette Garza, Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP

2022

Timothy “Tim” Harris, Morrison & Foerster

Cody Kermanian, Latham & Watkins LLC

Ryan Munitz, Sheppard Mullin

Sarah Tishler, Williams Simmons & Landis PLLC

2019

James Menton, Robins Kaplan (LA)

Melissa Velez (LA)

Charlotte Wasserstein (LA)

Ryan Larsen (LA)

Shaun Boedicker (DC)

David Hirsch (DC)

Joel Kaufman (DC)

Larry Katzman (DC)

Sophie Glickstein (New York)

2018

Kerrin Klein (New York)

Kelly Spatola (New York)

Kierstan Carlson (Washington, D.C.)

Victoria Ortega (Washington, D.C.)

Nicholaus Floyd (Houston)

Clay Rogers (Houston)

2017

Cathy Scheineson, McDermott Will & Emery (Washington, D.C.)

Tom Blinka, Cooley LLP (Washington, D.C.)

Abby Pierce, Cooley LLP (Washington, D.C.)

Jane Van Benten, Cooley LLP (Washington, D.C.)

Marcelo Pomeranz, Cooley LLP (Washington, D.C.)

Sean Kulkarni, Mayer Brown LLP (Washington, D.C.)

Alan Grimaldi, Mayer Brown LLP (Washington, D.C.)

Christine Taverner, Mayer Brown LLP (Washington, D.C.)

Jason Beesinger, Joyce + McFarland LLP (Houston)

Daniel Mayerfield, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP (Houston)

Sarah Grossnickle, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP (Houston)

Richard Roth (Houston)

Jack McBride, Greenberg Traurig, LLP (Los Angeles)

Katie Saucier, Greenberg Traurig, LLP (Los Angeles)

Kevin Cole, Greenberg Traurig, LLP (Los Angeles)

Maja Zerjal, Proskauer Rose LLP (New York)

Maureen Crough, Sidley Austin LLP (New York)

Cory Struble, Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP (New York)

2016

Dean Razavi, Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP (New York)

Molly Kammien, Seward & Kissel LLP (New York)

Noah Czarny, Seward & Kissel LLP (New York)

Jack Yoskowitz, Seward & Kissel LLP (New York)

Angela Urbano, Seward & Kissel LLP (New York)

Lee Berger, Paul Hastings LLP (Washington, D.C.)

Francesca Erts, Paul Hastings LLP (Washington, D.C.)

Casey Miller, Paul Hastings LLP (Washington, D.C.)

Elizabeth Leavy, Reed Smith (Washington, D.C.)

Molly Campbell, Reed Smith (Washington, D.C.)

Alicia Handy, Latham & Watkins LLP (Houston)

Audrey Hendricks, Exxon Mobil (Houston)

Christopher Boling, Vinson & Elkins LLP (Houston)

Ying Wang, Vinson & Elkins LLP (Houston)

Jeffrey Payne, Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP (Los Angeles)

Joseph Lee, Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP (Los Angeles)

Kelly Henderson, Southern California Edison (Los Angeles)

Jered Lindsay, Southern California Edison (Los Angeles)

Emily Murray, Allen Matkins (Los Angeles)

Andrea Reynoso, Allen Matkins (Los Angeles)

Peter Griffin, Allen Matkins (Los Angeles)

George Lopez, Paralegal, Allen Matkins (Los Angeles)

2015

Brooke Pietrzak, Mastercard (New York)

Jessica Mikhailevich Pierce, Dorsey (New York)

Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP (Los Angeles)

2014

J. Clare Rose (New York)

Adam Hunt (New York)

2013

Narges Kakalia (New York)

Susanne Peticolas (New York)

Jonathan Klein (New York)

2012

Scott Harlan (Washington, DC)

Pantea Stevenson (New York)