PROBONO Bulletin - Summer 2008 - (Page 16)

nATIonAL nEWS Kelly Hardy (Baltimore) represented the client in US Immigration Court, successfully obtaining his asylum by demonstrating “extraordinary circumstances” (including the ineffective assistance of his prior counsel). When the Department of Homeland Security appealed the order to the Board of Immigration Appeals, Jennifer Skaggs and Jim Mathias (both Baltimore), with assistance from Kelly, drafted the brief and handled the appeal. The Board of Immigration Appeals recently issued a decision finding no merit to the Department of Homeland Security’s arguments and dismissing its appeal. The client is now in the process of applying for permanent residency. Kelly and William Mandycz (Baltimore) will assist him in this process. Maria Allwine, Susan Lee, Denise Osenberg and Melissa White (all Baltimore) also provided assistance with this case. Rebuilding Together ebuilding Together Peninsula (RTP), which builds volunteer partnerships to rehabilitate homes and community facilities for low-income homeowners and neighbors in the San Francisco Bay area, became a DLA Piper client only recently. We are helping RTP in a variety of ways, including acting as general counsel, assisting it in its transition to new standardized agreements, revising their existing corporate documentation and helping secure the strength of its intellectual property rights in its trademarks and trade names. We are also giving hands-on help. On RTP’s 2008 National Rebuilding Day — Saturday, April 26 — DLA Piper lawyers and staff from the East Palo Alto office assisted in this one-day rebuilding event by helping to rehabilitate homes and community facilities across the peninsula. Our volunteers did everything from yard cleanup and painting to skilled repairs. R DLA Piper Team participating in National Rebuilding Day The DLA Piper team collaborated with Ms. L., her daughter and their extended family to give the family home and yard an extreme makeover. On the team were Peter Astiz, Margaret Austin, Nick Bohl, Terumi Custodio, Tricia Dresel, Jillean Dubatowka, Ben Goodall, Michael Huntsman, Stephanie Riedel, Art Rinsky and Julia Weinert (all East Palo Alto). Preventing an Unlawful Eviction I n March 2006, Washington, DC, police officers were called following the robbery of a pizza deliveryman. In an attempt to evade police, the robbers intruded into the home of Ms. B., a single mother of three, and quickly emptied their coats of ammunition and other illegal substances. Police arrived shortly after and searched Ms. B.’s home. When they found the ammunition and illegal substances, they arrested everyone, including Ms. B. All criminal charges against her were subsequently dropped, but in February 2007, her landlord served her with a notice to vacate the residence within 30 days, alleging that she had violated the lease with “criminal activity.” Josh Rohrscheib (Washington, DC) took the lead on this project. The stakes were high: if Ms. B. lost the case, she and her family would lose their home as well as their desperately needed housing subsidy. Josh, Scott McIntosh and Jack Levy (both Washington, DC) developed a novel “time limitation” theory. They argued that the eviction notice was invalid because Washington, DC, law requires that a landlord seeking possession due to a tenant’s lease violation must issue the notice within six months of the alleged violation. The court agreed and granted the motion for summary judgment. Ms. B. and her three children were able to remain in their home. “This was an extraordinarily uphill case. DLA Piper deserves credit for some first-class lawyering,” says Jack. “It is an honor to work with a firm that is so dedicated to pro bono and that exhibits such a commitment to quality.” Trinette Bolden, Priscilla Bryant, Jose Harris and Jennifer Hennasey (all Washington, DC) provided invaluable support. 16 | PRO BONO BULLETIN

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of PROBONO Bulletin - Summer 2008

PROBONO Bulletin - Summer 2008 Contents A Firm Response to a Natural Disaster Protecting Our Electorate National News An Interview with Sandy Gohn Mapping Impact FourThought Signature Project Update New Perimeter Launches Addis Ababa Law School Project Awards and Recognition What Our Clients Say About Us

PROBONO Bulletin - Summer 2008

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