24th Annual Human Rights Awards Program Book
The National Immigrant Justice Center's (NIJC) Human Rights Awards celebrates human rights champions and the extraordinary contributions of business, civic, and community leaders.
The National Immigrant Justice Center's (NIJC) Human Rights Awards celebrates human rights champions and the extraordinary contributions of business, civic, and community leaders.
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24 TH ANNUAL
NATIONAL IMMIGRANT JUSTICE CENTER
HUMAN RIGHTS
AWARDS
Kirkland & Ellis
is proud to support the
24 th Annual National
Immigrant Justice Center
Human Rights Awards
Kirkland & Ellis LLP | 300 North LaSalle, Chicago, IL 60654
+1 312 862 2000 | www.kirkland.com/probono
2
24 TH ANNUAL
NATIONAL IMMIGRANT
JUSTICE CENTER
HUMAN RIGHTS
AWARDS
TUESDAY, JUNE 6, 2023
12:00 – 1:30 P.M. CDT
HILTON CHICAGO
honoring
Javier Zamora
AbbVie
Muslim Women Resource Center
Wade Thomson
#HUMANRIGHTSAWARDS
3
WELCOME
This afternoon, we celebrate NIJC’s 24th Annual Human Rights Awards
and recognize the achievements of our partners, awardees, clients,
and the entire NIJC team. During the past 24 years, while the world has
changed dramatically, NIJC and our pro bono partners have remained
steadfast in our mission. Right now, there are more than 100 million
people forcibly displaced, the most in history by a wide margin. This is
the context in which we work. At this historic moment, the contributions
of an impressive number of volunteers and supporters have upheld our
obligation to defend the human rights of people who make courageous
journeys in search of security, yet face growing barriers.
In a time when the need has never been greater, NIJC and our partners
have made a difference in the lives of individuals and families. We
have launched innovative new models to increase access to justice,
including a universal representation pilot project and pro se clinics. We
have helped Chicago and the state of Illinois welcome our immigrant
neighbors.
In the face of unrelenting anti-immigrant rhetoric, increasing
criminalization and detention of migrants, and the erosion of the
U.S. asylum system—all occurring during this unprecedented global
migration—NIJC continues to expose and oppose these harmful and
cruel policies.
With your support, we will continue to provide legal services to thousands
of immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers and advocate to realize
our domestic and international legal obligations and uphold access to
justice for people seeking refuge.
You are making a difference – thank you for joining NIJC!
With my deepest gratitude,
Mary Meg McCarthy
Executive Director, National Immigrant Justice Center
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NIJC’S MAJOR VICTORIES FOR IMMIGRANT RIGHTS
in 2022:
Provided nearly
9,000
people life-changing
immigration legal services
Helped more than
2,200
people seek asylum
Defended nearly
2,300
people in removal
proceedings
Achieved
89%
success rate in
winning asylum
Recruited, trained, and partnered with
2,195
volunteer attorneys
from 260 partners
Notable recent victories:
Provided critical legal information
to more than 2,680 NEWLY
ARRIVED MIGRANTS bused to
Chicago from the southern border
MOBILIZED ADVOCATES to
oppose a proposed new rule that
would dramatically restrict asylum
access at the border
EXPOSED HUMAN RIGHTS
VIOLATIONS in immigration detention
facilities and challenged the unlawful
misappropriation of federal funds allocated
for the care of immigrants in detention
Represented and/or counseled
more than 280 AFGHAN
ASYLUM SEEKERS with
pro bono attorneys
INCREASED THE RATE OF REPRESENTATION of detained immigrants
before the Chicago Immigration Court by 10% through a universal
representation pilot project
5
SPONSORS
PREMIER
DIAMOND
Jeanne M. Sullivan
PLATINUM
KMA ZUCKERT
EMERALD
GOLD
The Kapnick
Foundation
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AT TORNEYS
SPONSORS
SILVER
Lucy and Peter Ascoli
Elizabeth M. Higashi
JASZCZUK P.C.
FRIEND
Anonymous
Benesch Friedlander Coplan & Aronoff LLP
Judge Grace Guerra Dickler
DISCO
Discover
FTI Consulting
Guidehouse
Holland & Knight LLP
Jarecki Law Group, LLC
Law Office of Jennifer K. Fardy
McGuireWoods LLP
Sheila O’Brien
Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C.
Park Evaluations
Quarles & Brady LLP
Rapp Law Group LLC
Redgrave LLP
Romads Advertising
Sheppard Mullin
Shook, Hardy & Bacon L.L.P
Zurich North America
BENEFACTOR
Katherine Deibert
Mark Flessner
Frankel Family Foundation
SPECIAL THANKS
(in-kind and other donations)
Dotted Design
Jonty Young and Jenner & Block LLP
Gannon Center for Women & Leadership,
Loyola University Chicago
Global Relay
Mony Ruiz-Velasco and Denise Poloyac
7
AbbVie is proud to support the
National Immigrant Justice Center.
Thank you to AbbVie Legal
Professionals for their dedication
to human rights.
abbvie.com
8
106426 AbbVie Attorneys Human Rights Ad_v4.indd 1 4/25/23 9:35 AM
9
katten.com
Katten is proud to honor the
National Immigrant Justice Center
for its dedication to ensuring
human rights protections and for
giving us the privilege of contributing
to this invaluable work.
Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP
CENTURY CITY | CHARLOTTE | CHICAGO | DALLAS | LOS ANGELES
NEW YORK | ORANGE COUNTY | SHANGHAI | WASHINGTON, DC
LONDON: KATTEN MUCHIN ROSENMAN UK LLP | ATTORNEY ADVERTISING
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Latham & Watkins proudly supports the
National Immigrant
Justice Center
Congratulations to this year’s
Human Rights Corporate Award
recipient AbbVie
LW.com
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Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher
& Flom LLP and Affiliates
Skadden is proud to
support the National
Immigrant Justice Center
and congratulates
Rebecca Ritchie and all
of this year’s honorees.
Beijing
Boston
Brussels
Chicago
Frankfurt
Hong Kong
Houston
London
Los Angeles
Munich
New York
Palo Alto
Paris
São Paulo
Seoul
Shanghai
Singapore
Tokyo
Toronto
Washington, D.C.
Wilmington
skadden.com
12
National Immigrant Justice Center
24 th Annual Human Rights Awards
With our Pro Bono partners, AT&T legal professionals work
to support NIJC’s efforts to defend the human rights of
individuals regardless of their citizenship status. We join the
Pro Bono community to congratulate this year’s honorees:
Jean M. and Joseph P. Sullivan Award
Javier Zamora
Human Rights Corporate Award
AbbVie
Human Rights Practitioner Award
Wade Thomson
Community Change Award
Muslim Women Resource Center
©2023 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved.
We are so proud to work alongside NIJC and support
their critical work in the community.
Our deepest congratulations to this year’s
award recipients. May you all continue to
advance justice in our community.
13
Protecting Human Rights
Faegre Drinker Supports NIJC in its mission to
protect human rights and provide access to justice
for all immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers.
Congratulations to each of today’s award recipients.
faegredrinker.com
© 2023 Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP.
All Rights Reserved. 558621
14
KMA ZUCKERT
We are proud to support the
National Immigrant Justice Center
and its vital work protecting the rights of
immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers
KMA Zuckert LLC
CHICAGO MIAMI NEW YORK NEWARK WASHINGTON, DC
kmazuckert.com
15
DRIVING CHANGE TOGETHER.
Thank you, National Immigrant Justice Center, for
letting McDermott be a part of your outstanding
efforts to ensure human rights protections and justice
for immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers. We’re
proud to continue our support of your organization
and the 2023 NIJC Human Rights Awards.
VISIT US AT MWE.COM
©2023 McDermott Will & Emery. For a complete list of entities visit mwe.com/legalnotices.
This may be considered attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
is proud to support the
National Immigrant Justice Center’s
24 th Annual Human Rights Awards
omm.com
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Reed Smith is proud to support the
2023 National Immigrant Justice
Center's Human Rights Awards.
reedsmith.com
17
WINSTON & STRAWN
PROUDLY SUPPORTS THE
National Immigrant
Justice Center and its
24th Annual Human
Rights Awards
winston.com
____
NORTH AMERICA
SOUTH AMERICA
EUROPE
ASIA
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FRAGOMEN IS
PROUD TO SPONSOR
THE NIJC HUMAN RIGHTS
AWARDS 2023
A World of
Difference in
Immigration
At Fragomen, we don’t just facilitate immigration—we create opportunities. From individuals
and small local businesses to the world’s largest companies, we support all of your immigration
needs, all over the world. We are internationally local—with offices in the heart of each region
and services stretching around the world. No matter where you’ve come from, or where you’re
going next, Fragomen is here to propel you forward.
www.fragomen.com
19
20
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Arnold & Porter joins human rights
champions everywhere in celebrating the
National Immigrant Justice Center’s
life-changing services and 2023 awardees.
© Arnold & Porter 2023 All Rights Reserved
bfkn.com
Barack Ferrazzano Kirschbaum & Nagelberg congratulates all the winners of
THE NATIONAL IMMIGRANT JUSTICE CENTER’S
24 th Annual Human Rights Awards!
BFKN is honored to partner with NIJC in its quest to ensure access to
legal representation and the protection of human rights for all.
22
Human rights and justice for all.
Chapman is proud to support NIJC and congratulates
this year’s Human Rights Award honorees. Together,
we have profound impact: ensuring human rights
protections and access to justice for immigrants,
refugees, and asylum seekers.
Chapman and Cutler llp • Attorney Advertising Material.
Charlotte • Chicago • New York • Salt Lake City
San Francisco • Washington, DC • chapman.com
Cozen O’Connor is proud to support National Immigrant
Justice Center and its Human Rights Awards.
Congratulations to this year’s honorees, including
Matthew DiCianni of Cozen O’Connor.
Michael J. Heller
Executive Chairman & CEO
(215) 665-4141
mheller@cozen.com
Vincent R. McGuinness
President & Managing Partner
(215) 665-2097
vmcguinness@cozen.com
Jeremy J. Glenn
Member
(312) 474-7981
jglenn@cozen.com
825 attorneys | 31 offices | cozen.com
©2023 Cozen O’Connor
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A voice for justice.
We are proud to be a voice in our communities.
In collaboration with the National Immigrant Justice
Center, we are helping to expand access to justice for all.
dlapiper.com
Richard F. Klawiter, 444 W. Lake Street, Suite 900, Chicago, IL 60606
| Attorney Advertising | MRS000207937
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WE ARE PROUD TO SUPPORT THE
National Immigrant
Justice Center and the
2023 Human Rights Awards
gcmgrosvenor.com
This is
your summit.
Grant Thornton is proud to support the
National Immigrant Justice Center.
© 2023 Grant Thornton LLP | All rights reserved | U.S. member firm of Grant Thornton International Ltd. In the U.S., visit gt.com for details
25
GTLAW.COM
Greenberg Traurig is proud to support the
National Immigrant Justice Center
We applaud your mission to ensure human rights protections and access to
justice for all immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers.
GREENBERG TRAURIG, LLP | ATTORNEYS AT LAW | 2650 ATTORNEYS | 44 LOCATIONS °
Greenberg Traurig, LLP
GreenbergTraurigLLP
GT_Law
GT_Law
Greenberg Traurig is a service mark and trade name of Greenberg
Traurig, LLP and Greenberg Traurig, P.A. ©2023 Greenberg
Traurig, LLP. Attorneys at Law. Attorney advertising. All rights
reserved. Contact: John F. Gibbons or Paul J. Ferak in Chicago at
312.456.8400.°These numbers are subject to fluctuation. 38024
Jones Day proudly supports the National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC) and its efforts
to ensure human rights protections and access to justice for all. We congratulate AbbVie,
recipient of this year’s Human Rights Corporate Award, and celebrate all of this year’s
recipients who work tirelessly to advance the cause.
2400 LAWYERS. 40 LOCATIONS. 5 CONTINENTS. ONE FIRM WORLDWIDE ® . JONESDAY.COM
Littler is proud to
sponsor the 2023 NIJC
Human Rights Awards
and looks forward to our
continued partnership.
Labor & Employment Law Solutions
26
We are proud to support the
NATIONAL IMMIGRANT
JUSTICE CENTER
and congratulate this year’s
Human Rights Award honorees
www.morganlewis.com
© 2023 Morgan Lewis
Counsel to Great Companies
PerkinsCoie.com
Perkins Coie LLP Lawyer Advertising
27
PADDLE RAISE
Today’s paddle raise provides an opportunity for you to bid on various
levels of support to help sustain the work of NIJC’s 135-person team.
Here’s how it works:
1. Each of you has a paddle card on the table with a large number and your
name.
2. When the amount you would like to give is called, raise your paddle and
keep it raised until your number has been recognized from the stage.
3. NIJC will record all bids and charge your credit card if a card is on file.
4. If you didn’t register your payment information but provided a cell phone
number or email address at registration, you will receive a text or email
prompting you to self-checkout.
5. If you didn’t provide a cell phone number or payment information and
wish to participate in the paddle raise, please visit the checkout table on
your way out after the event to make your gift and get your tax receipt.
Thank you for your generosity! Your gift and all proceeds from the Human
Rights Awards provide critical legal services and advocacy for immigrants
and refugees today and in the future.
GIVING LEVELS
$10,000 Helps an asylum seeker win a complex case
$5,000 Defends an asylum seeker against deportation in
immigration court
$2,500 Sponsors a legal clinic for asylees & refugees to
obtain lawful permanent residency
$1,000 Educates 10 unaccompanied immigrant children about
their legal rights
$500 Files a young immigrant’s application to renew DACA
$100 Provides a legal consultation to keep a family together
28
PROGRAM
24th Annual Human Rights Awards
WELCOME
Abiman Rajadurai, McDonald’s Corporation
John M. Skakun III, Sidley Austin LLP
Co-Chairs of Human Rights Awards Committee
RISING STARS PRESENTATION
Aneesha Gandhi, Associate Director of Protection-Based Relief, NIJC
LUNCH
AWARDS PRESENTATION
Human Rights Corporate Award
AbbVie
Accepted by Perry C. Siatis, Executive Vice President, General Counsel and
Secretary, AbbVie
Presented by Mark Filip, Partner, Kirkland & Ellis LLP, and Victoria, an NIJC client
Community Change Award
Muslim Women Resource Center
Accepted by Sima Quraishi, Executive Director
Presented by Darya Lali and Donya Lali
Human Rights Practitioner Award
Wade Thomson, Partner, Jenner & Block LLP
Presented by Jewher Ilham
Paddle Raise & Call to Action
The Jeanne M. and Joseph P. Sullivan Award & Keynote
Javier Zamora
Presented by Karen Dorantes
CLOSING REMARKS
Mary Meg McCarthy
Executive Director, National Immigrant Justice Center
#HumanRightsAwards
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HONOREES
KEYNOTE & JEANNE M. AND JOSEPH P. SULLIVAN AWARD
Javier Zamora
Javier Zamora was born in La Herradura, El Salvador. When he was a year
old, his father fled due to the Salvadoran Civil War and his mother soon
followed. Javier was raised by his grandparents until he migrated to the U.S.
unaccompanied when he was nine. He is the author of The New York Times bestselling
memoir, SOLITO, and the poetry collection, Unaccompanied. Javier was a
2018-2019 Radcliffe Fellow at Harvard University and holds several fellowships,
including the Lannan Literary Fellowship. Among his awards, he has been
recognized with the 2017 Narrative Prize for Narrative Magazine and the 2016
Barnes & Noble Writer for Writers Award. He lives in Arizona.
HUMAN RIGHTS CORPORATE AWARD
AbbVie
AbbVie is a global biopharmaceutical company developing breakthrough
therapies for the toughest health challenges. AbbVie goes beyond medicine
to make a remarkable impact on people and communities. Since 2018 when
AbbVie began a partnership with NIJC, attorneys in AbbVie’s legal department
have represented 14 people seeking asylum and participated in NIJC’s legal
clinics where they provided legal counsel to Afghans to attain legal status.
HUMAN RIGHTS PRACTITIONER AWARD
Wade Thomson
Wade Thomson is a partner at Jenner & Block LLP, where he is a member of
the Management Committee and a co-chair of the firm’s Business Litigation
Practice. A long-time member and past co-chair of NIJC’s Leadership Board,
Wade has worked on more than 50 NIJC matters over the last 20 years. The
National Law Journal recognized Wade as a "trailblazer" in 2023, Crain’s Chicago
Business highlighted him as a Notable Leader for Nonprofits in 2021, and he is
a Leadership Greater Chicago fellow.
30
HONOREES
COMMUNITY CHANGE AWARD
Muslim Women Resource Center
For more than two decades, Chicago-based nonprofit Muslim Women
Resource Center has offered a broad range of social, economic, and legal
services and support to new immigrants and refugees from more than 30
countries. Its doors are always open to all immigrant, refugee, and lowincome
communities seeking assistance. Muslim Women Resource Center
partners with NIJC to provide legal services to Afghan evacuees, while also
providing interpreters, and social services to help countless Afghans resettle
in their new homes in the United States.
RISING STAR AWARDS
The Rising Star Awards recognize early career attorneys who have demonstrated
extraordinary commitment to ensuring access to justice for immigrants
by devoting substantial time to NIJC pro bono work, serving a significant
number of NIJC clients, and/or representing clients with complex cases.
Congratulations to this year’s awardees!
Greg Cui, Sidley Austin LLP
Matt DiCianni, Cozen O’Connor
Joshua Dille, Porter Wright Morris & Arthur LLP
Robin Evans, Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP
Alex Garel-Frantzen, ArentFox Schiff LLP
Maria Fay Karras, Kirkland & Ellis LLP
Jordan Lemoine, Sidley Austin LLP
Urvi Morolia, Littler Mendelson P.C.
Ashleigh Ricardo, Winston & Strawn LLP
Rebecca Ritchie, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP and Affiliates
Dru Selden, Littler Mendelson P.C.
Mike Trucco, Winston & Strawn LLP
31
PRESENTERS & SPEAKERS
KAREN DORANTES
Karen Dorantes was born in Iguala, Guerrero, Mexico and immigrated to Chicago when
she was three years old to reunite with her parents, who had migrated earlier. Karen
grew up in the Chicago area and excelled as a student and athlete. In high school,
she realized she was an undocumented immigrant, which limited work, travel, and
higher education opportunities. NIJC represented her in securing Deferred Action
for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). A graduate of St. Xavier University (Chicago), she is
pursuing her master’s degree at DePaul University in speech pathology and a dual
certificate in Spanish and English.
MARK FILIP
Mark Filip is an attorney at Kirkland & Ellis, helping lead the firm’s government
enforcement defense and litigation groups and serving as a member of the firm’s
Executive Committee. Mark has deep experience in both private practice and
government service, having served as a federal judge for the Northern District of
Illinois and as U.S. Deputy Attorney General after unanimous confirmations by the
U.S. Senate. He is also a fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers and formerly
served as an assistant U.S. attorney in Chicago and a law clerk for the U.S. Supreme
Court and D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals. Mark has been committed to pro bono legal
services throughout his career.
ANEESHA GANDHI
Aneesha Gandhi is the associate director of NIJC’s Protection-Based Relief Project,
where she oversees both NIJC’s Asylum Project and LGBT Immigrant Rights Initiative.
She also represents people seeking asylum and other types of immigration relief and
advises pro bono attorneys representing asylum seekers through NIJC. Prior to joining
NIJC, Aneesha was a legal fellow at the Diocese of Kalamazoo Immigration Assistance
Program, and worked with the New Orleans Workers’ Center for Racial Justice, the
Greater Boston Legal Services’ Immigration Unit, and the Vera Institute.
JEWHER ILHAM
Jewher Ilham is the author of two books, Jewher Ilham: A Uyghur’s Fight to Free Her Father
and Because I Have To: The Path to Survival, the Uyghur Struggle, and an advocate for the
Uyghur community and for her imprisoned father, Uyghur economist Ilham Tohti.
Jewher has testified before the U.S. Congress and the Senate, published op-eds in The
New York Times, CNN, and the Guardian, and received numerous international awards
on behalf of her father, including the European Parliament’s Sakharov prize. Jewher
works at the Worker Rights Consortium as a Forced Labor Project Coordinator and
serves as a spokesperson for the Coalition to End Uyghur Forced Labour. She helped
produce and is featured in the groundbreaking documentary film, All Static and Noise
(May 2023), about the plight of Uyghurs.
32
PRESENTERS & SPEAKERS
DARYA LALI AND DONYA LALI
Darya and Donya Lali grew up in Kabul, Afghanistan. Donya assisted women starting
their own businesses and advocated for women’s education. When the United States
withdrew from Afghanistan in August 2021, it was not safe for their family to stay and
they were forced to leave their home. They fled to the United States and applied for
asylum. They live in Chicago and have volunteered as interpreters at legal clinics with
NIJC and Muslim Women Resource Center to help Afghans apply for asylum. Darya is
currently obtaining her GED, and working at O’Hare Airport and as an interpreter with
HIAS to help Afghan families file for asylum.
MARY MEG MCCARTHY
Mary Meg McCarthy is NIJC’s executive director. Under her leadership, NIJC has grown
from a $1M to a $16M organization with 135+ staff and a network of over 2,000 pro
bono attorneys in five offices throughout the United States. Through its unique
approach integrating advocacy, impact litigation, legal counsel, and public education,
NIJC has responded to the ever-changing immigration environment. Mary Meg is an
internationally recognized immigration law expert who has testified before Congress
and at the United Nations and is frequently quoted in major news outlets including
The New York Times, The Washington Post, and CNN. Her honors include the Justice
John Paul Stevens Award from the Chicago Bar Association, the Chicago Inn of Court
2015 Don Hubert Public Service Award, the Pax Christi 2013 Teacher of Peace Award,
the Federal Bar Association Chicago Chapter 2021 Kathryn Smith Matkov Award, the
Damen Award from Loyola University Chicago, and the Dr. Thomas J. Dooley Award
from the University of Notre Dame Alumni Association. In June 2018, she received an
honorary degree in law from Knox College (Galesburg, IL).
SIMA QURAISHI
Sima Quraishi is the founder and executive director of the Muslim Women Resource
Center (MWRC), a non-profit social services organization in Chicago. Sima is a native
of Afghanistan who came to the United States as a refugee in the mid-1980s when
she was 9 years old, and settled in the Rogers Park neighborhood of Chicago. She
received a B.A. from the University of Illinois at Chicago and an M.A. in community
development from North Park University. Inspired by her own experience as a refugee,
she established MWRC in 2001 to address the needs of South Asian immigrants and
refugees, and the organization quickly expanded to provide a broad range of social
services to all immigrant, refugee and marginalized communities in need in the
Chicagoland area.
33
PRESENTERS & SPEAKERS
ABIMAN RAJADURAI
Abiman Rajadurai is Senior Counsel, Global Labor & Employment Law, at McDonald’s
Corporation, and serves as General Counsel for McDonald’s Operating Company. He
actively participates on the legal department’s pro bono and DEI committees. Abiman
is a long-time NIJC pro bono attorney. He is a member of NIJC’s Leadership Board and
co-chairs the Human Rights Awards Committee.
PERRY C. SIATIS
Perry Siatis is Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary, a member of
the executive leadership team, and responsible for global legal and the office of ethics
and compliance at AbbVie. He is credited with negotiating highly successful global
business deals, navigating complex government policy, and providing strategic
legal guidance for multiple billion dollar brands. He is dedicated to AbbVie’s legal
department’s commitment to providing pro bono support.
JOHN M. SKAKUN III
John Skakun is a partner at Sidley Austin LLP. He advises companies, boards
of directors, and executives in high-stakes litigation, corporate crises, and risk
management. He leads Sidley’s Political Asylum & Immigrants’ Rights Pro Bono
Project, and has led and overseen dozens of asylum cases, appeals, and impact
litigations. He successfully argued an asylum case before the Seventh Circuit Court of
Appeals that has served as precedent in numerous other asylum cases. He serves on
NIJC’s Leadership Board and co-chairs the Human Rights Awards Committee.
VICTORIA
Victoria is an attorney who, with her husband and son, fled persecution in Colombia
and asked for asylum when her family reached the U.S. southern border. Victoria and
her husband were criminally charged for entering the United States without proper
documentation. Within days of being charged, government officials separated them
from their son. Victoria and her husband were detained in Texas and their son was
sent to a shelter for unaccompanied immigrant children. Eight months later, when
the criminal charges against Victoria were finally resolved, she was released and
reunited with her husband and son. Attorneys from AbbVie and Kirkland & Ellis LLP
represent the family in their asylum case.
34
NIJC BOARDS & COMMITTEES
Human Rights Awards
Committee
Abiman Rajadurai, Co-Chair
John M. Skakun III, Co-Chair
Carrie Di Santo
Chad Doobay
Jonathan Drage
James T. Enstrom
Jennifer K. Fardy
Gary Feinerman
David A. Gordon
Jenny Golding
Lisa Haidostian
Iris Millán
Jon Milonas
Linda Myers
Tony Padilla
Ernesto R. Palomo
Alexis Perlmutter
John J. Reidy III
Brett Scharback
Charles F. Smith
Natalie Spears
Jessica Staiger
Jeanne M. Sullivan
Ana Maria Tyrrell
Kimberly White
Vania Montero Wit
NIJC Leadership Board
Sherene A. Jodrey, Co-Chair
Ann Marie Walsh, Co-Chair
Melissa Allchin
Caitlin Annatoyn
Marina Aronchik
David Berten
Bartram Brown
Gabrielle Buckley
Edith Canter
Marta Carreira-Slabe
Peter Cheun
Joan Coogan
Grace Guerra Dickler
Kathleen Dillon Narko
Amy Doehring
Chad Doobay
Crystal Doyle
Jennifer K. Fardy
Terry Feiertag
Susan Fortino-Brown
Eric Gorman
Sarah Gryll
Lisa Haidostian
Monica Halloran
Nicole Henning
Annette Isaacson
Michael Jarecki
Marc Kadish
Richard "Brad" Kapnick
Richard Klawiter
Danae Kovac
Marketa Lindt
Christine Matott
Iris Millán
James Morsch
Craig Mousin
Alexis Perlmutter
Daphnee Pierre Camilien
Ivan M. Poullaos
Abiman Rajadurai
Ernesto Ramos
Randall Rapp
John J. Reidy III
Gabriel Rodriguez
Mony Ruiz-Velasco
Lee Ann Russo
Enrique Salgado
Gloria Santona
Douglas Sargent
Mark Schwartz
David Serwer
Duane Sigelko
John M. Skakun III
Michele Slachetka
Maile H. Solis
Mark Sullivan
Alen Takhsh
Nick Tarasen
Wade Thomson
Ana Maria Tyrrell
Ann Marie Wahls
Benjamin C. Weinberg
Ellen Wheeler
Vania Wit
Gretchen Wolf
Miriam Zeidman
Mary Meg McCarthy, NIJC
Executive Director
NIJC Associate Leadership
Board
Anna Mikulski, Co-Chair
Gizem Tunca, Co-Chair
Marlen Cortez Morris
Katie Craig
Carolina De Marchena
Daniel Echeverri
Jonathan A. Enfield
John Foerster
Eric Garcia
Judy He
Thomas Hoyt
Maria Fay Karra
Sandra M. Lopez
Raul Loureiro
Patrick R. O’Meara
Peter J. O’Meara
Monica C. Pedroza
Rebecca Ritchie
Samantha Ruben
Sahar Segal
Sydney Slyfield
Edward W. Somers
Marlow Svatek
Deepak R. Tamasker
Hope Tone O’Keefe
Lizzy Westrope
Brittany Wiegand
Lavanga Wijekoon
Sylvia Wolak
Lindsey M. Woods
35
HUMAN RIGHTS AWARDS – A BRIEF HISTORY
The Human Rights Awards is Chicago’s premier event to honor human rights
advocates and bring together business, civic, and philanthropic leaders committed
to promoting human rights in our community and beyond. The event benefits
Heartland Alliance’s National Immigrant Justice Center and provides critical legal
services and advocacy for immigrants and refugees today and in the future.
2022
KEYNOTE: Dan-el Padilla Peralta, Princeton
University professor and author
AWARDEES: Illinois Coalition for Immigrant
and Refugee Rights; Elizabeth Lopez, United
Airlines; Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher &
Flom LLP
2021
PANEL: Ella, Gabriela, Samer, Maria Hinojosa
(moderator)
AWARDEES: Allstate; Johannes Favi; Sara
Ghadiri, Chapman and Cutler LLP
2020
KEYNOTE: Aarti Shahani, journalist and bestselling
author
AWARDEES: Ankura; Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP
2019
KEYNOTE: Julissa Arce, author and immigrant
rights activist
AWARDEES: Kirkland & Ellis, Interfaith
Community for Detained Immigrants,
Margaret Balsley-Cross
2018
KEYNOTE: Dolores Huerta, labor leader and
civil rights activist
AWARDEES: Jones Day, Microsoft
Corporation
2017
KEYNOTE: Minnesota House Representative
Ilhan Omar, first Somali-American legislator
and former refugee
AWARDEES: Aon, Dr. Zaher Sahloul, Reed
Smith LLP
2016
KEYNOTE: Monica McWilliams, Professor
of Women’s Studies, University of Ulster,
Northern Ireland
AWARDEES: John "Jay" Reidy III, AT&T
Inc.; the Loyola University Chicago
Student Body; Walgreen Co.
2015
KEYNOTE: Ishmael Beah, New York Times
bestselling author and president of the
Ishmael Beah Foundation
AWARDEES: Carol Brook, Federal
Defenders Program; Mark Flessner,
Holland & Knight; JPMorgan Chase
2014
KEYNOTE: Jose Antonio Vargas, Pulitzer
Prize-winning journalist
AWARDEES: Linda Coberly, Winston &
Strawn; Daniel Olmos; United Airlines, Inc.
2013
KEYNOTE: U.S. Senator Richard Durbin
AWARDEES: AT&T Inc.; Immigrant Youth
Justice League; Brian Murray, Jones Day
2012
KEYNOTE: Maria Hinojosa,
correspondent for PBS FRONTLINE, host
of NPR’s Latino USA
AWARDEES: Caterpillar Inc. Legal
Services Division; Jesús G. Chuy”
García, Cook County Board of
Commissioners; Lawrence S. Schaner,
Jenner & Block LLP; Jon Stryker, Arcus
Foundation
2011
KEYNOTE: Chief Justice Margaret
Marshall, former Chief Justice of the
Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
AWARDEES: Albany Park Theater Project;
Terry Yale Feiertag, Hughes Socol Piers
Resnick & Dym, Ltd.; McDonald’s
Corporation
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2010
KEYNOTE: Lt. Cmdr. Charles Swift, defense
counsel in Hamdan v. Rumsfeld
AWARDEES: Duane Sigelko, Reed Smith;
Sisters of Mercy; Exelon Corporation
2009
KEYNOTE: António Guterres, U.N. High
Commissioner for Refugees
AWARDEES: Luol Deng, Chicago Bulls;
James Morsch, Butler, Rubin, Saltarelli &
Boyd; Winston & Strawn LLP
2008
KEYNOTE: Harold Hongju Koh, former
dean, Yale Law School; former assistant
secretary, U.S. Department of State
AWARDEES: The Chicago Community
Trust; The Chicago Public Library; Chicago
Public Radio; The Chicago Reporter; WTTW11;
Melville Washburn, Sidley Austin LLP
2007
KEYNOTE: Joseph Margulies, former
assistant director, MacArthur Justice
Center, Northwestern University Law
School
AWARDEES: Jenner & Block LLP; Carlos M.
Sada, former minister for Congressional
Affairs, Embassy of Mexico; Tibetan
Alliance
2006
KEYNOTE: Seymour Hersh, journalist, The
New Yorker Magazine
AWARDEES: Levi Strauss & Co.; Marjorie
Kovler Center for the Treatment of
Survivors of Torture; Irené Martinez, M.D.;
Lee Ann Russo, Jones Day
2005
KEYNOTE: Richard J. Goldstone, former
justice, South African Constitutional
Court
AWARDEES: Joseph Margulies, assistant
director at MacArthur Justice Center;
Natalie Spears, Sonnenschein Nath &
Rosenthal
2004
KEYNOTE: Paul Hoffman, civil and
human rights attorney
AWARDEES: Margaret Blackshere,
former president of the Illinois AFL-
CIO; David Berten, attorney; Ariel
Investments
2003
KEYNOTE: Mary Robinson, former U.N.
High Commissioner for Human Rights,
former president of Ireland
AWARDEES: Juan Mendez, University of
Notre Dame; Bob Glaves, Chicago Bar
Foundation; Aon Corporation
2002
KEYNOTE: The Honorable Abner J.
Mikva; Peggy Kuo, attorney, UN
International Criminal Tribunal for the
Former Yugoslavia
AWARDEES: Chicago Tribune Editorial
Board; Edwin Silverman, Illinois
Department of Human Services;
Jeanne and Joseph Sullivan,
philanthropists
2001
KEYNOTE: David S. Weissbrodt,
University of Minnesota Law School
AWARDEES: Jacqueline Bhabha,
the University of Chicago; Baxter
International Foundation
2000
KEYNOTE: Juan Garcés, attorney and
leader of the legal team prosecuting
Chilean dictator General Augusto
Pinochet
AWARDEES: Robert Kirschner, physician
and human rights leader; U.S.
Representative Jan Schakowsky
37
NIJC STAFF
as of 5/4/23
Mary Meg McCarthy,
Executive Director
Olivia Abrecht
Brianna Aceves
Jherlly Acosta Fecher
Lizeth Aguilar
Ayah Albareedi
Isabel Alia Arias
Heidi Altman
Michele Amatangelo
Erika Asgeirsson
Brianda Avila
Bilal Bach
Brenda Balderas
Erik Bingham
Richard Caldarone
Nicole Carter
Geoff Cebula
Joseph Choe
Lisa Chun
Peter Claassen
Alejandra Cohen
Solomon Collins
Colleen Cowgill
Jacquelyn Delgado
Taha Din
Mary Donnelly
Morgan Drake
Lily Dunkin
Vivian Enriquez
Azadeh Erfani
Yolatli Esparza
Vanessa Esparza-Lopez
David Faherty
Sareena Fayaz
Mark Feldman
Nubia Fimbres
Mark Fleming
Jesse Franzblau
Aneesha Gandhi
Oscar Garcia
Brenda Garcia
Martha Garcia-Izaguirre
Mary Georgevich
Elizabeth Gibson
Kai Gigous
Abigail Ginzburg
Andrea Gomez-Paz
Jaime Gonzalez
Nathalie Gonzalez
Rebekah Gonzalez
Evan Gorelick
Lourdes Gracia
Michael Grunenwald
Olga Guerrero Gonzalez
Nayna Gupta
Lina Habib
Lilianna Henkel
Gema Hernandez Nava
Brittany Herschberger
Michael Hoyt
Jess Hunter-Bowman
Brandon Jaimes
Elizabeth Juarez
Olivia Judd
Elizabeth Kalmbach Clark
Stacey Kamin
Melissa Kehr
Nadia Khawja
Mary Kilbride
Lisa Koop
Aaron Kruk
Elizabeth Lang
Tania Linares Garcia
Julio Lopez
Nereida Lopez
Moises Lopez Soltero
Ruben Loyo
Megan Lundblad
Cynthia Macedo
Jacqueline Mares
Erin Martin
Maeve Mascarenhas
Katherine Mayopoulos
Katherine McCoy
Matthew McGuire
Dominique Mejia
Viviana Mendez
Cecilia Mendoza
Vivian Millan
Ellen Miller
Rachel Milos
Abdul Moqbel
Jenny Morales
Jonathan Mullins
Riley Murphy
Alexia Oluwadeyi
Angela Olvera
Brianna Ortega
Juan Parrado
Andrew Patterson
ManoLasya Perepa
Lenin Plazas
Katarina Ramos
Diana Rashid
Natalie Reysa
Julie Rich
Hillary Richardson
Rebecca Ries-Roncalli
Mary Roche
Lisiann Rodriguez
Carla Rodriguez Flores
Charles Roth
David Ruiz-Padilla
Monica Saavedra
Theodora Saclarides
Elisa Salgado
Catalina Salley
Johan Salome
Berenice Sanchez Ruiz
Carrie Schwarz
Yuvia Serna
Aimen Shah
Eva Shapiro
Anna Sheridan
Marie Silver
Amanda Slezak
Brenda Solorzano
Stephanie Spiro
Karolyn Talbert
Trisha Teofilo Olave
Tara Tidwell Cullen
Julia Toepfer
Naomi Tovar
Clara Unzicker
Lee VanderLinden
Elvira Villa
Fabiola Villalpando
Colleen Ward
Mara Weaver Boshart
Isabel Weber
Ruth Welch
Mayon Yen
Keren Zwick
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HEARTLAND ALLIANCE
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Evelyn Diaz, President, Heartland Alliance
Kary McIlwain, Chair
Robin Armour, Vice Chair
Melinda Earle, Vice Chair
Daniel Lezotte, Vice Chair
Theodore W. Michalke, Vice Chair
Michael Nutter, Vice Chair
Ryan Ruskin, Vice Chair
Zaher Sahloul, Vice Chair
Julie Getzels, Secretary
Marcelo Presser, Treasurer
Mary L. Ahern
Shubha Ahya
Ali Azim
Mike Bagley
Elissa Bassler
Henry Beverly
Allida Black
Ryan Boyle
Christopher Brathwaite
David Elzinga
Jacqueline English
Jennifer Faron
Susan Fortino-Brown
Becky Frederick
Cynthia Fronczak
Shannon Galvin
Charles Garrido
Alicia Gonzalez
Scott Goodman
Richard Grossi
Lisa W. Haag
Alan Harder
Gwen Hassan
Elaine Klemen
Julianne Migely
Makiyah Moody
Renee Moses
Joey Nakayama
Arnold Patton
Ameya Pawar
Kyle Peterson
Susan Rider Porter
Randall Rapp
Leslie Riekenberg
Selwyn Rogers
Mary Rosenberg
Robin Snyderman
Kevin Sterling
Alén Takhsh
Ronald Tuan-Mu
Lorraine Waller
Andrea Wiles
Paul Wilkowski
Nineveh Zoudo
Rhyan Zweifler
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Porter Wright is proud to
congratulate attorney Josh Dille for
being honored with a 2023 National
Immigrant Justice Center Rising
Star Award.
A passion for purpose
PwC is proud to support National Immigrant Justice
Center as part of our commitment to making a
meaningful difference in the world.
TheNewEquation.com
© 2023 PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, a Delaware limited liability partnership. All rights reserved.
Ropes & Gray is proud to support
The 24th Annual National Immigrant
Justice Center’s Human Rights Awards
ropesgray.com
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Akerman strongly supports the National
Immigrant Justice Center’s vital efforts to
provide legal services and programs that
protect immigrant rights and families.
700+ Lawyers, 24 Offices
akerman.com
©2023 Akerman LLP. All rights reserved.
41
A Proud Supporter
ArentFox Schiff is committed to safeguarding the rule of law and proudly
supports the National Immigrant Justice Center. Congratulations to
today’s Human Rights Award honorees.
Smart In
Your World
afslaw.com
42
Congratulations to the 24th Annual
National Immigrant Justice Center
Human Rights Honorees
CRA is proud to support the National Immigrant
Justice Center in their work to provide access
to life-changing immigration legal services and
programs that protect immigrant rights, defending
integrity with empathy and transparency.
Kristofer Swanson, Forensic Services, kswanson@crai.com
John Rademacher, Forensic Services, jrademacher@crai.com
www.crai.com
CME Group Salutes Heartland Alliance’s
National Immigrant Justice Center
and its mission to ensure human rights protections and access
to justice for all immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers.
CME Group is a trademark of CME Group Inc. The Globe logo is a trademark
of Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc. Copyright © 2023. All rights reserved.
43
Driven by justice.
© 2023 Cooley LLP, 3175 Hanover Street, Palo Alto, CA 94304 www.cooley.com
We are proud to support the
National Immigrant Justice Center and
the 24th Annual Human Rights Awards.
advancing justice
and human rights
CORNERSTONE RESEARCH
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Congratulations to this year’s
amazing honorees!
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44
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Dykema supports the NIJC and its critical
advances to ensure protections for
vulnerable immigrants. Congratulations
to this year’s honorees.
www.dykema.com
California | Illinois | Michigan | Minnesota | Texas | Washington, D.C. | Wisconsin
45
Thank you to the staff and supporters of the
National Immigrant Justice Center
for keeping dreams alive.
Our dreamers are here to stay!
Elizabeth M. Higashi
The Future
is Equal
Learn more at exeloncorp.com.
46
Is Proud to Support the
NIJC Human Rights Awards
Congratulations to AbbVie on Receiving the
Human Rights Corporate Award!
312-201-4000
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GGU is honored to support the
National Immigrant Justice Center
and we congratulate this year's honorees of the
24th Annual Human Rights Awards.
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Hinshaw is proud to support the
National Immigrant Justice Center.
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We Proudly Support the Dedicated Staff of the
National Immigrant Justice Center.
Exclusively focused on Immigration and Nationality Law
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Proud to be a part of
the solution.
Manatt proudly supports the National Immigrant Justice Center
and congratulates this year’s Human Rights Award recipients.
Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, llp
manatt.com
McDonald’s Legal Department
is honored to support
the exceptional work of the
National Immigrant Justice Center
Congratulations to our pro bono partner and hero,
Wade Thomson, and to all of the 2023 award recipients.
We also recognize all attorneys and legal staff who dedicate
themselves to providing pro bono services in the community.
50
Orrick is proud to support the
NIJC HUMAN
RIGHTS AWARDS
and we congratulate the 2023 awardees
51
We are honored to support the NIJC’s
Human Rights Awards
and congratulate all of the awardees.
Cheers to a successful event!
is proud to support the National
Immigrant Justice Center on
its 24th Annual Human Rights
Awards and joins in congratulating
this year’s honorees.
Proskauer is a leading global law firm, providing a wide range of legal services
to clients worldwide. To learn more about the firm, visit Proskauer.com.
Proskauer Rose LLP | 70 West Madison, Suite 3800, Chicago, IL 60602-4342 | 312 962 3550 | Attorney Advertising
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HUMAN RIGHTS AWARDS
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE NATIONAL
IMMIGRANT JUSTICE CENTER
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Congratulations
2023 NIJC
Human Rights
Awards Winners
RSHC is proud to support the rights of immigrants and
refugees through pro bono counsel and advocacy work.
#ProudtobeRSHC
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Immigrant Justice Center Human
Rights Awards.
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Saul Ewing is proud to support the
National Immigrant Justice Center
and congratulates the honorees of the
24 th Annual Human Rights Awards.
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Chicago Office:
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Chicago, IL 60601
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Schaner Dispute Resolution is proud to support NIJC in
protecting the rights of immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers,
and congratulates the 2023 Awardees.
www.schanerlegal.com
The Modern Law Firm.
Celebrating those who champion
human rights.
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Justice Center
Congratulations to
all honorees of the
24th Annual
Human Rights Awards.
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