Sonnenschein took on its first asylum case in partnership with Immigration Equality in late 2006 on behalf of a young gay Jamaican woman who had been brutalized because of her sexuality. “It’s eye-opening to represent someone who has experienced physical abuse as a result of who they are,” Renner says. “It’s a moving, very difficult experience.”
Each case takes about 400 to 600 hours in lawyer time, she says. A large portion of the firm’s time is spent meeting with clients, learning their story, and developing a rapport. (In 2008 the firm dedicated 1,000 hours to Immigration Equality cases.) “We’re helping clients in developing a way to talk about issues that are not talked about in their home countries,” Renner says. “Giving them the ability to talk about their story is what makes or breaks a case.”
So far, lawyers in Sonnenschein’s New York and Phoenix offices have helped win asylum for three clients: the Jamaican woman in October 2007, a Jamaican man in December 2008, and a Saudi Arabian man in January 2009. “I remember after our first victory we were all ecstatic,” Renner says. “One young associate turned to me and said, ‘Now I know why I became a lawyer.’ “
—Ross Todd | July 1, 2009
