Arise’s Founder, Jen White, Esq. explains our Mission and how this impacts our work.
Local Legal Services & Capacity Expansion Nationwide
We have a dual mission. First, we provide high-quality, pro bono legal services to immigrants in the Pittsburgh area, focusing on asylum. Second, we provide training and mentoring to advocates around the country so that they can learn how to serve immigrants in their own communities. In other words, we are building capacity around the country so that more people can get the personalized representation that they need to navigate an increasingly complex immigration legal system.
OUR STORY
In early 2022, Arise’s Founder, Jen White, joined forces with three other advocates (Jenn Bulcock, Kim Betz, and Cyndy Levy) to represent a remarkable young woman from Afghanistan with her asylum case, pro bono. Jen’s goal was twofold: help her client win her case and provide an opportunity for the other three advocates—who were new to asylum but exceedingly talented advocates—to learn how to assemble these cases and assist future clients.
Each advocate worked on a different aspect of the case, but all four were involved at every stage so that each person could provide input and learn how all the moving parts work together to create a comprehensive, complex asylum application. The team turned the case around in 2.5 months, and the representation was greatly improved by four minds coming together to prepare the case, instead of just one. Asylum is discretionary and case presentation is very important, so having multiple perspectives on every strategic decision is ideal but usually impossible because most legal advocates are too busy to pencil in time for collaboration with other advocates. It quickly became apparent to Jen that this model was scalable and would provide enormous value to both immigrant clients and people who want to serve them.
At the end of 2022, Arise Immigration Services was born, the brave woman from Afghanistan won her case, and all four members of the original team joined our Board of Directors so that many more may come to freedom and safety in the U.S.
