November 8, 2024, Wilkinson Stekloff Associates Dhruti Patel and Tania Martinez, with assistance from Counsel Sarah Neuman, obtained a decisive victory in an asylum matter for a pro bono client.
The client, a gay man, had endured a lifetime of discrimination and persecution in his home country of Colombia. The client’s mistreatment culminated in a brutal attack carried out by state actors in 2023 on account of the client’s sexual orientation. The client’s attackers continued to pursue him after the attack, even threatening to kill him.
During the client’s immigration hearing, he shared compelling testimony about the violence he faced in Colombia and his fear of being killed if he were forced to return. Building on this testimony, the Wilkinson Stekloff team successfully argued that despite instituting some legal protections for gay individuals, Colombia remains one of the most dangerous places in all of South America for members of the LGBTQ+ community, in part because of high impunity levels for those who commit acts of violence against that community. The Immigration Judge granted the client asylum, allowing him to remain in the U.S.
Wilkinson Stekloff has maintained a deep and lasting commitment to providing pro bono representation. Since its 2016 founding, the firm has handled more than 100 pro bono matters, with the vast majority of its attorneys devoting significant time across areas including family law, immigration, post-conviction representation, appeals, and filing amicus briefs. Wilkinson Stekloff has been recognized by organizations including Chambers and Partners, Capital Pro Bono Honor Roll, DC Volunteer Lawyers Project, Law360 Pulse, and the Los Angeles Center for Law and Justice for making this crucial work a central element of firm life.