Unsung Hero: Bruce Budner

"No more rape, no more beatings, no more torture" is how Bruce Budner describes the remuneration for his volunteer position as Legal Director of Human Rights Initiative of North Texas, Inc. ("HRI"). After 25 years, Budner left a lucrative private practice to pursue other interests. Within months, the needs of HRI pursued him instead. Budner first became aware of HRI, its work and its needs through prior pro bono work he performed in pursuit of a Master’s degree in Liberal Arts.

HRI is devoted exclusively to achieving asylum in the United States for those in other countries suffering from dire political, ethnic, or religious persecution, often against Christians.

Asylum is sought for those applicants who cannot safely return to his or her country because of persecution as a result of the applicant's political opinion, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or religion.

Budner illustrates: Mary and her three children fled Zimbabwe in the aftermath of a brutal attack on her by members of the nation’s "defense force." The military police came to her store one night, demanding that Mary reveal the whereabouts of her husband. They threatened to close her store. The next night they returned, again looking for Mary’s husband. They told her husband and his party would be destroyed and that Mary betrayed her own people by doing business with a white farmer. Three of these police then viciously beat and gang-raped her. As they left, they threw her clothes onto her face and told Mary that her store was permanently closed. Mary’s crime? Her husband was active in the "wrong" political party, it was believed that the profits from Mary’s successful grocery store went to that party and Mary, a black woman, leased her store from a white farmer. A few weeks later, Mary escaped the country with her children and came to Dallas, placing her future in Budner’s hands.

Budner says that unfortunately Mary’s story is typical. Most of Budner’s HRI clients have been subjected to months of torture and sexual assault in prison before escaping. Budner notes that most are also educated and resourceful. And all are blessed to find Bruce Budner.

"These folks are incredibly lucky to happen upon Bruce Budner," said McKool Smith shareholder and former District Judge, Sam Baxter. "Having been fortunate enough to work with him in a really complex case, I can tell you he has the rare gift of being really, really smart, while at the same time being able to relate well to people."

Indeed, Budner’s clients have been granted asylum at a rate of over 90% compared to a national average of only 20-30%. Budner’s tremendous talents are literally life-saving to his HRI clients.

Budner’s generosity and commitment to social justice come as no surprise to those that know him.

"I’m not surprised at all that Bruce would do something like this," said longtime friend, Magistrate Judge Jeff Kaplan. "I knew Bruce would end up using his worthy talents and strong commitment to social justice for a good cause. Really, I think that Bruce has worked his whole life towards being positioned to be able to do something like this."

But Budner insists that the payback is his.

"When I was handling business cases, I always knew that the clients could find a hundred other lawyers in the city who would gladly take their cases and do a good job. My asylum clients don't have that luxury. Their cases are just and the consequences are often life or death. In a nutshell, and at the risk of sounding like a cliche, I feel that what I do is making a genuine difference," he said. "Working at HRI is by far the most gratifying thing I have done in 25 years as a lawyer. There is nothing quite like the feeling I get watching a client's face when an immigration judge says he's granting asylum."

Budner’s goal is to be able to handle every meritorious asylum case expeditiously so that clients can begin the process of remaking their lives. But Budner is the only lawyer on staff, limiting the number of cases that HRI can handle. He calls on the Dallas Volunteer Attorney Program for volunteer attorneys, who will get the opportunity to prepare asylum cases and represent clients at trial in the immigration court, under the training and supervision of HRI. Budner offers this as an opportunity to help some of "the bravest and neediest" members of our society. Volunteers may contact the Human Rights Initiative at 214/855-0520.