Pro Bono

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The William O. Holston, Jr.¹ Pro Bono Program

Human Rights Initiative recruits and trains legal professionals to provide pro bono representation for our clients through its William O. Holston Jr. Pro Bono Program.  Last year HRI trained more than 150 attorneys to represent HRI clients pro bono. The estimated total dollar value of pro bono time that they donated last year is over $1.4 million. Since the agency's inception, HRI has won 87% of its asylum cases and 99% of all its other legal cases.  Pro bono attorneys are the backbone of HRI’s success. 

HRI continuously seeks pro bonos to assist with our pro bono programs:

• Affirmative asylum cases
• Representation of clients at the Houston Asylum Office
• Representation of clients at trial before the Executive Office of Immigration Review (the Dallas Immigration Court)
• Representation of a child seeking relief based on Special Immigrant Juvenile Status
• Representation of a woman seeking relief under the Violence Against Women Act

Note: You do not have to be an attorney specializing in immigration and nationality law.  We offer group MCLE trainings and individual training to all of our pro bonos.  HRI will also provide each pro bono with a CD of our training Manual, Human Rights Initiative:  A Pro Bono Guide.  The training manual provides detailed information on each of our pro bono programs as well as pratice pointers and ethical considerations.  HRI's training manual CD is available to our pro bonos thanks to a generous grant from the Dallas Association of Young Lawyers. 

Human Rights Initiative is the only nonprofit organization providing free representation to asylum seekers and children in the Dallas/Ft. Worth metroplex.  We are dedicated to representing our clients and assisting our volunteers in a manner consistent with the highest standards of dignity and professionalism. 

¹  The William O. Holston, Jr. Pro Bono Program is named after HRI pro bono William O. Holston, Jr.  Mr. Holston was honored with HRI's Angel of Freedom Award in 2005 for his longtime commitment to asylum work and his work with HRI. He served as a mentor to one of HRI's founding members, Elizabeth Healy in the 1990s when she first began accepting pro bono asylum cases. Ms. Healy credits Mr. Holston with her continued work in this area of the law and in influencing the creation of the pro bono program in 1999.  Mr. Holston chairs HRI's Pro Bono Committee.  He continues to influence and mentor many young attorneys and continues strong involvement with his pro bono work.