Hughes Hubbard Wins Two Awards for Pro Bono Work

Hughes Hubbard won two honors at inMotion’s 2012 Commitment to Justice Awards on Feb. 9 at the Walter Reade Theatre in New York.

Hughes Hubbard received the award for outstanding law firm in recognition of its longtime pro bono activity. Sarah Cave, Jaime Hernandez and Christine Stecura took home the award for outstanding legal team for their representation of an abused Dominican immigrant facing imminent deportation.

For 13 years, the firm has worked with inMotion, which provides free legal services to low-income women, on more than 110 cases.

“Hughes Hubbard’s deep-rooted commitment to assisting low-income clients encourages attorneys to value pro bono work and to go above and beyond what is required,” inMotion said. “Senior-level associates and partners actively supervise matters and the attorneys are dedicated and compassionate, consistently providing the highest quality of legal representation.”

In 2011, 91 Hughes Hubbard employees volunteered on matters referred by inMotion. Among the matters was a Dominican immigrant facing deportation after living in the U.S. for nearly 18 years. Her American husband abused her verbally and physically and threatened to have her deported. He even assaulted her for not making coffee before going to work, causing her to miscarry her pregnancy.

The HHR team successfully filed a petition under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), obtained employment authorization for the client, terminated her deportation proceedings and enabled her to gain permanent residence. Because of Hughes Hubbard’s work, she is free to travel and reunite with her daughter in the Dominican Republican after more than 10 years of separation.