FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 20, 2014
Contact: Yang Chen, Executive Director
(718) 228-7206
NEW YORK – October 20, 2014 – The Asian American Bar Association of New York (“AABANY”) is proud to announce that Government Service & Public Interest Committee Co-Chair Katrina Goyco has been named one of Legal Services NYC’s Top 30 Pro Bono Lawyers of 2014 for her tireless efforts on an AABANY U-Visa initiative for immigrant victims of domestic violence. Katrina will be honored at Legal Services NYC’s Volunteer Reception on Thursday, October 23, 2014, hosted by WilmerHale.
Launched by AABANY’s Government Service & Public Interest Committee in conjunction with Legal Services NYC, the U-Visa initiative began in June 2014 to provide immigration relief for low-income survivors of domestic violence. The initiative trained pro bono lawyers on the step-by-step process of U-Visa application, the first step to a naturalization path for undocumented victims of qualifying crimes, as well as how to work with victims of mental, physical, emotional, and sexual abuse. Ms. Goyco headed the efforts to match pre-screened survivors with attorneys and law students who could help them prepare their narratives and offer legal advice through the difficult-to-navigate path to citizenship.
“AABANY is fortunate to have someone as dedicated to the public interest as Katrina Goyco is to be among its members and its leadership,” says Executive Director Yang Chen. “When the Government Service and Public Interest Committee first brought this project to AABANY’s attention, it was received with much enthusiasm. Without the energy and dedication of Katrina as the Committee’s co-chair, the project would have just remained an idea. Through her efforts, the U-Visa project now helps many deserving members of the community get the legal assistance they need. We are pleased and proud to be working with Legal Services NYC on this important initiative, and we are grateful to Katrina for all that she has done to bring this project to fruition. Congratulations, Katrina!”
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For more information, please contact Yang Chen, AABANY Executive Director, at (718) 228-7206, or direct any inquiries tomain@aabany.org.
The Asian American Bar Association of New York is a professional membership organization of attorneys concerned with issues affecting the Asian Pacific American community. Incorporated in 1989, AABANY seeks not only to encourage the professional growth of its members but also to advocate for the Asian Pacific American community as a whole. AABANY is the New York regional affiliate of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA).
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