This year, Manatt’s class of summer associates and analysts displayed impressive commitment to pro bono work across the nation. These 31 next-generation legal and consulting professionals gained hands-on experience working alongside the Firm’s professionals and clients by participating in various projects, including:
- Adoptions: Manatt partnered with Public Counsel to finalize non-contested adoptions in Los Angeles. In particular, summer associates helped five families finalize adoptions and ensured the children were placed in stable and permanent homes. They also assisted families in receiving proper benefits payments from the state and provided translators or legal counsel in Spanish where needed.
- Adjustment of Status: Manatt partnered with HIAS to assist refugees in applying for Lawful Permanent Residency. During this project, summer associates helped four families—from Ukraine, Myanmar and Venezuela—of recently arrived refugees apply for permanent residency so they can build their lives in the United States. Manatt provided language support where needed.
- Immigration / Client Intake: For Manatt’s Pro Bono Day of Service, the Firm partnered with Safe Passage Project to help conduct initial screening interviews of immigrant children in the NYC-area who face deportation back to life-threatening situations, despite strong legal claims to stay in the U.S.
- Temporary Restraining Orders: Manatt partnered with the Los Angeles Center for Law and Justice (LACLJ) to staff its California Legal Access for Survivors (CLASP) clinic. Summer associates, under the guidance of Manatt attorneys, worked with victim service providers to improve access to legal services and temporary restraining orders for underserved survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. The associates reviewed and confirmed forms prepared by victim service providers were complete and clear. They also provided feedback for advocates to include in the forms and declarations before they filed documents requesting temporary restraining orders with the court.
- Cultural Sensitivity Training: Summer associates attended Manatt’s annual training provided by Inner City Law Center on how to successfully represent diverse, low-income clients. This training provided insight into the needs of pro bono clients and the cultural differences that may arise during communications to improve and strengthen professionals’ abilities to deliver legal services.
- Small Businesses: Manatt partnered with Start Small Think Big to host a workshop for small businesses that introduced the basic concepts of intellectual property law, including copyright, trademark and design and utility patents, and ownership of works/content/inventions and confidentiality. This presentation focused on protecting content principally through copyright laws and included a discussion of common pitfalls small businesses and nonprofits face in this area of law. Summer associates presented at then participated in a clinic to answer questions from small business owners.
- One-Shot Housing: Manatt partnered with Legal Services NYC to host a clinic serving New Yorkers at risk of losing their homes. New York offers emergency grants to prevent tenants from being evicted, known as “one shot deals.” Manatt attorneys and summer associated provided remote limited-scope assistance to help tenants apply for one shot deals through (i) preparing an online application, (ii) drafting a persuasive letter, and (iii) providing supporting documents.
Manatt thanks all our Summer Associates and Analysts for their dedication to public service in order to create positive change and make lasting impacts within their respective communities.