LAW OFFICE OF SUSAN THORN
EXCLUSIVELY PRACTICING U.S. IMMIGRATION & NATIONALITY LAW
43 West 43rd Street, Ste. 93
New York, NY, 10036 USA
(by appointment)
CALL +1 917 667 4842
Community Outreach and Education
Low Bono Services
COMMUNITY OUTREACH | EDUCATION
I am an excellent communicator with broad base ability ranging from teaching English to adult learners to discussing immigration law in multiple formats and settings. My career as a public interest law attorney afforded me numerous opportunities to indulge my zeal for educating immigrants as wells as advocates about immigration law and policy through webinar trainings to staff of refugee resettlement organizations, free community educational workshops regarding applying for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and naturalization, legal clinics and U.S. Civics classes for indigent immigrants preparing for their naturalization interview.
I welcome invitations to speak for free at schools, religious institutions, or organized community group gatherings or events about immigration-related topics, including conducting Know Your Rights presentations, where audience attendance is open to all and admission is free, nominal or financially-assisted.
Please contact me to pursue further inquiries or pitch an idea for a talk.
LOW BONO SERVICES
Generally, to qualify for free legal assistance, many nonprofit legal service providers require individuals to show personal income at or below 200% of the federal poverty guideline. As a result, individuals with modest incomes hovering right above that cut-off, who may live paycheck to paycheck, are deterred from pursuing legal action or remedies. If they do so, they do it pro se (“on one’s on behalf”) or turn to notarios or “immigration specialists” who are predatory and unlicensed to practice law. Sometimes nothing can substitute for legal counsel.
To improve access to justice for clients of modest income, I may offer limited scope representation or unbundled legal services. Such representation or services are ones in which the lawyer and the client agree at the outset that the legal assistance to be provided is limited to specific tasks or certain parts of the case. Contact my office to discuss whether your case may be suitable for limited scope representation or unbundled legal services.
In New York, an attorney’s ethical obligations relevant to the delivery of this model of legal services is consistent with the American Bar Association Model Rule 1.2(c). See New York Rules of Professional Conduct, 22 NYCRR Part 1200, Rule 1.2(c).