Volunteer Lawyers Project helps 600 start their path to citizenship on Citizenship Day

Naturalization application assistance event is largest in city's history

September 25, 2019 Rob Abruzzese

The Brooklyn Bar Association Volunteer Lawyers Project participated in the largest pro bono naturalization application assistance event ever in New York City. More than 100 volunteers gathered at John Jay College to assist more than 600 people hoping to become U.S. citizens. Photos courtesy of the VLP

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The Brooklyn Bar Association Volunteer Lawyers Project (VLP) took part in the largest ever naturalization application assistance event in New York City’s history on Saturday in celebration of National Citizenship Day.

Hosted at John Jay College by CUNY Citizenship Now! as well as the VLP and pro-bono partners Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver and Jacobson; Proskauer Rose; and Capital One, the event brought together more than 100 volunteers who helped 600 people fill out their naturalization applications.

Anne O’Grady, pro bono director of the VLP.

“We were delighted by the invitation from CUNY Citizenship Now! to sponsor the largest citizenship event in the city,” said Anne O’Grady, pro bono director at the VLP. “The commitment of the pro bono attorneys and staff from Fried Frank, Proskauer and Capital One will enable hard-working legal permanent residents to achieve their dreams of becoming U.S. citizens.”

The VLP helped to organize the event so it could assist as many people as possible in starting the application process to become U.S. citizens prior to the changes in the fee waiver rules that are expected to make the process more costly and complicated.

“This clinic ensures that its clients who are longtime New Yorkers can gain security and stability for themselves and their families as they continue to lead productive lives and enrich our city,” said Jennifer Colyer, Fried Frank resident pro bono counsel in New York and litigation special counsel. “Naturalization is not a simple process, so we believe that the clinic’s clients really benefit from legal expertise.”

Jennifer Colyer, Fried Frank resident pro bono counsel in New York and litigation special counsel.

To prepare for the event, CUNY Citizenship Now! held a training event on Friday, Sept. 13 to prepare volunteers and lawyers. As part of that event, the VLP was able to provide four continuing legal education (CLE) credits for volunteering attorneys who attended the all-day training session.

The VLP often hosts similar programs at which lawyers agree to work pro bono for Brooklynites and New Yorkers in need in exchange for training and CLE credits. These programs are especially good at attracting younger or more inexperienced attorneys, or attorneys looking to break into new fields of law.

William Silverman, the pro bono partner at Proskauer Rose.

“We are honored to take part in this clinic,” said William Silverman, the pro bono partner at Proskauer. “Helping individuals obtain citizenship is a meaningful way to give back to our community.”