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Anne Applebaum, ILCM Win Statewide Recognition for Pro Bono Work

Posted on Mar 19 2018

Two awards marked the success of the Pro Bono program of the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota (ILCM). The first came to Pro Bono Director Anne Applebaum, as the Minnesota State Bar Association honored her with the 2018 Bernard P. Becker Legal Services Emerging Leader award. This award is presented each year to honor dedicated service, outstanding achievements and a demonstrated commitment to provision of zealous and skilled legal representation by an attorney employed by a private, nonprofit agency that provides legal services to low-income and disadvantaged Minnesotans. The second award came from the Minnesota Corporate Pro Bono Council, which honored ILCM as its “Partner of the Year for 2017.

Anne joined ILCM as an AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer in 2010, leaving private practice to dedicate herself to a career in public interest law with a specific interest in immigration law. In 2011, Anne became ILCM’s pro bono coordinator, and was promoted to Pro Bono Director the next year. She has led ILCM’s pro bono programming since that time.

Anne’s leadership and innovation have built one of Minnesota’s best pro bono programs. Anne has steadily increased the number of active volunteer attorneys throughout her tenure. In 2017, 229 pro bono attorneys represented low-income clients in nearly 500 immigration cases.  Together, they reported more than 3500 donated hours, an all-time high for the organization.

“Her work reflects the highest level of client service and ensures that our pro bono trainings and representation are excellent,” says ILCM Executive Director John Keller. “The impact of her sustained hard work and dedication has been extensive, benefitting both the legal community and Minnesota’s immigrant and refugee communities.”

The Minnesota Corporate Pro Bono Council brings together pro bono leaders from businesses’ internal legal departments to increase the level of pro bono work being done by in-house counsel, paralegals and other staff.  Besides direct service to clients, they offer CLE, training and pro bono opportunities that are open to anyone in the law departments of Council member companies. Through each case and each substantive immigration matter business attorneys take on, they become aware of and engaged with immigrants from all over the world on the essential immigration issues of our times.

This year, says Council President David March, “We wanted to recognize ILCM, and in particular, Anne, for creating innovative opportunities for in-house counsel, paralegals and staff to work on a variety of immigration matters through the DACA clinic, DACA renewal trainings, etc.”

Thanks to the MSBA and the Minnesota Corporate Pro Bono Council for this recognition—and thanks most of all to the pro bono attorneys, paralegals, and support staff who partner in ILCM’s work.