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ILCM Honors Five Award Winners at 2016 Gala
Posted on Oct 04 2016
Another round of congratulations is in order for ILCM’s 2016 Award Winners: National Advocate of the Year, the Center of New Americans; State Advocate of the Year, Council on American-Islamic Relations, Minnesota; Pro Bono Partner of the Year, the Volunteer Lawyer’s Network; Pro Bono Attorney of the Year, Judge Joseph Dierkes; and Volunteer of the Year, Jennifer Peredia. ILCM relies on the continued support and effort on the part of our 2016 award winners, who deserve recognition for their work that goes above and beyond.
The Center for New Americans deserves special praise for the hard-fought victory at the U.S. Supreme Court in Mellouli v. Holder. The case’s decision has far-reaching implications for immigration and deportation for minor crimes. The center is the only program of its kind in the United States and is home to three dynamic clinics that offer students hands-on educational experiences in deportation defense, asylum, and impact litigation. ILCM celebrates the incredible success of this unique project through the National Advocate of the Year Award.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations, Minnesota (CAIR-MN) has worked tremendously hard over the past year to enhance understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding. Their work has grown in importance and visibility, as Minnesota has seen increased and dire intolerance, hatred, and violence towards Muslims. Jaylani Hussein, CAIR-MN’s Executive Director, accepted the award on behalf of the organization. His bold leadership, courage, and commitment are representative of each of CAIR-MN’s staff, and ILCM is proud to recognition the organization’s contributions with our State Advocate of the Year Award.
Judge Joseph Dierkes began volunteering for ILCM in 2009, and has donated close to 500 hours of pro bono services. He has volunteered on over 65 matters, nearly all of those full representation cases. His pro bono caseload has covered an array of case types, including naturalization, derivation of citizenship, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, and family petitions. What is truly special about Judge Dierkes’ work, however, is not the quantity but the quality of his representation and his dedication to clients. As an organization, ILCM echoes those feelings and deep appreciation for all of the support Pro Bono Attorney of the Year Judge Dierkes has provided our Pro Bono Program and our clients.
The Volunteer Lawyers Network (VLN) achieves broad impact by pairing legal professionals with individuals to ensure that low-income populations can obtain equal representation under the law. In 2015, VLN partnered with ILCM to establish the Family Unity Self-Help Clinic as a response to the tremendous demand for assistance with family reunification for immigrants and refugees. The clinic provides brief legal counsel for low-income immigrant and refugee families seeking the legal assistance necessary to reunite spouses, children, and parents across borders. The tireless work of our Pro Bono Partner of the Year is a testament to how dedication to client-centered services and commitment to partnerships inspires innovation and clear victories for clinic participants.
Jennifer Peredia contributed to ILCM through hundreds of volunteer hours. She developed expertise in immigration law as a legal volunteer, evidenced especially through her exemplary service to clients seeking Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. Her dedication and strong work ethic brought her into the office many evenings, as she balanced her volunteer hours here, her job at a law office, and her student workload. In 2015, she spent over 250 volunteer hours at ILCM, even while earning her spot as valedictorian of her class at Hamline University. Finally, in addition to being an invaluable asset to the ILCM and our clients, her wonderful and witty personality makes her an absolute joy to be around. We hope that all our volunteers can emulate the compassion, dedication, and drive shown by our Volunteer of the Year, Jennifer Peredia.