Pro Bono Clinic Helps Durham Immigrants Realize Citizenship Dreams
Durham, NC (PRWEB) August 14, 2014 -- “Congratulations, you’re a citizen.”
Many people go to bed at night dreaming of hearing this phrase. For some, it means security, safety, more opportunities, and the ability to vote on important issues in the country they call home. For others, it means the chance reunite with a parent, sibling, or child they were forced to leave behind.
Those dreams may soon become reality for many immigrants in Durham, North Carolina and the surrounding areas, thanks to the efforts of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) Education Fund, El Centro Hispano, the Law Offices of James Scott Farrin and Univision 40.
35 volunteers from these organizations joined forces at El Centro’s Durham headquarters on July 26th to offer a free naturalization clinic for legal permanent residents (green card holders) and help them through the application process.
“It was so gratifying to see people, who may not otherwise become citizens, take one giant step closer to their U.S. citizenship,” said Jacob Goad, a paralegal from James Scott Farrin. “I helped one woman who’s been a legal resident since I was six years old. This time she’ll likely pass the requirements for citizenship and fulfill her dream. I got a big kiss on the cheek for helping her out.”
Prior to the clinic, Goad and other Farrin volunteers underwent a three hour continuing legal education (CLE) course on the naturalization process.
“We had 10 attorneys volunteer their time for the clinic – that is a new record. I was so proud of them, and all of our staff and volunteers, for their generosity and hard work. I think the event was a huge success and we look forward to doing this again next year,” said Rick Fleming, a shareholder at the Law Offices of James Scott Farrin who helped organize the event.
As a direct result of the clinic, the U.S. will likely have 40 some new citizens by the end of the year.
ABOUT THE LAW OFFICES OF JAMES SCOTT FARRIN:
The Law Offices of James Scott Farrin is headquartered in the American Tobacco Historic District, adjacent to the Durham Bulls Athletic Park, in Durham, North Carolina, with 12 additional offices statewide in Charlotte, Fayetteville, Greensboro, Greenville, Goldsboro, Henderson, New Bern, Raleigh, Roanoke Rapids, Rocky Mount, Sanford and Wilson. The firm’s 33 attorneys focus on the following practice areas: Personal Injury, Workers’ Compensation, Social Security Disability, Eminent Domain, Intellectual Property, Civil Rights, Mass Torts and Products Liability. Three of the attorneys are North Carolina Board Certified Specialists in Workers’ Compensation Law and one is a North Carolina Board Certified Specialist in Social Security Disability Law. The Law Offices of James Scott Farrin is involved in the community, including sponsorship of local philanthropic organizations and an active employee matching donation program.
Contact Information:
David Chamberlin
280 S. Mangum Street, Suite 400
Durham, NC 27701
866-844-4262
http://www.farrin.com
David Chamberlin, Law Offices of James Scott Farrin, http://www.farrin.com, +1 919-226-1915, [email protected]
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