Notable Successes

David J. Shaw

Kids in Need of Defense (KIND) honored Desmarais LLP partner David Shaw and assistants Lauretta Camara, and Sofia Ibanez as the Pro Bono Team of the month for August 2023, highlighting their recent trial win that secured asylum for their client—a Salvadoran immigrant and her child.
 
In 2015, the clients fled El Salvador after witnessing the murder of a family member and being subjected to numerous subsequent threats. Their initial asylum application, though, was denied by the asylum office in 2016. 
 
Following an over six-year administrative delay, the team represented the clients at trial in the U.S. Immigration Court in Sterling, Virginia on July 11, 2023. In court, the mother detailed the events that led her to flee El Salvador. The team also called an expert witness who provided historical background on the social and political conditions in El Salvador. At the close of the trial, the government dropped all opposition the clients’ asylum application, at which point the judge granted them asylum from the bench.
 
In a recent interview with KIND, Shaw, Camara, and Ibanez discussed their pro bono work and what it has taught them.
 
“Winning the case is the goal, but winning the case isn’t really the point,” Shaw said. “One of the most important things that you can do for your client is to make them feel seen and heard; to let them know that one person is on their side.”
 
That means the pro bono team must both manage the casework and provide support to clients as they go through an extremely stressful, complex process.
 
“Pro bono work is a noble service. These kids need advocates to compassionately guide them through what is a frightening and uncertain time in their lives,” Camara said.
 
“You are making a real difference in someone's life,” Ibanez added, noting, “The decision not only affects the client but also their entire family.”
 
Shaw said earning successful pro bono results in court is truly rewarding, and he's learned a lot about perseverance, humanity, and empathy from his clients and their families. During his eight years working with KIND, Shaw has managed 10 cases, which have involved 13 immigrant children. Camara and Ibanez began supporting him with these cases after he joined Desmarais LLP in 2021.
 
While attorneys often want to participate in pro bono work, many struggle to choose a starting point. But once they take that first step, they are often surprised by the level of support they receive from their colleagues, Shaw said.
 
“Lauretta and Sofia do more than anyone on my cases, including me, but I’ve also received other invaluable contributions from legal secretaries, paralegals, summer associates, associates, and partners,” Shaw said.
 

David J. Shaw