LSNYC’s Terry Lawson Appointed to Advisory Council on Immigration Issues in Family Court

November 12, 2015, NEW YORK, NY— Legal Services NYC (LSNYC) is pleased to announce that Terry Lawson, Director of the Family and Immigration Unit in LSNYC’s Bronx office, has been appointed to a new Advisory Council on Immigration Issues in Family Court. The group is meeting for the first time today.

The Council will work to address the concerns of judges, the bar, litigants and others with regard to a topic of increasing public interest— immigration-related issues arising in Family Court. These include access to immigration benefits such as Special Immigrant Juvenile Status; potential adverse immigration consequences for parties in delinquency, neglect and other Family Court proceedings; and language, cultural and other justice barriers that litigants may face.

Among other goals, the group will work to enhance training programs to better prepare Family Court judges to manage proceedings involving immigration-related issues; foster communication and coordination among the justice system players and other stakeholders to streamline case processing and ensure the fair administration of justice in these complex matters; and advance public education and other programs targeting the needs of litigants in these cases. Members of the advisory council will engage in a variety of outreach and education efforts, also proposing new court rules and legislative reforms to address relevant issues.

“Terry is a perfect selection for the Council,” said Raun Rasmussen, Legal Services NYC’s Executive Director. “Her expertise is extensive in the areas of family and immigration law, and she is particularly sensitive to how the legal system is experienced by those who must turn to Family Court for justice. Her insights will be invaluable to the work of the Council.”

Terry brings with her nine years of experience representing survivors of intimate partner violence in a wide range of family, matrimonial, and immigration law matters. She leads the newly formed Bronx Immigration Partnership, and recently joined the advisory group for the New York State Coalition Against Sexual Assault. She is also a member of the Family Law Attorneys Advocating for Immigrant Survivors: Community of Practice at the National Immigrant Women’s Advocacy Project. Prior to joining LSNYC’s Bronx program, Terry was a litigation associate with Sidley Austin LLP, where she represented clients referred by Her Justice through its pro bono and externship programs. Terry has a bachelor’s degree from Yale University, a Masters of Public Policy from Harvard University, and a Juris Doctorate and a Certificate in Refugee and Humanitarian Emergencies from Georgetown University. 

Other council members include statewide representatives from the courts, state government, legal services providers, law firms, law schools and community-based organizations, with New York City Family Court Administrative Judge Edwina Richardson-Mendelson and Hofstra University School of Law Professor Theo S. Liebmann serving as co-chairs.

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Contact: Kate Whalen, 646-442-3654, kwhalen (at) legalservicesnyc.org