WSGives

Our Volunteer of the Week is Karl Hudspith from the D.C. office. Karl is a Patents and Innovations associate who is part of a team that recently obtained a green card for Kaia (name changed), who was part of a cohort of young women evacuated from Afghanistan with the Asian University for Women following the rise of the Taliban. While teaching English at a school in Afghanistan she received death threats from the Taliban for teaching “the language of the enemy.” Kaia was granted asylum in the USA last year and recently received legal permanent residency with the help of Karl and the Wilson Sonsini team, including Rachel Burke, Megan Thomsen, Ashley Slack, and Sean Semmler. Here’s Karl on why giving back is so important: Having gone through the immigration system myself I understand how intimidating it can be to have your future in doubt for years at a time. When the firm started working with Afghan asylees fleeing the country after the US withdrawal I jumped at the chance to use my own experience navigating the system to help someone in a desperate situation. In my conversations with Kaia, she struck me as someone who could have easily been one of my classmates at law school, which made hearing her accounts of her and her family's experiences at the hands of the Taliban all the more shocking. I am happy we were able to help her obtain safety in the USA. I encourage anyone at the firm who has spare time to get involved in a pro bono case. Besides the impact on our pro-bono clients, it has been great to work with attorneys from other practice groups on a case together. Congratulations, Karl!

Join us for a conversation on Community Impact on Wednesday, March 19! We’re excited to invite you to a discussion on Wilson Sonsini’s Community Impact program—highlighting our extensive pro bono and community service initiatives. Register via Flo Recruit to receive the Zoom link here: https://lnkd.in/evkB8HaM. Moderated by Luke Liss, the panel will feature John Lynch, Gail McFall, and Melissa Rick, who will share insights into the firm’s commitment to making a difference. We look forward to seeing you there! #ProBono #CommunityImpact #WilsonSonsini

Join us for a conversation on Community Impact on Wednesday, March 19! We’re excited to invite you to a discussion on Wilson Sonsini’s Community Impact program—highlighting our extensive pro bono and community service initiatives. Register via Flo Recruit to receive the Zoom link here: https://lnkd.in/evkB8HaM. Moderated by Luke Liss, the panel will feature John Lynch, Gail McFall, and Melissa Rick, who will share insights into the firm’s commitment to making a difference. We look forward to seeing you there! #ProBono #CommunityImpact #WilsonSonsini

Was inspiring to attend the Fresh Lifelines for Youth (FLY) showcase with wonderful teammates at the invitation of the great Rico Rosales. FLY’s dedication to creating real opportunities for youth in need was reflected in the amazingly resilient and talented youth that presented throughout the event. Proud that Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati is a sponsor of the important work of FLY.

Our Volunteer of the Week is Noora Bayrami from the New York office. Noora is an antitrust associate who has made significant contributions to the firm's pro bono practice, including work for nonprofit organizations such as Catholic Charities of The Archdiocese of Washington, Her Justice, Kids in Need of Defense, and Sage Bionetworks. Here’s Noora on why giving back is so important:?I am very proud to work with Wilson Sonsini's pro bono team. My cases have mostly focused on obtaining immigration relief for my clients, ensuring they have the opportunity to pursue the life they want away from violence and discrimination. Thousands of people need and cannot obtain legal assistance — my work makes up a tiny fraction of a percentage of cases that need counsel. Pro bono services can potentially be life-changing for clients — I encourage all lawyers to take on cases if you can, even if it's outside your area of expertise. Congratulations, Noora!

Last week, we kicked off the celebration of Women’s History Month with a gift bag project. The San Francisco office partnered with Project Glimmer to assemble 182 gift bags for underserved young women in our community. Team Wilson Sonsini included Joseph Auer, Chris Boyd, Theresa Buendia, Claire Davidson, Debbie Faszholz, Tori Fong, Hedvy Gregg, Tina Hanson, Catherine Lacey, Mary Morrissey, Lisa Ruan, Kate Secrest, Pamela Villarin, Lianna Whittleton, Thomas Williams, Annie Xu, and Mounika Yepuri. Project Glimmer works to inspire every girl to envision and realize an empowered future. The organization operates in all 50 states through partnerships with over 1,000 organizations, including foster care, homeless services, crisis care, and youth services.

This past Friday, employees from the Palo Alto office participated in a food-sort project with Second Harvest of Silicon Valley. Along with other community members, the team successfully packed 3,600 pounds of jalape?os and 2,310 pounds of radishes, for a grand total of 5,910 pounds of produce to serve local community members. Team Wilson Sonsini included Joan Abriam, Cora Agtane-Reyes, Roya B., Madeleine H. Bazan, Franchette Garcia, Freshta Maftoon, Gail McFall, Roxanne Sale, Lynn Sova, and Jill Stolarik. Second Harvest of Silicon Valley provides food for 500,000 individuals each month in Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties through its programs and a network of nearly 400 partners across more than 900 locations.

Recently, our pro bono client, Hope For Ukraine, generously shared with our team a heartfelt photo book that highlights the organization's accomplishments from 2024. It's truly a joy to see the impact of our support of Hope for Ukraine over the past two years.

Our Volunteer of the Week is Leila P. from the San Diego office. Leila is a corporate associate who has made significant contributions to several pro bono initiatives over the past year. She has worked on matters for nonprofit organizations such as Bet Tzedek, Casa Cornelia Law Center, Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, Legal Services for Entrepreneurs, a program of Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area, Project Equity, San Diego Volunteer Lawyer Program, Start Small Think Big, The Net Project, Volunteer Lawyers for Justice, and University of California College of the Law, San Francisco. Recently, Leila played a pivotal role in reuniting a woman—who was trafficked for labor by a diplomat—with her son, from whom she had been separated for more than six years. Here’s Leila on why giving back is so important: There are endless reasons why pro bono work is invaluable, but what resonates with me most is feeling like I’m part of a community. When we talk about giving back to a community, we are really talking about being part of a community – using our knowledge and skillset to build and strengthen our peers, just as they do for us, and knowing that there is always something more promising than your personal gains. Congratulations, Leila!

We wrapped up the firm’s celebration of Black History Month with a book bag project. The Palo Alto office partnered with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Silicon Valley (BGCSV) to create book bags for first through third graders served by the organization. The project began with a presentation by Kristi Cole, BGCSV’s Director of Development, and Kimberly Reddrick-Peters, BGCSV’s Volunteer & Corporate Outreach Manager. Nearly 40 volunteers designed almost 100 bags, each containing a book from a Black-owned bookstore, a pack of flashcards, snacks, and a handwritten card. BGCSV provides afterschool and summer enrichment programs primarily for low-income, at-risk Santa Clara County youth ages 5-18 years.