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Attorney ethics and licensing recommend that attorneys “should aspire to render at least (50) hours of pro bono … legal services per year.” When translated from Latin, it means “for the public good.” Despite the cliche jokes and tired stereotypical references about lawyers, some legal professionals are committed to using their skill sets to assist individuals and organizations in need. 

The driving force behind STERN Law, LLC, is that we want to live in a world that isn’t based on where you were born, the worst decision you (may) have made in your life, or your skin color. Acknowledging, posting, or talking about the changes we wish to see isn't enough. We recognize and appreciate our position, and our mission extends beyond serving one client at a time. Our goal is to elevate them. We are the bridge between our client base and the people of power. We want you to understand these issues because we catalyze change together. 

Taking the Next Step

Every attorney hits a point in their career when they discover that there is more to their profession. Though they are equipped to resolve complex legal issues, they can select the types of problems they bring into their sphere of influence. When they accept that they have more to contribute, their actions can be expressed through several outlets. They may choose to mentor a new attorney, conduct CLE training, judge mock trials for students, or volunteer to sit on a panel. Others may recognize the power of sitting down with other like-minded people to put together their collective efforts to address the policies that impact our clients and to do something that genuinely affects the community. 

Time is a non-renewable resource that isn’t refunded when wasted. Because neither we nor any other firm has the time and resources to help everyone deserving of it, we can redirect our efforts to create policies that impact people on a mass scale. Everyone wishes to make a change, but it is an empty sentiment without an actionable plan. 

Our purpose for discussing this here is that we want our clients to know that we are working for them even when we aren’t working with them. When the Mayor assigned an immigration advisory panel, we eagely accepted the invitation to have a seat at the table, because the outcome impacted our client base. The City of Atlanta needed to determine whether it should continue its contract with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). At the time, ICE paid the city for bed spaces at the Atlanta City Detention Center. Non-U.S. citizens were subjected to human rights violations, unjustifiably locked into solitary confinement, received inadequate medical care, and at times  forced into labor programs. Ultimately, the contract was terminated. Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said, “Atlanta will no longer be complicit in a policy that intentionally inflicts misery on a vulnerable population without giving any thought to the horrific fallout…As the birthplace of the civil rights movement, we are called to be better than this.”

STERN LAW, LLC Continues to Be a Bridge 

STERN Law, LLC, commits itself to making the biggest impact for the most people. Whether it is contributing to the  Atlanta Immigration Lawyers Association Chapter, creating legal programs with the Black Alliance for Just Immigration (BAJI), or volunteering our time to food banks, our role will always be to serve our client base. We have an intimate understanding of how criminal charges impact your immigration status, and we are here to support you when you face legal hurdles. Contact us today to schedule your consultation.