Volunteer Spotlight: Sara Thompson

Sara Thompson, Managing Director and Counsel at Mizuho Americas, volunteers with the Immigrant Justice Project. She was honored with a 2024 Outstanding Pro Bono Service Award for her enduring and ardent advocacy in support of immigrants.

How did you get started volunteering with us? Mizuho started a pro bono program for our legal department; and since 2022, I have been able to work with three clients for the Immigrant Justice Project. Two of these cases involved applications to adjust status to become a legal permanent resident and one case involved requesting humanitarian parole. In each case, families had been impacted by human trafficking and/or domestic violence. Prior to joining Mizuho, I worked with another non-profit providing similar pro bono legal advice. To be able to reconnect to that work in a new way was extremely gratifying.

What inspires or motivates you about doing pro bono work? I have worked as a corporate attorney for over 18 years and doing pro bono legal work allows me to serve an entirely different type of client. I can use my legal skills to help women who have undergone extreme hardships and make a real lasting impact on the trajectory of their lives in the U.S. My clients’ stories inspire me with their resiliency.

What has been your favorite or proudest moment as a volunteer, or what is a moment that has particularly stood out to you? My favorite part has definitely been meeting with my client to hand them their “green card”. My proudest moment was being honored by the City Bar Justice Center as one of the 2024 Outstanding Pro Bono Service Award recipients.

Why do you find this work to be important in our current world? Access to quality legal representation is one of the core values I believe in. CBJC makes that possible for so many New Yorkers through their various projects. Given the complex nature and shifting environment of the immigration laws in this country, the expert advice that the City Bar Justice Center provides is critical.

How has doing this work affected you and/or your legal practice? It has impacted me personally over the years to see how important it is for my clients to legally establish their new lives in NYC and re-unite families that have been separated for many years. It has made me a more empathetic advisor, improved my critical problem solving capabilities, and honed my attention to detail.

What would you tell someone who hasn’t volunteered with CBJC but is thinking about starting? Do it! It is worth every minute – you get to establish meaningful relationships with New Yorkers from diverse communities and wonderful contacts with the expert CBJC team.

What song do you currently have on repeat? Cleo Sol – Life Will Be

 

Interested in volunteering? Visit our “Do Pro Bono” page for more information