News & Events

On August 29, 2005, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals granted a petition for review filed by the Firm on behalf of our pro bono client, Marc Hilaire Joseph, regarding his claim of derivative United States citizenship. In so doing, the Third Circuit vacated an order of the Board of Immigration Appeals and transferred the case to the District Court for a new evidentiary hearing. Simpson Thacher is co-counsel on this case with the Association of the Bar of the City of New York.

The decision marks the culmination of three years of litigation, which began when the case was first referred to the Firm by the New York State Defenders Association. Mr. Joseph's pro bono legal team currently consists of Karen Abravanel, former associate Jennifer Kim (who is currently the Director of the City Bar's Refugee Assistance Program and who argued Mr. Joseph's petition before the Circuit) and paralegals Jennifer Daum and Missy White. Marsha Johnson and Rob Pfister provided invaluable assistance with preparing the initial petition. Over the past three years the team has also included former associates Alex Wang and Kele Williams, former summer associates Carlos Montoya and Brook Long (now both attorneys at the firm), and Ellen Frye, also former paralegal Jesse Solomon.

Click here to read the decision on the Third Circuit's website.