Jennifer Jaffe is an associate in the Chicago office of Latham & Watkins LLP. Her work with the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals prior to joining the firm served her well to prepare for NIJC pro bono cases that advanced to federal court.

NIJC: When you first joined Latham & Watkins, you almost immediately began working on pro bono cases. How did you get involved so quickly?

Jaffe: I was lucky to have come in and had some background in immigration law from my time at the Seventh Circuit. The firm's Pro Bono Committee knew this and assigned me to a couple cases we had pending.

NIJC: Has your pro bono work with NIJC helped you in your work at Latham?

Jaffe: Absolutely it has. One of the most helpful experiences has been speaking with the judges in immigration court. The interaction with them has fed my overall knowledge of the law, besides being rewarding in its own right. Engaging these judges in conversation provides a really valuable insight.

NIJC: Could you talk about the asylum case you recently won?

Jaffe: Latham picked up the case just after this man and his wife from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) were denied asylum by the immigration officer. The husband had been involved as a high-level government official in the first Kabila government. The couple was threatened, beaten, and the wife was gang-raped by government soldiers right in front of her husband. They somehow managed to escape the DRC with their lives and wound up in America. Unfortunately, they had no one to turn to and wound up living in the streets. I think it was really hard for them as they had previously been wealthy and well-respected and the husband began to develop some mental issues due to the trauma. On top of that, it had to be very hard for them to discuss the brutal rape in front of the immigration officer. So when they omitted that part of their story, what should have been an open-and-shut case was denied because of inconsistencies in their story.

Latham's attorneys began preparing the case and were ready for the merits hearing when the government requested a forensics documents analysis, which was just coming into style at the time. The case was postponed for a year, which really shook the family. That's when I got involved with the case. We made sure the couple received the psychological counseling they needed and helped them to talk about what had happened to them. The judge granted them work authorization and they could start to make a new life for themselves, but the jobs they could find were hard physically and emotionally. Ultimately, though, we were able to put together a strong case, and the following year, they were granted asylum. I don't think I had ever seen them smile as fully and completely as they did then at the realization that it was over and they were free and safe.

NIJC: Do you still keep in touch with them?

Jaffe: I do. They're living with a distant relative now on the East Coast, working and putting their lives back together. It's not easy for them, but they're making it work. I still can't see a bridge without thinking how they had lived under one for so long, desperate for the help that Latham's team and NIJC were able to provide.

NIJC: How do you describe the experience to new associates who are interested in pro bono work?

Jaffe: I tell people that it's not about any one case, but it's about trying to do whatever I can to make a difference in the lives of people that really need the skills I have to offer.