A pro bono client and her three teenage children have an optimistic future in United States after being granted asylum through efforts of a partnership between Jenner & Block, JPMorgan Chase, and the National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC).
The story of our client, identified as R., and that of her children, reveals why Jenner and our partners commit themselves to pro bono service: securing justice for vulnerable clients.
- endured over a decade of physical, sexual, and psychological abuse at the hands of two men in her life. In 2007, she fled from El Salvador to escape her dangerous and possessive husband but then fell victim to another abusive partner who brought her to Mexico under false pretenses. She eventually escaped from that partner with her two young daughters. Her oldest child and only son, K, grew up in El Salvador surrounded by members of that country’s most notorious gangs, and after resisting attempts to join the gang, fled from El Salvador and reunited with his mother and two sisters in Mexico. The three escaped from Mexico into the United States.
Upon being referred to R.’s case in January 2024, the team moved quickly to beat fast-approaching deadlines. Within two months, they compiled affidavits, medical records, and other documents that helped them build a persuasive brief to support the asylum application.
After a merits hearing on April 17, the immigration judge granted R. and her children asylum. Given the short time frame the team faced, and the current political climate surrounding asylum, the outcome was a major victory.
The team representing R. and her children included Annette Isaacson and Michelle Munoz Durk from JPMorgan Chase; Geoff Cebula from the NIJC; and Jenner Partners Dawn Smalls and Wade Thomson, Special Counsel Jon Skladany, Associate Sierra Paskins, and Lead Lawyer Support Assistant Aimee Piatek.
Related Lawyers
Related Locations
© 2026 Jenner & Block LLP. Attorney Advertising. Jenner & Block LLP is an Illinois Limited Liability Partnership including professional corporations. This publication, presentation, or event is not intended to provide legal advice but to provide information on legal matters and/or firm news of interest to our clients and colleagues. Readers or attendees should seek specific legal advice before taking any action with respect to matters mentioned in this publication or at this event. The attorney responsible for this communication is Brent E. Kidwell, Jenner & Block LLP, 353 N. Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60654-3456. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Jenner & Block London LLP, an affiliate of Jenner & Block LLP, is a limited liability partnership established under the laws of the State of Delaware, USA and is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority with SRA number 615729. Information regarding the data we collect and the rights you have over your data can be found in our Privacy Notice. For further inquiries, please contact dataprotection@jenner.com.