Dear John,

You are invited to be part of an inspiring evening that celebrates unity, compassion, and the resilience of our immigrant and refugee communities. Join us at the Voices United: Uplifting and Transforming Communities fundraising gala, hosted by the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota (ILCM).

September 28th

6-8 p.m.

The Landmark Center

We are thrilled to be recognizing some of our extraordinary pro bono volunteers who have gone above and beyond to serve immigrant and refugee clients. 

Outstanding Pro Bono Attorney of the Year, Dawn Holicky Pruitt

Dawn Holicky Pruitt is a partner at Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP where she focuses on advising public companies in their capital raising and liability management activities. Dawn regularly assists clients in both public and private offerings of debt securities and has represented clients in securities offerings aggregating more than $50 billion since the beginning of 2020. Dawn finds great fulfillment in her pro bono work with the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota and the connections she has formed with clients and staff. 

“Dawn has been a huge supporter of our naturalization project. She has engaged with our naturalization interview coverage project which supports our ILCM staff by helping cover naturalization interviews for outstate staff and staff who have conflicts for the interview dates. This allows the client to be able to continue to move forward with their case and not have any unnecessary delays and allows our staff to continue to take on new clients knowing that there is support at the interview stage." - ILCM Pro Bono Manager, Tracy Roy

Outstanding Pro Bono Champion of the Year, Celia Thomas 

Celia Thomas is the Minneapolis Pro Bono Coordinator at Ballard Spahr LLP, where she provides invaluable support to the firm's legal volunteers. Originally from East St. Louis, Illinois, she ventured to Minnesota to pursue her college education and fulfill her dream of becoming either an actor or a doctor, whichever opportunity came first. After spending several years in the tech support industry, she discovered her true passion for the legal field while working alongside the Pro bono Director at the former Lindquist & Vennum.

"Celia is undeterred by barriers. She doesn’t start with ‘yes, and here are the problems we’ll face,’ she leans in with ‘yes, and here’s how we’ll overcome these roadblocks.’ She embraces challenges with fresh energy and is focused on possibilities. We have lots of ideas bubbling up this fall and I can’t wait to keep working together to plan more clinics, pro bono week events, volunteer engagement events, and brainstorming other ways to expand pro bono.” - ILCM Pro Bono Manager, Tracy Roy

Outstanding Pro Bono Paralegal Team, Julian Alvarez, Ashley Loayes, and Adriana Lopez

In August 2021, Julian “Gabino” Alvarez started as an Immigration Bond Specialist with Minnesota Freedom Fund (MFF), then was promoted to Immigration Bond Coordinator. Previously, he worked as a case manager at a private law firm in St. Paul from May 2013 to August 2021, where he obtained experience in different immigration cases ranging from U-visas to consular processing and family petitions to asylum and removal proceedings. Julian speaks English and Spanish. 

Ashley joined the MFF team in April of this year after working 10 years as a paralegal in a private practice working exclusively in immigration law. She has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Spanish Language and Literature and an associate degree in Paralegal Studies. Ashley has volunteered on several humanitarian projects in Mexico, Central and South America and enjoys using her skill set to help the immigrant community. 

Adriana is the Immigration Bond Manager who joined MFF in May 2021. She is a native English and Spanish speaker. She has extensive immigration experience, working as a paralegal in immigration firms for over 10 years. Her portfolio includes a wide range of affirmative and defensive cases with USCIS and EOIR, particularly individuals detained by ICE.

"Julian, Ashley, and Adriana are incredible partners in pro bono work. MFF is always willing to take on cases that we need to place quickly due to upcoming deadlines and they do not shy away from complex cases! This team has assisted on DACA cases, naturalization, U Visas, removal, and more! Working with this group is always a delight and their commitment to providing the best service to clients is apparent anytime we interact. We’ve also had the pleasure of attending community events and tabling side by side. It’s clear that our organizations only benefit from partnering to work together to serve community." - ILCM Pro Bono Manager, Tracy Roy

RSVP by September 22 to secure your spot at this unforgettable event.