Pro Bono Lawyer of the Year 2013 – Recipient of the Benjamin R. Civiletti Pro Bono Lawyer of the Year Award. Since 2001, Layli has led Tahirih in its service to more than 22,000 women and children, growing the non-profit from a staff of six to over 70, and expanding its offices from Greater DC to Houston, Baltimore, and the San Francisco Bay Area. The company is Tahirih Justice Center. Elaine de Leon joined Tahirih in 2019. Located in Greater DC, our executive and national teams support the needs of our local offices and our policy advocacy. In her position as Chief of Policy, she oversees the organization’s work to improve the laws that impact […] Christine Hakizimana People. She then attended the University of Houston School of Law, where she spent two semesters working in the Immigration Law Clinic. In recognition of its sound management and innovative programs, under Layli’s leadership, Tahirih won the Washington Post Award for Management Excellence and gained recognition for its innovative use of pro bono services in the Stanford Social Innovation Review. Elaine serves on the Board of Directors of Share, a national organization that serves families who have experienced pregnancy or infant loss and has been featured in publications about pregnancy and infant loss. Ms. Pyati is a dedicated advocate for immigrant women and girls with more than a decade of experience in immigration law practice, women’s rights, and public policy advocacy. She also worked for three years as a paralegal at the Law Offices of Robert B. Jobe, a San Francisco-based firm focusing on asylum and deportation defense. ©2021 Tahirih Justice Center. Paul served as a member of Tahirih’s Board of Directors from 2008-2017, and chaired the Board for most of that decade. From her previous roles in leading Tahirih’s development and fundraising across the region, she has built collaborative relationships with donors and funders to accomplish the critical work locally. We are so grateful that she will continue to play an important role in Tahirih’s advocacy and national leadership in the fight for immigrant women’s rights,” Miller-Muro said. Archi manages a growing policy team based at Tahirih’s headquarters in the Washington DC area, including seasoned advocates, litigators, and communications professionals. Michele grew up in a Haitian and El Salvadoran household of immigrants in Miami, FL. As Director of Finance, she is responsible for accounting operations, internal controls and financial reporting. Gifts are tax deductible as allowable by law. Prior to joining Tahirih, Archi was the Deputy Director of the Immigration Intervention Project at Sanctuary for Families in New York, where she served hundreds of women and girls fleeing gender-based violence, directed an attorney volunteer program, and worked with survivors to stop female genital mutilation/cutting in the United States. ©2021 Tahirih Justice Center. in Strategic Communications, American University; Masters in Theological Studies, Wesley Theological Seminary. The Tahirih Justice Center, or Tahirih, is a national charitable non-governmental organization headquartered in Falls Church, Virginia, United States that aims to protect immigrant women and girls fleeing gender-based violence and persecution.Tahirih's holistic model combines free legal services and social services case management with public policy advocacy, training and education. February 1st, 2009 . Their unwavering commitment to breaking century-old cycles of violence against women and the courage that it takes to stand up against their families and traditions is remarkable.”. “I am excited to return to Tahirih to once again support its vision and mission of a gender-equal society. As Tahirih’s Director of Public Policy, she will spearhead national advocacy initiatives, forging and mobilizing diverse, bipartisan coalitions to press for laws, regulations, and policies that better protect immigrant women and girls from violence. Storytellers: Archi Pyati of Tahirih Justice Center and Heidi Lopez. Women and girls are standing up for justice. Before joining Sanctuary, from 2004 to 2007, Archi was a senior associate with the Human Rights Defenders Program of Human Rights First where she contributed to the development of a project focusing on the rights safety of women human rights defenders. Until his retirement in 2018, Paul was a partner at Davis, Wright Tremaine specializing in cable, Internet, and telecommunications law and policy. She has lived and studied in the Dominican Republic and Chile. Archi is a graduate of Brown University and the University of Michigan Law School, where she received two competitive human rights fellowships to work overseas and was named Outstanding Woman Law Student of the Year by the Michigan Women Lawyers’ Association. “Now, through a second recertification and decision of Matter of A-B-, with no notice or opportunity for briefing, the administration has slammed the door shut to women and others fleeing violence, forcing them to return to face rape and domestic violence,” said Archi Pyati, Tahirih Chief of Policy and Communications. Ms. Smoot, who has led Tahirih’s public policy team since 2003, has shepherded major public policy victories to reduce vulnerabilities of immigrant women and girls and to empower them as survivors. In addition to overseeing daily management of the office and maintaining a caseload, she substantially grew both the Baltimore and Houston offices, focusing on identifying key partners, collaborating with stakeholders, developing pro bono networks and creating collaborations. As Director of Communications, Elaine leads the organization’s efforts to leverage the power of storytelling, public relations, and marketing to support and advocate for immigrant survivors of gender-based violence. “We are a resource for the most vulnerable people who don’t have anywhere else to turn. She interned with the Immigration and Refugee Services Department of the Spanish Red Cross in Granada, Spain, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees office in Washington, DC, and at a Swiss Refugee Transit Center. During law school, she interned in the Trial Chambers of the International Criminal Tribunal for Former Yugoslavia and the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. Archi Pyati is available for comment on this topic. Christine joined Tahirih in 2017 as the Director of Organizational Development. Under her stewardship, Tahirih has evolved into a national public policy leader. Christine is a former member of the Keystone Alliance for Performance Excellence Board of Examiners and holds her PHR and SHRM-CP certifications, “I am inspired by the courageous women and girls that Tahirih supports and enjoy supporting our team in the important work they do.”, Education: University of Delaware, BS in Human Services; Bryn Mawr College, Master in Social Service and Masters in Law and Social Policy (MSS/MLSP). After arriving, I started and ran my own business, […]. Archana P. Pyati (Registration# 4163861) is an attorney registered with New York State, Office of Court Administration. Archi also oversees the organization’s media outreach and publications. Michele Perez joined Tahirih as the Chief Operations Officer in 2019. Please contact rachelp@tahirih.org. Maeve is originally from Ireland and has spent time working in Germany and Switzerland. Paul Glist serves as General Counsel for Tahirih, supporting the management and legal teams and Tahirih’s strategic initiatives. Renée Stikes joins Tahirih Justice Center as the Chief Development Officer. Her strategic vision, strong leadership and exceptional management, and commitment to Tahirih’s work will allow the Greater DC office to improve efficiencies and increase its response to the urgent needs of immigrant women and girls in the region. Her leadership enabled OPIC to partner with developing economies worldwide, encourage more open, democratic and stable societies and improve the quality of life for those in most need. About the Tahirih Justice Center The Tahirih Justice Center is the largest national direct service and policy advocacy organization focused on assisting immigrant women … Being a part of an organization that not only supports and nurtures women fleeing violence, but also recognizes the importance of personal empowerment, is an honor.”. Christine joined Tahirih in 2017 as the Director of Organizational Development. “Ending Violence Against Women and Girls, For battered immigrant women, fear of deportation becomes abusers weapon, https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/437919-federal-judge-issues-injunction-over-policy-requiring-asylum-seekers, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpoJLR6U20U, https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-arduous-traumatizing-path-at-the-border/2018/11/01/c5ced52c-d932-11e8-8384-bcc5492fef49_story.html?utm_term=.279b048c9413, https://www.facebook.com/TahirihJusticeCenter/videos/analysis-of-yesterdays-asylum-decision/10160644033485232/, “Despite the #MeToo Movement, Roll-Backs in Protection Endanger Immigrant Women: It is Time for #ImmigrantWomentToo,”, : How the Attorney General Attempts to Subvert Asylum Law and Dismiss Domestic Violence as a Private Affair,”, “The Asylum Process Under Trump Has Become Arbitrary and Inhumane,”, “Travel Ban Suspension Has Immigrants Hustling to Get to U.S.,”, Tahirih Denounces Recertification of Matter of A-B- Opinion, Tahirih and Ayuda File Lawsuit Challenging Sweeping Regulations That Would End Asylum, Washington D.C. Super Lawyers in Communications and Information Technology/Outsourcing by Thomson Reuters, 2010, 2013-2018, America’s Leading Lawyers for Business in Telecom – Broadcast & Satellite: Regulatory (District of Columbia) by Chambers, Vanguard Award from NCTA – the Internet and Television Association (formerly National Cable & Telecommunications Association), Selected for Cable Center Oral and Video history collection. Among other achievements, she helped draft and mobilize support for the enactment of the International Marriage Broker Regulation Act (IMBRA) to prevent the abuse and exploitation of so-called “mail-order brides,” helped galvanize recognition of forced marriage as a domestic human rights problem in the United States with a groundbreaking national survey and the launch of a new Tahirih initiative, assisted in drafting legislation to fix aspects of the broken asylum system that harm women and girls fleeing gender-based persecution and co-wrote a report to bring attention to the steep path that women face to receive asylum protection in the United States. Barfonce has a demonstrated passion and commitment for the work of Tahirih, having been one of Tahirih’s first supporters from its inception. Gifts are tax deductible as allowable by law. The Tahirih Justice Center is a national non-profit organization that aims to end violence against immigrant women and girls through free, holistic direct services, policy advocacy, and training and education. Kristen also maintained a substantial Tahirih pro bono practice, advocating for clients before the United States Immigration Court and in administrative proceedings of the Department of Homeland Security, United States Customs and Immigration Service for grants of humanitarian Asylum, assisting clients with grants of Asylum in obtaining derivative Asylum status for family members abroad and permanent residence, and representing women seeking temporary and permanent protective orders in domestic violence cases in Maryland state court. Women Business Achievement Award, “A Nation of Laws – What About Immigration?”, “Thousands of Young Women in the U.S. Michele holds a BS in Human Services from Cornell University and an MS in Management from the Catholic University of America. Her undergraduate honors thesis compared the United States and Canadian applications of gender-based guidelines in asylum law. This decision opened the door to gender-based persecution as grounds for asylum. Previous experiences include development roles at KaBOOM!, CentroNia, Council on Foundations, Children’s Defense Fund, National Minority AIDS Council, and Building Futures. “I am inspired by Tahirih’s unwavering commitment to fight for equality between women and men and to obtain justice for immigrant survivors of gender-based violence.”. Forced Into Marriage,”. Paul has lived in Johannesburg, South Africa and London, England. She established Tahirih in 1997 following her involvement in a high-profile case that set national precedent and revolutionized asylum law in the United States. Ms. Smoot’s new, part-time position will enable Tahirih to continue to benefit from her experience, while enabling her to spend more time with her family. In her role as Chief Operating Officer, she oversees the execution of strategies that enable Tahirih to deliver on our core values and mission of advancing equity and social justice. View Archana Pyati's business profile as Director, Policy & Programs at Tahirih Justice Center. Kursten Phelps and Archi Pyati of the Tahirih Justice Center provide helpful guidance on speaking with clients who have suffered trauma. Layli has been honored with many awards and accolades throughout her career, including: As Greater DC Director, Barfonce brings to bear fifteen years of executive level experience in the non-profit sector. “Tahirih inspires me because our clients are survivors who refuse to be victims of violence. As Director, Christine is responsible for human resources functions and executing recruitment and retention programs that make Tahirih the first choice for job seekers committed to justice for women and girls. Tahirih Justice Center is a non-partisan, tax-exempt 501(c) charitable organization (EIN # 54-1858176). Archi Pyati has worked with the Tahirih Justice Center since February 2014. The company or organization that Archana P. Pyati serves is Tahirih Justice Center.The office address is 6402 Arlington Blvd Ste … You’ve seen the shocking images. |  Privacy Policy  |  Works Cited, Special Advisor to the Chief Executive Officer, Executive Director, San Francisco Bay Area, Clicking Here will take you to Google, remember to hide your tracks, Stand with Survivors: Save Gender-Based Asylum, Stand with Survivors: Social Media Toolkit, Newsweek/Daily Beast’s 150 Most Fearless Women in the World, Diane von Furstenberg’s People’s Voice Award, Huffington Post’s 50 Powerful Women Religious Leaders, GoldmanSach’s Top 100 Most Innovative Entrepreneurs, Smart CEO Brava! Christine worked as a member of Tahirih ’ s media outreach and publications Nextel Communications University of.! 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