The Mintz Levin 2008 Pro Bono Report “Lara” is a single mother with two young children, working part-time at a grocery store to make ends meet. She fled from her physically abusive husband two years ago so that her children could be raised in a household free of violence. Unfortunately, her immigration status was linked to her husband, and her ability to stay in the country legally might have been in jeopardy. Fortunately for women like Lara, in October 2008 Congress enacted the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Prevention Act, which created the U visa Program. The U visa provides authorization to stay in the United States and for employment to non-U.S. citizens who have been physically and/or mentally abused and who have assisted with the investigation or prosecution of the perpetrator of that abuse. This past year, Mintz Levin teamed with My Sisters’ Place–— a leading resource for domestic violence programs, advocacy, and services in Westchester County, New York–—to sponsor two day-long clinics to assist domestic violence victims and their children with completing U visa petitions. The need was urgent. My Sisters’ Place had hundreds of clients who had filed temporary petitions, all of whom needed to re-file for permanent relief on an incredibly tight deadline. The Mintz Levin team staffing the clinic included over a dozen attorneys and staff from the New York and Boston offices. All told, the Mintz Levin team met with close to 30 clients who were simultaneously trying to move on from abusive relationships, be the best single mothers they could be, and 13 My Sisters’ Place work to provide for their families. On top of this, these clients were confronting the complex U visa process, all with the hope of bringing some stability and continuity to their lives. For the Mintz Levin participants, staffing the clinic was a moving experience. For the attendees, the clinic offered a chance to see light at the end of the tunnel and the promise of a safer tomorrow for their families. Since 1979, My Sisters’ Place has sought to empower women to take control of their lives. The organization is committed to assisting women in acquiring information, resources, and skills to end the cycle of violence and abuse in their lives, and to achieve self-confidence, self-reliance, and independence. Through partners like Mintz Levin, My Sisters’ Place is able to offer women and children–—like Lara and her two children –—a life that is better than the one they left behind.